Expressing

[LibbyAndRoma]

So I'm now taking up expressing, what a chore this is. I can never find time to do it and when I do express It takes me nearly 30mins to get 1oz!
Does anyone have any tips to help me express quicker and more successfully?
Thanks in advance x

I remember taking fenugreek drops, I'm sure they are called Mother love - I had tonsillitis and mu milk dried up. It worked a treat I hate fenugreek or would have just ate it! Well done and congratulations

I did it for dd2 for 3 months, it was gruelling but honestly I didn't mind (and I bf dd1 so I know it's weird to say!). I took fenugeek, pumped every 2 hours from 6am to 10pm and then twice over night. Used a hospital grade pump and did for 15 mins each time.

Your supply will increase the longer you pump. I like routine so could work my day around needing to express at certain times.

I also would have a small glass of beer at night to cheer me the fuck up which I always secretly thought helped my supply

I always used to pump when DD was feeding on the other breast. This upped my supply as well so I could pump loads more but tbh I have LOADS of milk I have to change lanisoh breast pads four times a day or they leak 🙄

When are you doing it? Supply is highest at about 2am, or middle of your sleep cycle, so if you happen to wake up in the night do it then or do it first thing in the morning. Supply is lowest early evening so wouldn't advise doing between 4-9pm for example.

What kind of pump are you using? I used a medela electric hospital grade. Other brands may have differing efficiencies, manual may be more difficult, depends on shape of boobs too as which works best for you.

I've been expressing after she's fed then I know she won't then need the milk I've just expressed lol. I bought the Ardo hospital grade put so think it's a fairly good one from reviews. I'll take it up to bed with me tonight and try express after the night feed!
I don't feel like the hospital or midwives really help when it comes to advice for expressing!

How about expressing mid between feeds? I wouldn't expect to get much right after a feed as she would have taken it all. If you want to express so you have a store you need to increase supply so I'd recommend if your feeds are 3hrly, then try express 1.5hr after the last feed. It will take time to build up more supply though. I only started expressing when breastfeeding started to reduce so I expressed when DS skipped a feed then stuck it all in the freezer

The health visitor told me also that the best time is early morning 2-5am. But who can really be bothered to wake up at that time when you are finally sleeping. So I gave up with that and now express after putting DS to bed. It does take a while and I usually end up doing both sides in order to get a decent amount. I just sit in front of the tv tho and then you don't realise time go by as slowly. Hope you find a routine!

Try a hand express pump. Miles better for me than electric

Night time is the best for milk supply, difficult I know with those precious few hours of sleep.
I found it difficult to express, I didn't easily get that 'let down reflex' without my baby.
Looking at baby photos or having something that smelt of my baby helped increase expressed supply.
Don't get too hung up on it, I wasn't great at it, but still managed to get by and breastfed all 4 of mine! 💕

I find that expressing after my babys first feed in the morning gets me the most milk

This is the advice I was given which worked very well for me. However I would caveat this with I had a very large baby and therefore a very abundant supply and let down reflex.

1. Massage the breast for 3-5 mins before trying to express. This mimicks the action of a baby rooting for the breast and stimulates the let down reflex.
2. Have something that smells of them and have a video/photo of them. I used to have a video on my phone of DS laughing for when I was expressing at work. This will stimulate your brain as per point 1.
3. Relax! Stress and tension can inhibit the process so above all else you need to be relaxed to effectively express.
4. Use a pump with a good suction seal and the right size cup. If it doesn't have the correct seal around the breast there wont be the correct amount of suction to get the milk to to come down- same as if a breast feeding baby doesn't have a good latch (for example with tongue tie) the milk is more difficult to get.
5. If you find you aren't getting much milk try moving the position of the pump around your breast so you can stimulate all the different areas.

I only got an ounce the first few times but once I got the hang of it, it worked well.