Advice on expressing milk please

[M4ZZ4]

Hello
I'm due my 1st baby in a week and not sure whether to buy a milk expressing thingy. I am planning to breastfeed but also want freedom to go out of an evening (if I've got the energy).
Advice on expressing with and without a pump would be helpful. Also would I need all the sterilising stuff to store expressed milk?
Thanks Mazza

Hi
You can get pre-sterilised bags from Boots - they're about a £1 each, pricey but very easy. Also Lansinoh do them - I got mine from John Lewis, can't remember how much they cost. You'll need the sterlising stuff anyway as presumably you're planning bottle feeding with the breast milk.
I had an Avent Isis Iq electronic breast pump but I found more success using it with the hand pump attachment! I was annoyed at having spent 85 quid on that. You may have more success. The Avent one used to drive me mad as if you tipped it up in one direction the precious few ounces you'd get would dribble all over your breast. I could have happily flung the thing across the room a few times. Expressing isn't necessarily straightforward however you do it and takes a bit of patience. Some people manage to get loads out if they have loads of milk but I never did so found it all rather frustrating. An NCT consultant told me to try it on and off throughout the day and keep it in the fridge in between so at night you collect what you've expressed.
I've never tried expressing without a pump, a breast feeding consultant once squeezed my nipples to show me how - she had asked permision but it still freaked me out!
Good luck with everything.

You will get all the advice you need here

I personally found hand expressing quick and easy. EBM bottles are available in Boots and mothercare. You can also use normal bottles or bags for milk. Depends what you find easiest.

I express successfully for a dream feed every day.
I was usin Tommt Tippee one, but just got my mini medula (?) electric one yesterday.
Persevere with it, it isnt easy. Expressing early morning or late evening works best for me.
ds fed an hour ago, and I have just expressed 4 oz!
good luck!