Expressing

[bigmac1810]

I have a 10 Wk old boy who for last 5 weeks is suffering with colic in the evenings.
Sometimes it's earlier and no matter what we do nothings helps him poor little thing.
He seems more unsettled if I'm expressing milk, could there be a link?

I wouldn't have thought so. Is he feeding as much as he wants to around the expressing?

He's feeding approx every 3 hrs and sleeping through from approx 10-11pm until 5.30-7am depending on last feed.

I’m a little unclear what you mean. In the evening are you feeding him frequently? Or feeding him the ecpressed milk?

I'm feeding expressed milk exclusively regularly every 3 hrs ish up to last late feed.
He the sleeps through till anytime between5.30 and 7.30 depending on when last feed was.

Are you feeding on demand when he seems to want feeding?

It maybe that he’s still hungry. Could you try some more frequently feeds during the evening? You do do smaller amounts but a few more times.

He's feeding every 2-3 hrs and never crud after for more and occasionally leaves a little so I don't think it's a case of wanting more.
He just seems in settled when I'm expressing milk

Oh sorry I’ve miss understood. Could it be the sound of the machine? Does it happen if you are in another room?

Sometimes same but not always.
I think it must be just a phase

Hopefully. It must be super frustrating.

I'm a bit confused - when you say expressing more/less, what's he drinking when you express less? Breastmilk from the breast, or formula from a bottle?

I am thinking if you're BF directly, the milk you express isn't going to have any effect on the other milk you're producing so it's not that.

If it's that he's more unsettled when he has more bottles vs direct breastfeeds, perhaps the bottles are at fault, he could be taking in air? Try anti colic bottles.

Or do you mean that he's unsettled when he has expressed breast milk but more settled on formula? I wonder if he could have a sensitivity to something you're eating. Wouldn't be dairy though or he would react to formula too.

Have you tasted your expressed breast milk? Some women have a problem which means that their expressed milk spoils quickly and tastes "soapy". It's quite rare but worth checking. It should taste like watery, sweet cow's milk. (A bit like leftover cereal milk, but thinner)