Can someone help me guesstimate how much milk I need to express?

[hopefully]

I want to express for the odd evening feed. DS has already taken a bottle of expressed milk when I got incredibly sore and pumping was less painful than feeding direct, so I'm not worried about that bit, but I have no idea how much to express!

DS is 6 weeks on Wednesday, weighed 9lb 8oz at birth and weighs something in the region of 10lb 8oz now (he hasn't been weighed for about 10 days, when he weighed 10lb 1oz). Any ideas how much milk I'll need to express? He's a greedy piggy, and will never turn down milk, (not so far anyway), so I can't just express loads and bank on him stopping when he's full, and I'd rather DP didn't feed him until he was sick!

When I expressed before, I got about 1.5oz from one side after 10 mins, but that was about 3 weeks ago, so things will have changed loads, and I'm sure he gets out a lot more than I can pump, as a couple of times when I pumped I got hugely engorged well before his next feed and had to hand express a bit off to relieve the discomfort.

Any ideas? Should I pump just before one of his day time feeds and see how much comes out?

Probably around 120ml (4oz) if he feeds around every 3 hours.

agree with cutting...

Super, that sounds like a manageable amount! I was terrified someone was going to say I needed to express 8oz or something...

Hopefully Store it in 2oz quantities, so that you don't waste any if he doesn't finish the bottle.

Good luck!

Excellent tip star! I'll try that one!

I find expressing in am, there's more quantity, unless like last night as DS was feeding continuously!

make sure you have the smallest teat possible and make a bottle feed last as long as a bf (i.e. stop occasionally for a rest). DD always used to be able to drink as much ebm as we would give her and seemed to have no self regulation.

Thanks for the tips, will do all of those things! Suspect making the feed last a sensible amount of time so he doesn't want to guzzle 3 litres of the stuff is going to be the biggest challenge!

Will start on my expressing mission tomorrow, now I just have to work out a sensible time to express.

Hopefully When you're calm and relaxed and when lo is fed a while ago, but not due a feed iyswim. Tricky I know. Mornings are usually best for most people.

Don't think: 'OMG, I'm hooked up like a cow, how long is this gonna take, it doesn't seem to be making much, I hope DP doesn't walk in'

DO think: 'I'm nice and calm, how cute is my lo?, at some point in the future DP and I will go away for a weekend somewhere romantic and look back on these days with fondness, whilst enjoying a cocktail in the warm evening sun, before we're served my favourite meal followed by cake, we'll go for a long walk on the beach and stop for a cuddle before retiring to our room with clean silk sheets'

Seriously, - try it!

My milkmonster (just over 6 weeks, 10lbs) will usually drink about 120ml, but has just downed 150ml and looked a bit miffed at the end.

When I express, after a while (20min) the output stops and I start getting needling pain - is this just the thrush which is being treated, or just a sign my breast is temporarily empty, or something else? And is it a sign to stop pumping for a while?

NC The thrush could make it more painful, but when your milk slows like that it is time to rest. However, just before that is a good time to play with trying to trigger letdown. Try thinking of things that make you go 'Mmmmm', chocolate, sunshine, sex etc. You may be able to keep the milk flowing that way!

Hello! I was given the following mathematical formula:

Baby's weight in kilos x 150mls = amount in 24hrs. Divide this by number of feeds in 24hrs.

Eg 5kg baby x 150mls = 750mls divided by 8 = 93mls approx.

This has been quite a useful guide for me and generally works well. The ideal is for you to express a little more than you think they'll take.