How to express?!

[ladymelo]

I'm currently breast feeding but would like other half to feed newborn also. How do you go about expressing? As in do you just express when you bottle it up or do you express loads and store it? What temperature does is need to be at can it be room temp? I'm new to this so any advice would be great!!

I express at the same time as DD2 is fed her bottle as we are still in the early days, but you can build up a supply by expressing off any leftover milk after bf the baby. You'll most likely have the greatest success first thing in the morning as your milk production tends to be greatest overnight.

If you are giving a regular bottle then just keep it in the fridge, otherwise get some storage bags and build a freezer store. A store in the freezer isn't a bad thing to do anyway if you have the time and inclination, as it'll mean you can have a bit of time off from the baby when you're ready.

As for temperature, it depends on your baby. DD1 would happily take it fridge-cold. DD2 has been getting it warmed to approximately body temperature, but once she's a bit older we'll try her on it colder.

Congrats on your baby!

Do you have a midwife/ health visitor to advise about breastfeeding? I went to a bf support group and it was really great. (On the NHS. Long time ago, mind.)

In addition to skanking's info, I used "bristol shells" which "caught" a lot of the milk (you can only really use that if you empty them straight away, but it was handy when baby was feeding on one side but the let-down was coming on both sides, at least nothing was going to waste!)

I used to freeze little amounts in ice cube trays and then decant the cubes into freezer bags. I was advised not to add "fresh" milk to a bag of frozen, can't remember why, and I didn't want piddly bags of milk everywhere.

And you have to sterilise almost everything (prob not the bags!)

Also if I was expressing when baby wasn't with me (e.g. at work, or say you decided to go away for the day and wanted to express to be comfortable), I had a wee photo of him in my wallet to encourage let-down. It really worked! Unfortunately one day I felt that familiar reaction when I saw a pic of a baby seal