Expressing advice urgently needed

[rascal1979]

I am breastfeeding my 11mth old DD and a friend has asked me to donate expressed milk for her DS who is poorly in hospital as she can't keep up with the demand.

I am more than happy to do this but struggled to get more than 1.5oz/50ml.

Any ideas on upping my supply to help out.

I'm pumping as I feed DD on the other side.

Aww poor friend and her DS but may I say that you are doing a lovely thing.

I dont know much about BF sorry I thought though it was you made as much as you need maybe feeding 2 would be too much?

Then again people feed twins... am puzzled sorry for being useless.

Well BF works on a principle of supply and demand, so the more you pump / feed, the more you make..

So maybe now you'll get 1.5, but keep trying and hopefully in a few days it will be more.

Does the hospital have access to a milk bank?

How old is the baby in hospital?

Try expressing first thing in the morning (presuming your DD sleeps all night?)

The more you pump the more you will get, your supply will prob have gone done a bit as DD 11 months old so Pump, pump, pump,

Good for you and lovely to be asked.

thanks for your replies. The hospital does have access to a milk bank but my friend would prefer to use my milk and when our babies were in NICU together they weren't that supportive of using the milk bank cos of the cost

suppose I just have to pump pump pump!

So is the baby in hospital 11m old now?

Which hospital out of interest?

an electric pump can ususlly get more out than a hand pump. The hospital may have one you can go in to use / borrow.

you can boost your supply by getting your own baby to feed more often too.

Fenugreek capsules (from Holland & Barratt) work for some people.

You're doing a wonderful thing

You are doing an amazing thing for your friend and her DS. I find I definitely get most milk first thing in the morning, and I've also found that if I pump last thing at night before I go to bed, I may not get much then, but I get buckets of it in the morning (more than enough to feed DS and get a good 5-6oz).

I also found fenugreek really helpful - you know you're taking enough when you smell of it!

Thanks for your replies. I am still pumping - roughly every 3-4hrs. Can only get anything when DD is feeding on the other side.

Isaidno - Have given her an extra feed today to increase my expressing she is loving it!! I use an electic pump (medela). Rather than beign put off me expressing as she feeds she seems to like the vibrationof the pump

DD still wakes 2-3 times between 2 and 7am for feeds so I'm not 'really full' by morning. I expressed at 2am this morning as she fed and got 50ml.

Just doesn't seem to be increasing and my friend is struggling too.

Fourarms - the baby is 11mths old too. He is 6 days younger than my DD. We met when our DC were on NICU last December. We were the only ones who went home exlusively breastfed and became really close.

I feel honoured that she wants me to help and accepts my milk for her poorly DS. I know she would do the same for me and it's a lvoely feeling to know I am helping him to get better.