Expressing, weaning, trying to bridge the gap, help please...

[phdlife]

I've just started working 1 afternoon/wk so I want to be able to express and leave 25week ds a bottle with dh.

Obviously one issue is helping ds get the hang of any teat - so far that's going quite badly. I'm going to try today buying a "fast flow" teat.

But the other issue for me is expressing itself. DS only takes one side but he's feeding ever 3-4hrs. So do I... express the "other" side just after he feeds? Or a bit from both sides? Then which side would he get at next feed?

I've been doing the 'full' side in the mornings and only getting about 2oz in 5mins pumping - am sure ds gets more than that as he feeds in 5-10mins and is a big heavy lump. Do I need to express a few times (after each feed) to get enough to feed him once, IYSWIM?

My HV told me basically not to worry about any of this as I will be starting weaning soon. And I will, but doesn't seem to me ds will be getting most of his nutrition from food terribly soon - or am I mistaken about that too?

And how long can I leave EBM in a bottle or sippy cup for ds to 'play' with, as he is learning about holding and sucking?

Thanks anyone who has advice for me.

I don't express often and don't get huge amounts when I do, but I do find that I'll get a couple of flozs in the first 5 minutes or so, and then get another 1 or 2 if I keep going. I tend to express off the "next" side first, and when that slows down go for the the other (which often doesn't give me too much) before going back. I also try and encourage a good let down by using the first stages of the Marmet technique before I pump.

Re. the bottle - we tried to get DD (now 6 months) to take a variety of teats without too much success. Then found she'd drink from a Doidy cup with help and decided to just go with that. We'd have to wean her off teats in a few months anyway, so it seemed a lot of effort for the odd occasions it'll be useful. DH can now take her for a few hours and give her a feed if necessary. I'm pretty sure she'd feed more from me if I were there, but she stays happy enough with 2 or 3 floz's as long as I feed her before I go and when I get back.

I'm also figuring that most of her nutrition will be through milk for the next few months

Good luck

yes, thanks Tangle - I've tried a sippy cup as well as the bottle, what's different about a doidy cup?

You may have to try several teats and/or sippy cups! We found the basic tommee tippee cups worked best as they are free flowing (no valve) (only 99p in Tesco too!). With regards to expressing, I find first thing in the morning works best, or whichever boob DS didn't last feed from! And I would count that as a feed, so use the other side for DS to feed from next IYSWIM. DS is 9 months & will only take about 4 oz of expressed milk (+ he has water) when at nursery all day - but on my days off or at weekends he still feeds every 3 hours or so. He likes the comfort factor of feeding from me

Doidy cups are slanted, open cups - baby can see and smell what they're trying to drink.

Very entertaining the first time DD used it - you could see her mouth trying to stimulate a let down reflex but she got the hang of it pretty quickly .

Can second the doidy cup - I had to leave dd2 with a childminder one morning a week from when she was 27 weeks. I left her with expressed milk, a bottle and the doidy cup (she had taken a bottle up until she was about 6 weeks, but we hadn't bothered trying since then). I was quite sure she wouldn't take the bottle hence leaving the cup as well.

She drank the lot from the cup, and hasn't looked back. Now at 31 weeks she is left at the childminders with just solids, and a cup for water.

So, I feed her at around 7-7.30, then leave her at CM at 9ish. She has her lunch around 11-11.30, with water to drink. I pick her up at 1.30 and she gets a feed at around 2. This has been our pattern since she was 28 weeks. I have adopted a similar pattern for the days she is with me as well.

Dd is good with finger foods, so was anticipating BLW, but got worried about leaving her at CM with no milk and her not eating much and being hungry, so leave her with mashed up stuff to be spooned in (more for my peace of mind than anyhting else).

It was hard at first, but I tried to remember that she was not going to die or dehydrate if I wasn't there to provide milk for 4 hours or so (after all, she does go all night without a drink!).

She is also doing really well with the cup now - it's a bit of a tussle as to who gets to hold it TBH - she is dead keen to do it herself.

Meant to say, before she went to the CM, she had been feeding at 7ish, then at 11ish, then solids after that. I couldn't get my act together enough to expres enough milk for her to take to CM regularly, so the 11ish feed had to go. Dd has adjusted really well, and I'm assuming she just takes more milk at 7 and at 2 to make up for the "missed" feed. (has also had the effect of getting her really interested in solids as she is hungry enough for a decent feed)

okay thanks everyone, will look out for doidy cups, they sound the way to go. And he is already frantic to do everything himself - hilarious when I'm trying to give him Ashtons & Parsons - so think he'll do well that way...