Expressing Trauma - help!

[whingeomatic]

I have been expressing milk for 17wo dd2 over the past few weeks as I have had to spend some time at work prior to my proper return in March.

All has been going well (she was a bit unsure at first but will now happily take a bottle from her dad) until today. I have previously been expressing enough milk for one feed each day so that she stays familiar with the bottle. I usually do this after she has had a breastfeed and then while she is having the bottle feed. When I go back to work I will leave enough milk for the hours I'm away.

However I have not expressed this week as both myself & dd2 have had a nasty virus - dd2 was still breastfeeding well though& I let her nurse as often as she needed.

The problem now is that I am in the office tomorrow morning and I cannot express enough milk! After her first feed this morning I expressed and managed half an ounce. After each subsequent feed I tried again and all day I have managed one ounce in total. I have stopped trying for the moment as my nipples are feeling the strain!

What can I do - not going into the office is not an option (unfortunately). am starting to panic a bit, especially if this is still a problem when I need to express enough for 3 days a week...

I think my supply is okay - dd2 is feeding well and not crying with hunger, and I can normally get at least 3 ounces out at each express...

take it one day at a time. you did the right thing allowing your dd to nurse herself better

if you are in the office in the morning only bf her before you leave and as soon as she comes home. she may get very hungry but no harm will come to her.

bit about the rigidity in terms of work. what will happen if dd is poorly?

Try hand expressing - its a lot more effective when you are trying to get small amounts out. Express tomorrow morning after DD has fed, and you should have enough to fill in.

All you will need when you go back is enough banked in the freezer for the first day - then it all just rolls over as you express rather than feed

Thanks madmouse

At the mo I am still officially on maternity leave and am helping out cos my cover broke her arm. I have been working from home and will be doing 2 days a week from home when I go back properly. Unfortunately I need to go in tomorrow as I have a stack of reports to run that can only be done on the 1st working day of the month (to keep the data clean) and will only print off on the office printer (grrr)

Normally my boss is really flexible...

will do, cmot.

am a bit why it has suddenly become so difficult...

It's because you artificially boosted your supply by expressing in addition to feeding. This week that extra demand was removed, so your body reduced supply - in a couple of days it will up again if you ask it enough.

I always hand expressed after double pumping to make sure I got all the milk out, and it was amazing how much extra would come, even after breast compressions etc

thanks...

bloomin' clever boobs (same cannot be said for their owner, unfortunately!)