Anyone else exclusive BF and NOT expressing?

[TeaTeaTea]

I'm BF my 2nd child and, like with my first, never found a use to express. DH is working fulltime so wouldn't be fair to ask him to do some night feeds when he needs to be up early for work plus at the weekend he takes care of our 2 year old a lot more so if I expressed...it'd likely go to waste as I'd still be feeding her.

DD is now 8 weeks so window of opportunity to get her used to a bottle is closing I know.

But I don't know anyone who isn't expressing, should I have done it? It does mean I'm missing out on some social outings as I can't leave DD due to needing to feed her and people are responding to me a bit 'off' as if I should have considered expressing my milk so that I could continue socialising for a bit without my young baby hanging off me. Feeling a bit awkward and not knowing how to respond to them.

I breastfed for about 4 years and only very rarely expressed. I felt most of the time it was more trouble than it was worth. DS never had formula either.

There is no window to get your baby used to a bottle, though, that's a huge myth.

If you're happy with the way things are, don't change it! :)

I expressed. DS never drank it!

At 8 weeks, BTW, I'm amazed that people are expecting you to go out without your baby! I would just say "Sorry I don't feel ready to leave DD yet". Not necessarily about feeding at this age.

I never gave my DD a bottle, no one cared if I came out or not! Maybe you've got better friends than me but they're only so little and needy for a short time. In a few more short weeks you'll have a bit more time, but you don't get this time back. Sorry if that sounds a bit pompous but 8 weeks is so young.

I expressed but my pleas for someone to give DS a bottle regularly were largely ignored and he wouldn't take a bottle from me so a lot of it got tipped. It was handy for the odd time I wanted to go out without him for more than an hour though.

Nope. I tried with my first - managed a tsp from both! Not sure if I was doing it right but as I was happy to miss out of evenings out it didn't bother me.

Haven't bothered trying to express with DC2. Now she is on solids and can take drink from a cup (with help) I can go out for a few hours.

Your life. Your dc. Your choice.

My dd is 14 weeks now and I'm ebf. I have bought a basic hand pump expressing kit, as I have started some exercise classes in the evenings. I have expressed twice so my dh could have something to feed her, but both times she just slept through until I was home so it went to waste. Right now she does a final feed about 7pm then sleeps til at least 10pm, so I can go out in that window if I need to without bothering with expressing. Right now I can't think of anything I would do that goes on longer or later than that!

I never expressed really. I tried once with DS1, found it a total faff with not much result and decided I couldn’t be bothered. I did get the pump out once with DS2- because he had a night where he slept unusually well and I woke up at 5am with rock hard sore boobs!

I was fortunate though that both mine spaced their daytime feeds out to two-three hours quite quickly so I could leave them for a short while without worrying. DS1 slept through at 12 weeks so evenings out were fine. DS2 is a total nightmare sleeper still at 18 months so I am too tired to care that I can’t go out

DS1 - I tried to express but got very little, and DS couldn't figure out a bottle anyway (went straight to straw cup) - since we didn't have family close, there was no one to leave him with for any amount of time I wanted to be away from him, and we coslept so night time wasn't a big deal.

DS2 - I again got a pump (just a little hand one this time) - thinking that now we lived near family, perhaps I'd want to be able to go out for the evening or whatever. I had more success with the volume, but then just didn't need to - threw the litre or so I had in the freezer away eventually - DS2 slept through quickly, and entirely weaned himself at 8 months.

I'm not having a third, but if I did I'd finally not bother getting a pump - I don't see the point.

I breastfed both of mine for a year each and only ever expressed a couple of times when dc1 was tiny. Mainly so dp could do a feed or two but in the end i decided it wasn’t worth the effort.

I tried pumping when dd was teeny tiny, but it was a long process to get enough for a feed and it didn't feel worth it for one feeds worth of break. I didn't like feeling like a dairy cow! It was nice for DP to give a few bottles but I didn't bother after about 8 weeks. I didn't want to leave her with anyone else at that stage, wasn't fussed about going out and it was probably only once she was eating solids that I would give her to anyone but DP for two hours. I still don't leave her very often even now she is 13 months, she comes out to dinner with DP and I most of the time if we want to go out. Do what feels right for you OP, people can wait for you to be ready to go out, babies are only so tiny and sweet for a short time I'd make the most of it.

BF for 9 years ... never expressed.

I’ve never expressed - DD is 2.5 and breastfed for 27 months; DS is almost 10mo.

I don’t want the faff of expressing - I’d much rather do something useful or sleep! But I’m also happy to miss out on things, particularly in the first 6-8 months. I’d quite happily leave DS now for a few hours if there was something on.

Do whatever suits you. Don’t express because you feel you should, only if you actually want to!

I breastfed my third and fourth DC for a year each and never expressed other than trying a few times at the start but it was arduous and with little milk produced at the end. You should do what feels right for you. Congratulations!

BF dd1 for 2 years. expressed with a pump a couple of times but milk got wasted as she never took bottle. only ever hand expressed when I went back to work and this was mainly for my benefit during day to prevent blocked ducts. did manage to get DD to drink small amounts but only from a beaker.

dd2 is 6 months and no expressing so far.

Me! I can’t be bothered.
I expressed for the eldest, and if I had time then I might do again, because I was able to donate to a milk bank last time. This time, between the baby and a four year old, time to express is non-existent.

I never used a bottle. Too much faff. True it does mean you can't go out in the evening for a while, but looking back it's such a short stage of your life really. No regrets here

I expressed because I went back to work, maybe 2-3 times she got a bottle so I could go out (e.g. birthday, New Years) but generally when I was home I BF. Didn't go out much without her during the day.

I BF'd bother DC a year + apiece, and didn't express with either.

Basically, the very idea of it made me want to top myself. It was hard enough being the ONLY one able to, and responsible for, feeding them morning, noon or night.

To then be hooked up to a machine taking milk from me on top of that, made me feel slightly hysterical. It was just too much.

Obviously, as the weeks and months passed, and the whole feeding thing became less all-consuming, it wasn't so bad. But by then, I just didn't see a need to express.

My little one is 7 months old and I am rubbish at expressing. I tried a few times and had such low volumes that i stopped. Haven't tried again in months. I didn't go out without him until he was on solids and I'm back at work now part time and still breast feeding with no formula. It is possible if you adjust your social life for a while. I just hated expressing so much it wasn't worth it.

I expressed with DD1 but stopped as for me, I was getting very little and realised that I seemed to be spending all my time either feeding or expressing so felt ridiculous! It just wasn’t for me.
With DD2 (6 weeks old) we are doing combined feeding but mainly so that I can sleep in the evening as have a toddler to run around after in the evening.
I’ve had to say no to some nights out coming up and feel as though people think “well why doesn’t she express so she can come out” as I know a lot of women who do that but to be honest, they can do one.
DD1 took the bottle fine (well, eventually!) when I went back to work at 8 months

I bf 4 dc (including twins) for over seven years. I was rubbish at expressing and none of them took a bottle. I did have the odd try with a pump when they had a cold and were struggling to feed so I could try and get fluids in but in general I didn't. Expressing doesn't work for some people it's best not to worry about others. I've come out the other side and now have plenty of people to socialise with some from pre-kids and some new that I've met along the way.

Thankyou for all your comments, has really put my mind at rest. I'm actually not much of an 'evening/night owl' anyway so it's not that I want to go out but just felt as if everyone was expressing. I'm much happier meeting friends in the daytime for lunch/coffee which is an easier occasion to attend with a baby.

As was mentioned above - I don't have the time to sit & express, even if I was to do it when she feeds as she is a very quick feeder.