Expressing - I don't get it ! Help!

[rebelmum]

How can anyone find time to express? Is it better to do it before or after you feed? My dd usually wakes me up at 5am to feed so I am unlikely to be able to do it before then! She is unlikely to doze for long at the end of a feed so I couldn't do it then either. I could do it in the morning when she has a longish sleep, but then she will wake up and want feeding, and won't my supply be depleted when she needs it? I think I would feel like I was doing nothing all day but feeding. She is alseep at 7pm and sleeps through ( fingers crossed) but my supplies would be depleted by then. If I express, and then someone else gives a bottle feed won't my supply decrease becaue my breasts will have missed that feed? Can I express small amounts during the day and mix them together or does it all have to come from one session? If I have sterilised the expressing kit in the morning will it stay sterile throughout the day? I have tried once and got only an ounce I think, and then dd wouldn't take the bottle - she is 3 months and hasn't taken a bottle before. any advice on this? I want to express so that I can help my dh pack up the house next week as we are moving. I could then give dd to my mum to look after for longer then a couple of hours. Any advice much appreciated. I also have to fit all feeding and expressing around viewings from potential house renters and some how keep house presentable - argh! My dh is resentful that I am not able to express because of the flexibility that would give me to take more time off from the dd. . .

wow! a lot of questions. is it pos for your mum to come over instead and look after your dd in the house and then hand her over for feeds while in the meantime you get on with packing etc?

if you cold water sterilise and change the water once daily you can use the pump as and when, just rinse off with cool boiled water when ready.

you could try expressing at same time as feeding, either off one breast if your dd only feeds from one, or wait til you swop her over, then express from breast you just fed from and then finish off on other breast once your dd has finished. you can then save the bottle in the fridge and top it up during the day with other milk from other feeds (kellymom suggests something about not mixing 'cold' and 'warm' milk so you have to stick both bottles in fridge til cold then mix I think)

tell dh to take running jump?? (sorry)

Breast milk is actually pretty sturdy stuff rebelmum so you can happily add to small amounts in the fridge and leave it there for a few days, or freeze larger amounts.

You can also keep your breastpump in a clean (obv!) plastic bag, or wrap the cup bit in clingfilm and store it in the fridge if you use it more than once in a day - just wash and sterilise at the end or beginning of the day, whichever is convenient. I actually just clean it well in very hot soapy water and leave it to air dry.

It might also be worth giving breast shells a go if you tend to leak from the opposite breast when feeding. They can collect small amounts of milk during a feed and it all adds up.

As far as when to pump, it really doesn't matter imo, it's not going to make a lot of difference to what your dd gets if you're just expressing an oz or so at a time. The amount you can get while pumping doesn't equal what's actually there - your dd will be way better at getting milk than a pump! How about trying to pump a little bit before and after each feed? Again it'll all mount up.

If you want to get more at once, I find that getting up in the middle of the night works best (unfortunately!), but it might be worth it if it's a one off.

Again, if it's an occasional bottle it won't disrupt your supply at this stage but you may find that you're uncomfortably full because you missed a feed. If you can get some time with a breastpump at this point then you'll probably be able to replenish your stock! Make sure you know how to hand express so you can express off a bit into the sink or something to make yourself more comfortable.