Expressing.........a few answers required please.............

[fannyannie]

OK I know (from distant memory) that 2 1/2 weeks is too early to start expressing if I don't want to mess up DS3's milk supply. However I want to be prepared as by the middle of July I'm going to be back playing the organ at church so will need some milk expressed in case he wakes up during the times when I have my hands otherwise 'full'.

1. How 'early' can I start expressing

2. How much should I express - I mean obviously he's getting enough from me - but I don't know how much he's taking don't want to do too little, and equally don't want to be throwing gallons of milk away

3. What's the best way of getting him to drink the expressed milk from a bottle - DS1 never 'mastered' it and it was complete nightmare......

bump

I started around 6 weeks once supply was established. I get about 4-6ozs each time. You can freeze it so you won't have to throw it away. Trying early on and keeping one up every few days works sometimes. Failing that a spoon or cup will work fine.

Do you leak milk when feeding?

If so, get yourself some breast shells to catch the drip milk. That soon mounts up.

I expressed from about 4 weeks because I was donating to a milk bank that had put out an appeal.

I hand expressed which was much easier than faffing with a pump.

Most advice is to express after feeds but I wasn't successful at that. I would express a few ounces off inbetween feeds when baby was sleeping. Yoy only need to express a couple of ounces at a time.

I kept a bottle in the fridge and then froze milk in 3 or 4 oz batches.

I had no problems with giving milk in a bottle. I used teats that the baby could regulate the flow. That one will be a hit or a miss for you I am afraid.

I expressed from the start - the bf counsellor taught me how to hand-express when I was in hospital. I also used breast shells and caught my (considerable) leakage.

My understanding is that it's not expressing which causes problems with supply, it's giving the ebm instead of feeding - so missing the feed. The bfc suggested that six weeks was OK to start giving an occasional bottle of ebm, but really I guess it depends on how well feeding is established, and how often you will be missing a feed.

I'd suggest collecting the milk in advance, and freezing it milk in small quantities - it's better from a wastage point of view to give a little and have to defrost some more, than to defrost too much and sling it down the sink. Maybe start off with 3 - 4 oz bags until you've had chance to see how much you can express at a time, and how much he needs at a time.

If he won't take a bottle, use an open cup. A small baby can lap milk up like a cat, and dd (who was a complete bottle refusenik) always took it like that.

do I leak milk.......oh yes DH thought it highly amusing last night as I sat feeding DS3 he glanced over and my breastpad in the 'spare' nork had moved and I had a lovely wet patch on my top .

I've already got an Avent breastpump which I used with great success with DS1 (though I ended up throwing it all away as he would't drink it from a bottle or anything other than me) so I hope to use that again (I actually used it about 1 week ago when I woke up in agony as one was so full there was no chance he would latch on and I needed relief THEN).

DS3 definitely prefers my left side, so could I mainly express from the right and feed from the left?? Or would that stuff things up???

Will definitely get some breastshells.

feeding is already going pretty well now his mouth is a little bigger he's got a good latch (I've felt him 'clamp on' in the middle of the night and woken up wondering who was groping my breast ). He would't be missing feeds very often - probably only a couple of times a week (if that). And even then it would depend on whether he woke up while I was playing the organ or not - took him to Church this Sunday and he slept all the way through, last Sunday he had 2 feeds LOL.

I wouldn't just feed from one side and express from the other as you will get lopsided. A baby is the expert at getting milk out so one breast would be more stimulated than the other.

You might find that for the amouns you need, you will collect enough catching drip milk at every feed. When you have fed on one breast then switch sides, switch the shell over to the other side. I could collect 2oz dripped from each breast at a time. Although the milk might be more watery, it is just to tide him over till you get back.

mears........I was already lopsided from feeding DS1 (6yrs ago) too much from one side .

I think I know you from another website fannyannie.

www.kellymom.com/bf/index.html great website

Jodie - is your 3yr old DS a November baby by any chance???? Only Jodie I know was from my Antenatal Group on babyworld ( sorry fellow MN'ers yes I use/d that ticker filled website )

Yes that's me. He's an October baby but was due in November. I haven't been on Babyworld in ages! How have you been?

I've been ok - quite a few of us November '03 girls have had 3rd babies (or are expecting them).

Glad to hear it. I'll have to pop on there an have a look again at some point, have to find my passwords etc first lol.