Expressing questions

[kbaby]

My mother looks after 11 week old dd on a friday night. This means that I have to express enough milk to last dd a night. Up until now I have been expressing the night im away from her and then I express approx 3ozs each day. I express at various times during the day depending on when dd's asleep etc. However the past few days ive been trying to express in the evenings and havent even been able to express more than 1oz.(i only try the breast that dd's last fed on)

Is it right that if I continue to express in the evenings my body will start to make more milk at this time?

I also express either off the breast that dd last fed from or from the other breast but only if its going to be 3 hours until the next feed. Is this right? or if I express off the 2nd breast and its within 3 hrs will I then have enough milk to feed dd?

I supose what I need to know is whens the best time to express and will doing so effect my milk supply.

Sorry for all the questions

I could never express much in the evenings. I always found it easier to express from both sides straight after feeding dd. I would spend a short while on each breast and alternate whilst expressing.
Dont worry about leaving enough milk for baby, breasts are never empty, they are far more effective than you at getting milk out and will always get what they need.
I can express 8 oz and dd still gets a good feed.

Expressing in the evenings is harder work because that's when you have least milk. From when my dd was about 4-5 months old I did express every night at about 9-10pm (after her final feed at 7pm) and after a few weeks at it, found I could get 3-4oz. I did it because I found it convenient to express once she'd gone to bed.

But FAR FAR easier is to express first thing in the morning when you have loads of milk. Some people manage to express from one side whilst the babe feeds from the other. I was never quite co-ordinated enough to do that - but it does work brilliantly as the baby triggers the let-down for you. With the pump it's as though you have to train your body to let-down and produce milk with a very different kind of stimulation. It's a matter of practice and perseverance in my experience.

If you can't express during the morning feed - try immediately afterwards.

Definitely don't worry about depriving your baby of milk by expressing close to a feed, or during a feed. It's exactly as hercules says - babies are fab at getting milk out, and your body really will produce more the more they feed.

I neve seem to get more than 0.5 oz in an evening. Usually express in a morning at 6.45 am before the children wake up at about 7. Recently have been struggling to get much so continue to express while feeding DD (with DD on my pillow and a cushion behind me - ie I'm still in bed).

I must be one of the co-ordinated ones, but honestly could never get v much unless expressing in the morning while dd fed from the other boob, then got gallons. Also it kind of cuts down on the time involved.

kbaby - why don't you express in the morning since she seems to be less hungry then anyway.
I expressed anytime I felt my breasts were full, even if babe then woke for a feed straight after expressing. You never empty your breast expressing - there is always milk left there for the baby. I never expressed after a feed because I got bu**er all

I should have said I expressed at various points throughout the day because I was donating to a special care baby unit. I also expressed for the times i was at work.

honestly, try expressing the same time as feeding. but dd under your arm on a pillow........you get so much more milk. i could never much at all whilst exp alone

I ended up feeding her first thing in the morning out of my less productive breast in the morning and then expressing the milk bursting out of the other. Worked a treat, for months.