When should I express?

[M78]

I have a 10 wk old DD2 and I need to start expressing as I am having problems with her bed time feed, she is really unsettled ( I suspect overtired) and she does not feed properly from the breast, but seems to be happy with a bottle. I have tried expressing, but so far have only managed a few ounces and I am also confused about when I am supposed to do it: before, after or during feeds? I did not breastfeed my DD1 even if I really wanted to ( long story) so this is all new to me!

I had to exclusively express for a while (4 weeks) as DD couldn't latch on at first. She's now 13 weeks and EBF. She has an expressed bottle at bedtime too, although I breast feed her first - like your DD, she's unsettled and doesn't feed well at this time (although it's really improved over the last week). Anyway, I express after her bedtime, before I go to bed. I can only feed from one breast, and collect the milk that leaks during a feed from the non-usable breast in a breast shell. This is added to the pumped milk. You could express at the same time as feeding if you'd be comfortable doing that (I can't see how it works, but people seem to manage it fine!).

Hi there. We used to give dd a bottle in the evening too. I would express during the morning, when I had more milk. I would either feed her one side and express the other at the same time (tricky as all your hands are used so the latch has to be fairly solid), or feed her and then express a little while afterwards. I'd usually do it again before lunch after she'd fed again.

The mornings were dreary, because I was basically feeding / expressing every hour or so, but it built up enough for her night time feed, and sometimes more, which I froze. I also used to express after my dinner in the evening to keep the supply up for the next day.

Some people just can't get a lot of milk out expressing and I think I was one of them, but it did improve with practice. I also found a manual pump easier than the electric one I started with, so if you can borrow a couple to try (think the NCT often rent them out) that might be helpful. Also make sure you are eating loads and loads - I found when I started to eat more it was easier to express more.

Good luck - you'll work out a pattern that suits you soon.

Philippa

Sorry - just thought I could clarify a bit more. Apparently the baby can trigger a better let-down than the pump, so that's why it can help to express while they're feeding, if you can get through the logistical issues!

Also, I had difficulty until I realised that with the hand pump I was meant to do about five quick squeezes and then one or two longer ones, and then repeat until the let-down is triggered. I was trying to do lots of long ones straight from the start, which didn't do a lot and hurt more. Basic case of not reading the instructions. Hmmm.

Thanks for your replies, I have been expressing twice a day from one side while feeding baby on the other as I find it easier, but have only managed to express 2/3 ounces, maybe I need more practice or a better breast pump! Anyway I was worried that by doing this the baby would not get enough milk as she usually feeds from both sides?

I had these concerns too, but my understanding is that the pump is a lot less efficient at getting the milk out than the baby, so you won't be able to pump so much that there's none left for her.

Also, your breasts will produce more as she sucks, in response to demand, so while it might not be as quick a flow as at the start, they don't really 'run out' of milk during a feed. So there will be enough for her after the pumping. And if you're pumping and then the baby's feeding your breasts will start to produce more to compensate anyway, so it should be fine.

I found it hard to express much at first, but it did improve with practice. It helps if you are relaxed and not hungry. Some people say it helps to put a warm flannel on your breast beforehand to help with the let-down as well.