Expressing breast milk - help!

[ahsat84]

My little one is ebf and almost 6 weeks and am thinking of expressing so husband can do a feed a day.

I am confused regarding when to express ? If I am breast feeding all day then how do I express as well? Also what happens to my supply if baby has expressed milk once a night ?

Confused !! Thanks

You could express after feeds or from the other breast while your lo is feeding.
We did a period where I expressed about 30-60mins before we expected dd to wake for a feed in the evening (around 9-10pm). With the idea dh could then give dd the expressed milk while I went to bed. If she woke between expressing and midnight he would feed her, after midnight was my turn again as he was up for work. (Like looking after a tiny human all day isn't work! 😅).

In reality it was only beneficial a handful of times and I'd have probably felt more rested if I'd just relaxed then and fed her myself without expressing!

I also ended up with a big freezer stash she wouldn't drink (high lactase).

I like the look of the hakaa pump others have already mentioned and will definitely try one if I have another baby in the future.

I plan to express as much as possible, i'd rather bottle feed breast milk than breastfeed-why should i have to have a baby attached to me 24/7, dads should be doing feeds too and this way my partner will able to share. Feed on one boob anf express the other

I’ve got a 4 month old ebf baby & I find expressing a pain! The morning is definitely the better time to express. It is just such a faff tho! I wish it was easier. I’ve got enough in the freezer for one feed just incase we need it.

"dads should be doing feeds too and this way my partner will able to share"

I don't think dads have to feed to feel involved I think you will find that expressing every feed is far far more of a faff than just breastfeeding.

Agreed lonicera... my DH does bathtime & takes DS early morning - they’ve have cuddles & time together whilst I get another hour shut eye before the other 2 wake up for school 🙈

Its not just my partner. I want my mum to be able to some feeds if she wants, and my nieces and nephews. Its a great way for them to bond, and found when my nephee was a baby that he was happy to be looked after by anyone, instead of just his parents which was much better.

Everyone is different, but like i said i'm not having baby attached to me all the time for feeds, i'll need a break, and my partner wants to do the feeding. If i can't express i'll change to formula.

Its not about "cuddles" and time together, its about doing their half of the parenting. What happens when I want to go out in an evening, baby needs to be used to having a bottle and being fed by different people when me and partner want to go out for dinner and family will be babysitting

lazy I think if you preface your opinions with “I think” you would come across more “this works for me and my family” rather than “this is how it should be done”.

Its my opinion so surely writing 'i think' is unecessary? My posts talk about my partner, my family...and i said everyone is different, i'm discussing my experiences.

" Its a great way for them to bond"

I don't agree. I never found feeding DD a particularly bonding experience, even when breastfeeding.

"but like i said i'm not having baby attached to me all the time for feeds,"

No, you will be replacing the baby with a breast pump instead. Having breastfed, expressed and formula fed I would say it isn't as simple as you think.

When I was bf I - eventually! - came to enjoy it and saw the time we had together as something special, particularly in the morning and at night.

When I was expressing I felt like a dairy cow.

Lazypuppy as mentioned I expressed as I went back to work. Did it for 10 months. It did help me go out without the baby but when I was home honestly direct BF was preferable. Didn’t have any impact on bonding with DH either. He only gave a handful of bottles as it was usually the childminder during the work day. But DD still loves her daddy! Just my experience.

I express whenever I’ve got time, which isn’t often! But morning is best for it.

I find that if my OH gives baby a bottle at between 4 and 7 am, I’ve got so much milk at the next one that there’s enough left over to express and replace the bottle that was
given.

I started expressing at 5 weeks and giving bottles at 6 - but just on the weekend. Usually one night bottle so I can get a block of 6 hours sleep or so and one the next afternoon so that I can go out and do something (cinema, shopping etc) or stay home and sort out the house while baby is with his grandparents.

Obviously if you struggle to pump it might not be worth it but for me I can get 4-6 ounces in half an hour easily and it’s totally worth it for six hours sleep or an afternoon off.

I used to express during / just after a feed around 9am (often fed from one side and pumped from tbe other). Lots of supply and the let down already working in my favour. If you do the same time each day it will start off a small amount but go up over a day or three.

Lazypuppy I think what PP are trying to say is that it’s not as easy in practice as how it sounds in theory. I’m so glad my 3rd will take a bottle & Breast but having time to express is hard & when I did it regularly I felt engorged. If you start adding in formula it does affect supply & can make things even harder (unless you do one formula feed at a regular time every day & accept at this time your supply will be lower). I’ve just accepted that although it’s tying to feed it’s such a short period of time in the grand scheme of things that I’m ok with it. I am going to town by myself next week to get my eyes tested & that will feel like a weekend away even tho it’ll be 2 hours out 😂 x

Yes Lazy - DP bonded and gave me a break by going out on walks and having endless baths and showers with DS1 (DS2, was so easy that I don't really remember what either of us did! We just carried on as usual!)

I felt like a milking cow sitting there trying to express - plus it hurt more than a baby, plus then the baby still bloody needed to be fed, but now we had a load of equipment to wash too!

Do what works for you, we're just gently trying to say, that the more set on things you get, the harder it can be to find what's actually right for you when the time comes.

I'd also recommend trying expressing in the morning immediately after the first feed / at the same time if you get the hang of it (Don't try that at first!). Maybe have another go at the next feed. Then in the evening go to bed and get some extra sleep while your partner gives the last feed. With my second I found that routine really helped (hadn't heard it recommended with first). Evening cluster feeding can be very draining so knowing you have a break from it helps.

But if this doesn't work for you remember that's ok too! I'm another who had good reasons to avoid introducing formula (allergies ++ in family), for most people a formula top up is quite a helpful idea once feeding is fully established.

I've used all three and found expressing the faffiest option, but if you're keen to try I'd express in the morning after a feed.