Expressing - a few queries

[bmil]

My daughter is now 12 weeks old, although it seems like a lifetime, and I am going to see if she'll take an expressed bottle next week. I have a few practical questions for you:

Amount: How much do you think I should offer her if I am going for the 11pm feed, hoping for a good nights sleep as the myth says. Would 4oz be enough or should I collect more?

Sterilisation: How careful do I have to be about this? Can I put the machine on at night and use the kit in the morning or is this too long? Also, when I am out and about can I use the express machine more than once if I have a new sterilised bottle or does it have to be sterilised in between?

I think the amount will vary from baby to baby but others may be able to offer better advice on this. My 11 week old would take about 5 oz but is now refusing bottle altogether! Don't be surprised if your baby has difficulty with bottle. On other hand she may be fine.

People vary on sterilisation too-some say it is not neccesary and others are very fussy. I would probably not use the pump more than once without sterilising in between. I think it's fine to sterilise overnight though-I do.

Which bottles/teats are you going for?

LOL, I was just going to say the exact opposite from EM - I would not leave the stuff in the steriliser overnight (moist, warm atmosphere) but I would use the pump twice (bm has antibacterial properties)

useful link from kellymom about amounts needed

Sterilisation depends a bit. I used to sterilise in milton take it out seal it up and just use it as needed later that day. Now I have a dishwasher I would seal it up straight from that as long as it was totally dry. If i had filled one bottle and was going to the next straight away I wouldn't sterilise between but if there was a long gap between doing a second bottle i would probably sterilise/put it in the dishwasher. Some people store there pump in the fridge and add to it all day.

Exactly-everyone does different stuff.

Some don't sterilise.

I sterilize after each use only for peace of mind but i only use once a day at the moment and my sterilizer is 24 hour so keeps going until i need it next.
I wouldnt express too much to start with it may get wasted if dd doesnt take to bottle.

I would practise and see how it goes from there!
1 - 2 oz i reakon to start with but if you have more expressed start freezing it.