Expressing - when to do it?

[girlinfrance]

Hello

I'm planning on starting to express my milk so my H can feed sometimes, but when is the best time to do it? Straight after a feed? Halfway between feeds? I have no idea...

Also in what quantities should I store it?

Thanks in advance.

Her are some things I found out during bf my two:

• the earlier you start expressing, the better -- I found i got more milk when I expressed from 2 wks or so.

• if your babe feeds only one side, then express the other side in between feeds, or get some sort of swap system going.

• if not, (mine both did both sides) express the less used side at the end of the feed (this worked good for me)

• you can store up to 24 hrs in fridge or 3 mths in freezer. Freeze in sterilised containers / bags (advent sell bags for this purpose that fit on the pump)

Good luck.

I have just started expressing at 6 weeks. I do it in the morning, as breasts very full then. Feed her on one and then express the other. Not sure I am doing the right thing but getting 4 oz which think is good. I store in boots sterile bags (not cheap) in the freezer. DD is slowly getting used to bottle.

Agree start early. I was advised to start at 4 weeks and dd took to bottle no probs.

Express during a feed from opposite side to baby. I also found expressing whilst i was in the bath helped - something to do with the warm water i think. And also whislt reading mumsnet! as it is a bit of a drag to do, so if you can switch off and read or watch tv whilst doing it rather than sitting there waiting to see the pump fill up, the time goes faster.

Great, thanks girls.

T is 4 weeks, so I hope he'll take to the bottle if I start soon. He feeds from both sides, so expressing from the least used side in the morning would probably work. However I can't get sterilised bags for love nor money here, so will have to express straight into a bottle and use it that evening I suppose.

You can also sterilise icecube trays (good for weaning that requires milk), and little pots (including bottles) and freeze them. Only limited by the capacity of your freezer. if you are just looking for an occasional bottle, pumping once a day is okay. But you might find you have to pump more the bigger the babe gets to get enough.

My SIL bf for about 15 mths. As she went back to work from 3 mths full time -- she expressed many times a day. But her DD was exclusively fed, so it is possible. I think she is remarkable.

I gave up on expressing -- found it more trouble. I'm just lazy found it easier to have it "fresh"

I'm a lazy type too USAUKMum, especially when it comes to all the faffing about sterilising etc, but at the moment I'd do anything for a few more hours' uninterrupted sleep!

Hadn't thought of ice cube trays - great idea.

BF for 15 months when working full time is pretty impressive. I just couldn't be that organised!

Hiya

Can you get the Avent semi disposable pots there?
You can store the milk int hem. I expressed after morning feeds and again after DS went to bed. I also expressed fromt he same breast he had eaten from and usually got an ounce or two from that too.
The icecubes work well- there are also bags you can buy that freeze milk into one ounce cubes, but I cant think right now who makes them...
I would freeze it in 1 oz cubes or 3-4 oz pots. EBM is great, cos it last ages and ages!!

my friend is mixing expressing and bottle
she expresses first thing in morning and gives this feed to dd last thing at night and her dd sleeps all night as expressed milk first thing in the morning is the best

Sounds good, dmo! Though I will soon be doing school runs again so early mornings are a bit busy here. I could express after his 9.30/10am feed though.

Dreamteamgirl - yes I think I saw the pots the other day. They won't fit on my (Nuk) pump but I could decant my milk into them for storage in larger quantites, and do small quantities in ice cubes.

Thanks both.

I started expressing from 6 weeks. I tried DD with the new Tommee Tippee bottles but the teats were too big for her mouth so tried MAM anti colic bottles, got them from mothercare. They are great, the teat is slighly flattened so fits nicely in her mouth. And the bottles have holes in the bottom, covered by a ringed valve to keep the air flowing. They are fab as DD has suffered from Colic.It's trial and error getting babe used to one she likes. Persevere though. DD is now 9 weeks and when we go out and about it's much easier and she is comfortable with it. Obviously she prefers me though.
Last week I had great advice from a friend of mine, I was feeling my breats weren't as full as they had been. I was stressing over it, which now looking back was making my milk worse. As i had just started to introduce expressing my body wasn't used to producing more milk. The more you express the more you'll produce. Anywho, she suggested that for the night feeds, just feed her on one side then after the morning feed express the side that's been left through the night. Tell you what it's fab, i now get 6-8oz every morning. I'm using Lanisoh storage bags from mothercare. £4.95 for 25 so not too bad. Building up quite a stock now!
Good luck with it xx
Lottie