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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Starting to express advice

9 replies

ForumUsername · 22/02/2018 22:15

So DD is 5 weeks old and we're doing good EBF
She is putting on lots of weight and apart from some issues with wind she is a content happy baby

I am getting a little frustrated with my roots and really want to get to the hairdresser
I've made an appointment for March 3rd, she'll be 6 weeks old then and was thinking of leaving her with DH near by with expressed milk. If she gets very distressed he can bring her to me.

Firstly is this too young to introduce a bottle of expressed milk?
And secondly over the next week what's the best way to start expressing, storing and introducing the milk to her?

Thanks for any advice 😊

OP posts:
Whereland · 22/02/2018 22:27

I'm in a very similar boat. My 7 week old is EBF, going well but like you I wanted to have some expressed milk for situations where I'm away for a few hours.
I started with the haakaa pump but it wasn't collecting enough for w full bottle. I'm now using the medela swing electric pump. I have most milk in the morning so after I've fed I put the pump on the same breast for another 5-10 mins. I do the same on the other breast after the next feed. I've only started this week so presume it'll take a few days for my supply to increase but I froze my first 5oz bag of milk this evening (took me from yesterday morning to get that much).
Good luck!

mindutopia · 23/02/2018 16:35

I would just try to express maybe once a day and just see how much you get so you don’t go crazy and end up horribly engorged. With my first I started to express at about 6 weeks. To start I would get maybe 30ml per breast in 30 minutes. After a week or so it could sometimes be as much as 80-100ml. You won’t need much so you’ll probably get plenty just after a couple sessions. One bottle shouldn’t cause any problems and your partner could always cup feed if you’re worried. It takes longer but less bits to clean and sterilise.

mindutopia · 23/02/2018 16:36

I don’t think you need a practice run before either. Just see how she gets on and he can always bring her to you if needed.

Lazypuppy · 27/02/2018 10:03

I started expressing at 2 weeks. Baby has at least 1 bottle of breast milk a day from my partner (shes 4 weeks now) and i can give her a bottle now as well.

When we started, get your partner to give it to her, and you shouldn't be in the room.

I express in the morning and tend to get 5oz out of 1 side and 4 oz out of the other. 1 goes in the fridge for the day and the other goes in the freezer.

I then tend to express again in the afternoon/evening when partner is giving her a bottle.

Best thing i ever did as now i can be away from her and not worry about feeding.

She switches from bottle, boob and dummy easily.

Lazypuppy · 27/02/2018 10:05

30mins for 30ml is a long time! I express for 20mins and get 260ml. Try and express at the same time every day as you're body will produce it realiably for you

katmarie · 27/02/2018 10:23

I'm combi feeding my 4 week old with one formula bottle a day, so when he gets his formula bottle I pump. I have an ardo calypso pump which is amazing, and I've been pumping from about 2 weeks, after I got mastitis and needed to pump or feed every couple of hours to help clear it up. DS wouldn't feed on that side while it was infected, so I pumped. Weirdly I now get more from that side than the other! I get about 60mls per side from 10 minutes per side of pumping. He takes the bottle really well, and has no confusion going between breast and bottle, he even goes from one to the other in the same feeding session. We use the Tommy tippee closer to nature bottles, which he's fine with, he also got on well with a Nuby bottle.

I'm trying to build up a stash as we're getting married in a couple of months and my parents will be taking ds overnight for our wedding night. Also my midwife recommended when weaning on things like baby porridge or baby rice to make it up with breast milk rather than water, which I thought was rather genius, so I'm planning ahead for that too.

lovelyjubilly · 27/02/2018 13:41

Sorry for gatecrashing the thread but I have a question!

I have an 8 week-old who is currently ebf but I have expressed some milk for the past 3 mornings as she has slept so much at night that I've woken up very engorged.

We want to introduce a daily bottle of expressed milk but I'm not sure what time of day would be best.
I have expressed in the mornings so far but my dh isn't able to give her a bottle then as we're also getting two other dc ready for school at that time.
I suppose we could do the last feed of the day but I don't know if I will be able to reliably express much at that time after a day of feeding.

What have others done? Which feed to you give the bottle?

Lazypuppy · 27/02/2018 15:35

@lovelyjubilly just express whenever then put in the fridge.

Exprrssed breastmilk can stay at room temo for 6hrs or up to 3 days in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.

Just remember you can't heat up breastmilk so get out fridge and hour or so before you give to baby.

ForumUsername · 01/03/2018 22:10

I thought you can warm up breastmilk?
All I've read says to do it in hot water rather than microwave but it is possible

I expressed 4oz the other day in 4 mins
DH gave DD the bottle warmed the next day. She took it no problem although did stare at him the whole time like she thought he'd been holding out the past few weeks

Will express some every few days to build a small stash to have in the freezer
😊

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