expressing breast milk quick question...

[hurrydownthechimneytonight]

Hi all, my DS is 2 1/2 weeks old and has been bf with no problems at all and gaining weight very well. I have no milk problems but he feeds constantly...

I initally thought he was cluster feding due to a growth spurt on day 10 and the midwife agreed with me but its continued and its now day 17.

He averages every 3-4 hours and sometimes he feeds for 15 mins or so and other times he feeds for hours. I put him down he cries for more, or roots around for my nipple. At night time i can sometimes feed and do his bum in an hour but a bad night can be 4 hours or so...

I was thinking of expressing one bottle a day so that DH can feed him in the evening giving me some time to sleep before dh brings ds in to the bedroom.

I sterilised pu mp and bottle this morning and expressed 2 1/2 oz and was wondering if i should pump some more this afternoon and top up the bottle in the fridge?? That was if he is still hungry dh has enough. Can I top up the bottle or should i keep it in another bottle?

This is my first baby and i feel like im letting him down by expressing but i will only give him 1 bottle and breastmilk only.

Im pretty much demand feeding. Also there is def no probs with his latch when he feeds i can see and hear him actively swallowing and he has plenty of dirty nappies every day. Born 8lb 14 within 5 days was 8lb 8 and then 6 days later was 9lb 2 so weight gain is fine......

Please any suggestions be gratefully received as im adamant i wont give up breastfeeding but could do with some advice, am joining bfeeding support groups this friday. thankyou

there's no issue with topping up the original bottle as long as you consider it as old as the first milk you put in iyswim.
Does your DS feed every 3-4 hours day and night? How long do the feeds last?

Sorry, not being very clear but in your first paragraph you say he feeds constantly, then every 3-4 hours. 3 hourly is amazing in a baby so small. Cluster feeding in the evening is normal although it can be very tiring, I know.

You can top up the bottle - just bring the recently-expressed milk to the same temp in the fridge before adding it.

You're doing a fantastic job - you're not letting him down by expressing. If you've got loads of milk try and get some in the freezer too.

You don't need to sterilise the pump - you don't even need to wash it inbetween pumpings - just stick it in the fridge.

Well done!

oh ok thats great! thankyou.

His feeds average 9pm, 12,3 then 6ish so 3 hourly.

He feeds for about half an hour in the night i suppose thats average for him he does not scream for his feeds rather lays in his moses basket making noises then i lift him and feed him. I have to change his bum about 4 times a night sometimes twice on one feed alone as he fills his nappy as fast as he eats.

As SPB says, there is no hygiene issue if it is the same age of milk. But personally I would keep it in another bottle as there are few things more frustrating than expressing, heating up, then the baby doesn't want it or take it all, and you have to chuck the whole bottle out.

I would also say that even though I have heard other people say the expressed night feed worked for them, I found it easier to allow my supply to adjust to the evening cluster feeds. I would recommend trying to lie down with the baby at that time of night and not worry if you fall asleep, you can ask DH to check in on you both periodically if you are worried at all.

i wish 17 week old DD went 3 hours between feeds ...

sounds like you are doing brill

I am ever grateful for Picante's advice that you don't need to sterilise anything to do with breastmilk - saved me a load of hassle!

sorry stealth cross post...... In the evenings he feeds constantly like cluster feeding hope that makes sense. Good to know cluster feeding is normal in the evenings though! I had no idea... will find out thursday how much more weight he has gained.

the constant pooing is normal too think DD stopped doing it at about 6 or 8 weeks.
You might find it harder work expressing and bottle feeding than just feeding him.

meant to add DD also cluster fed in the evenings and can only second the advice about feeding laying down so you can rest as well

totally normal and totally knackering

oooh good do i dont need to sterilise constantly! yayyy that will save me time.

as for laying down with him DH wont let me fall asleep while feeding which is difficult but we knew someone who lost her baby when falling asleep so we worry about it. I think i have enough to meet his demands just be nice to have a rest. (i know saying wont let me sounds awful i just mean he wakes me if i start nodding of but then ive asked him to)

good point butadream, nothing worse than throwing bm down the sink
It is normal to cluster feed in the evenings, if you can have someone else prepare your food and pass you the TV remote it helps As does making sure you can stand up and move around without breaking the latch - I hated being tied to the sofa with DS, now I can get on with lots of things with DD attached

oh no I can understand why he doesn't want you doing that!

Hurry - firstly congrats! Secondly - you sound as though you are doing so very well with the bfeeding. Thirdly - you are in no way letting your DS down by expressing and giving a bottle!!

I expressed and introduced a bottle with both DS's at 4 weeks. I got to sleep for 4/5 hours which was bliss.

IMO - I would express a little more this afternoon but keep it separate from the other lot. You can mix them when they are both at same temp, but I would start by giving 2 1/2 - 3 oz max to start with. At 4 1/2 weeks DS takes 4oz tops.

TBH - your DS is doing really well for the length of time he is going between feeds. Plus you will find that he will start feeding much quicker in the next few weeks. I can now feed, change and have DS2 resettled in 30 mins during the night (touchwood!).

HTH

thankyou Ladies.

Ive managed to express another 2oz so have 4 1/2 oz ready for dh to feed him this evening!

Using a manual pump and once again have the wettest top on record so clearly something is wrong with the latch of the pump!

Now to see how DS gets on with a bottle this evening rather than my nipple!

thanks for everyones support yesterday!!

DH came home and 9ish baby needed feeding so we sat with the bottle......... good job i joined both bottles giving us 4 1/2 oz as he guzzled the lot and then went on my boob for an hour and more!

He had a very full tummy when he went to sleep so looks like i need to aim to express 5oz or so for that one feed!?

DH and I both very shocked thats how much he had though!

Hurry - it could well be the 2/3 week growth spurt...but that is still a good amount of milk to be packing away! Good boy your DS!

Great news that he has taken bottle no probs also!

is it normal to go from expressing (by electric pump) up to 50mls one session to 10mls the next?! i've been expressing for almost a week now and whilst averaging 40mls per pumping session, i've just expressed under 10mls. is very disheartening.

How much they'll take from a bottle isn't always a good indication of how hungry they are as they'll swallow milk that's in their mouth and it flows easily out of a bottle.

Having a "break" bottle is a nice option but it might make it harder to settle your supply. My Dd is 6 weeks and will sleep 6 hours some nights but I have to get up to pump anyway