advice please

[midget1]

i am currently at the point where i am trying to introduce a formula milk to my nearly five and half month daughter (Hipp Organic 0+)she refused it today on the first attempt but took breastmilk instead. not sure if this was due to teat or taste of milk. i have tried using my manual pump but after 15 mins, got 1oz so gave up. admittedly, i have not been expressing regularly as i am at home at present so feed when she is hungry. i am considering an electric pump but wondered do any mums have any idea of what volume is expressed via an electric pump, lets say in half an hour? i am trying to prepare her to take a bottle for when i return to work in august and in preference, i would prefer her to have breastmilk. thanks in advance.

I have an electric pump (not one of the really fancy ones), and find it's brilliant - I can get 5 oz in about 10 minutes, providing I express about an hour and a half after last feed and catch drips from the other side - I've never tried for longer as that's enough for the purpose I need - frantically trying to get DD to take bottle/cup before work return!!!

The best time to express is meant to be in the morning, so express soon after first feed.

i used to express every evening at about 7pm with ds1 (whilst dh gave him a bottle|) with ds2 i just expressed every now and then in the morning if ds1 was at my mums for night or he was up late and kept it in the freezer (you can get special bags for this)

i had an avent electric pump with ds1 but couldnt find it when I had ds2, so bought a Medela swing of ebay after lots of good reccomendations on here. To be honest, there wasnt a lot of difference between them. I used to get about 4-6 oz in about 15 mins but my record was 10oz!!!!

see this website for more info

You also mentioned teats - DS1 would only take a flat MAM teat but ds2 likes long round teats like DR Browns or Avent also as your dd is still bf try a no1 teat first as they have a smaller hole so the milk flow will be quite slow compared to a 2 or 3. Does dd take a dummy? maybe look for a similar teat to the dummy shape.

Sometimes you just have to be persistant in getting them to take a bottle. My friend had to go out the house & get someone else to feed her dc as she would refuse the bottle whilst she was around. But once you get expressing you can offer ebm & then you will now if it is the milk or the bottle that she is refusing.

Otherwise you could buy a few cartoons of other formula brands & see if she prefers any of them.

I have a medela swing and tend to express after first feed in the morning as seem to have more milk then, but do express after feeds at other times if I need to. I have given DD both EBM and formula from bottle but I think she prefers BM. I'm going back to work in April and am planning on building up a stash in freezer in advance. I would think in the long run you might be best to get an electric pump if you prefer BM to formula. This morning I got 100 mls after first feed by expressing. Also remember its about supply and demand, if you pump more, you'll make more milk!
HTH

Forgot to say, elec pumps are generally quick ,I did 100 mls in 10 mins or so and pumped from both sides.

If you're returning to work in August, she'll be nearly a year old, yes? In which case, she'll be quite likely to be used to drinking from a cup by then, so you might not need to worry about bottles at all. Oh, and she'd also be ok to have cows' milk in the day from one year and bf when you're together.

thanks to all of you for your posts-really helpful, especially with regard to when to express, volumes and advice about taking milk from a cup. a mum i know has an electric pump and so am going to try her one as she is not using it. on subject of formula, i discovered that she would not take aptamil either today. i am using no.3 teat but have a no.1 so will try that. she does not use a dummy but i was tempted to try one last night when she wouldn't go down easily without wanting to suck! so i have it at the ready for tonight and its a small teat for a newborn.