Breastfeeding - expressing milk

[Fiona83]

Hi - my wee one is 8 weeks old (exclusively BF on demand) and I am keen to start expressing some milk so that my husband can give the occasional feed and so that in time we can go out for a few hours and leave baby and a bottle with grandparents once in a while (although I'm not ready to do that yet!!!) HV advised that I should start introducing the bottle over next few weeks so there is more chance of baby accepting it later on. I have the naturebond manual pump and have also tried hand expressing over last 2 days (in morning) and in total after about 2.5 all together I only have about 40mls milk!!! I don't know how I'll ever get enough for a full feed!!! Perhaps should look at electric pump as the one I have doesn't do anything at all. Not really enjoying the experience either and the length is time it takes fir so little is not very encouraging! Also as I feed on demand I never know how much she might need at any particular feed! Any thoughts??? Or advice???? Thanks in advance xx

General advice is 1-1.5 oz per hour so 40 ml would do an hour out of the house in theory.

Look up paced feeding.

As for amount, don't assume electric is better. Try warm flannels and massage, and baby being near by to stimulate milk. Naturebond is to catch a letdown on the boob baby isn't using, it's not actually a pump per se.

Thanks @arbrighton - ahhh I didn't realise that about the nature bond - that makes
More sense. Maybe I'll just stick with hand expressing and take your advice on flannels and massage too. I'll get husband to try and feed her the 40mls this eve and see how we go. I'll look up Paced feeding too thanks xx

I second the advice about making sure to stimulate the milkflow. I used to have to express away from my baby and I kept a photo of him in my wallet to encourage letdown - it worked!

Hi @Fiona83 my baby won't BF so I have tried a range of pumps (and have a nature bond) from hiring a hospital grade Medela (great but far over and above your needs), buying an Ardo double pump (not very good), a Philips Avent electric single (good) and buying Philips Avent manual pump (to use in the car!). I found the manual pump to be really good, I could get as much from one breast in 10 minutes as with an electric pump. But it can be noisy and your hand aches, but for occasional use it might be just what you need.

Hi OP glad you asked this as am in exactly the same position - also 8 week old! Tbh I don't really want to express now or leave him, but feel like I should so that the option is there later. I bought the medela swing after many recommendations but haven't tried it yet. He feeds so much I don't know how I'll find a good moment to express!

I use a medela swing electric pump. ds is now 9months and I have had to change things up as feeding patterns etc have changed and there have been times where I have not had much luck with it at all but overall I found the following things helped

• pumping first thing in morning whilst ds fed from other side
• trying to 'save' one breast for pumping so it was nice and full so I might feed on only one side for a few hours and then pump the other
• using warm flannel or hot water bottle or pumping just after bath to stimulate flow.
• massaging the breast tissue
• have heard an electric toothbrush or other vibrating device used to massage the breast can help too
• I also find that I sometimes get a second let down if I continue to pump for 5mins or so extra after the flow has stopped

overall I have at times found pumping stressful and not enjoyable but being able to have a bit more freedom to have a break from baby even if to go and have a bath has made it worth it. and now as I am planning on getting ready to return to work I find myself getting quite excited by the growing freezer stash to get him through the days at nursery!! it's the little things
good luck!

Hello - I'm an old girl here but BF and expressed for both of my two.
I found if you started on the boob and then craftily slid the bottle into baby's mouth mid feed, they were dopey and seemed to not notice. I do recall the later / older I left mixing bottle and boob the harder it was as they became stuck In their ways. DD Always preferred boob.