Anybody planning on expressing straight from birth or have experience of this?

[cocopop123]

Hi all,

When dc arrives, I'm hoping to be able to express immediately from birth... I know it's not everyone's choice, but I'd like to be able to keep an eye on how much they're taking and also involve dh and family with feeding.

Just wondering if anybody else is planning to do the same, or if anybody has any useful advice from previously doing this?

Thanks!

Not from birth as it's only a few drops of colostrum here and there but a friend has solely expressed from baby being 1 week old, he is 4 months now. She sets alarms in the middle of the night for herself and expresses every three hours which is quite a bind on going places etc but she is happy to do it that way so it doesn't bother her.

My sister did this with her first child due to a tongue tie. She continued until he was 6 months old. It was v v v hard work.

Why don't you just breast feed your child? You'll know if they are getting enough by how happy they are and if they are gaining weight.

Thanks clearly, is that the same for everyone re: only small amounts of colostrum? If so, what happens with feeding in the time it takes for your milk to come through? Can you tell this is all new to me? :)

I did this for premature child for 3 months. It's definitely possible but think through the logistics. You need to feed through the night to get your supply up. It's very tiring getting up in the night to express.

Even if your DH actually feeds the baby, you're still both up. If you breast feed, only you are up so DH not tired. If you formula feed, you're DH can feed and you can get a rest.

I have lots of tips about exclusively expressing, but in my experience, it was a necessity. It can work if you really want it and have thought through the extra work. But it can be the worst of both worlds (BF/FF) and not the best.

Sorry it's not clear from OP whether you meant exclusively or just a bit every now and again. If the latter I'd say go for it, but maybe aim for when you've got a good supply started.

Can you say why?

You might get more replies in the breast / bottle feeding topic.

I'm also not sure if you mean you want to exclusively express. I agree with the poster who said this is the worst of both worlds really.

I did.

I was expressing 5ml before my milk come in (DS would only take it from a spoon)

By the second week I was expressing 80mls each boob. Was hard work

Get a hospital grade automated machine if you're serious about doing this full time, I expressed one or two feeds manually and that worked ok but people doing this a lot raved about the strong breast pumps. It seems like the worst of both worlds to do this full time though unless your only bf option - exhausting and losing the spontaneity? Whatever works for you though.

It can be done but it's really really tough as sometimes your breasts can't express as much as baby can take directly from breast. I know there were times when I expressed and it wasn't enough for a full feed for my baby. I only did it for a few weeks because I had an infection, but it really doesn't make your life easier. If is DOUBLE the amount of work then breastfeeding.

Because you will have to sterilise bottles and the expressing equipment every three hours, and then sit down to express, which may take 20-30 min, and then take another 20 min feeding the baby. So overall at least an hour doing this, and then two hours later doing it all over again. If you were breastfeeding however, it would just take 20 min to feed the baby, and as baby gets older, 10 min. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend it. It drove me nuts and the constant stress and worry about not producing enough milk, is really not worth it.

What are your reasons for not wanting to breastfeed? If you feel strongly against breastfeeding, then I would recommend you think about maybe doing half expressed and half formula, well at least prepare yourself mentally.

Do you mean exclusive expressing (i.e no direct breastfeeding)? If so, it is a very tough option. All the work of both bf-ing and ff-ing on top. It is possible, but it needs massive determination and effort.

I am planning on doing this as my baby has been diagnosed antenatally with a cleft lip and pallet. My cleft team have encouraged me to start expressing from 38 weeks but so far I haven't produced anything. I have syringes to express in to and then freeze until d day. Just hoping I start producing something soon x

We did this thru necessity rather than choice. It can be done but it is hard work. It's all that faffing of sterilising the bottles/pump which makes it hard, plus pumping at 4am which is really important to keep your supply up.

I would say go for it if it's what you want o do bit consider mixing it with breast feeding directly if you can. That way you can bf at night and express/share feeding during the day.

I was very relieved to be able to eventually bf directly rather than expressing as it really is a massive faff if you have to do it exclusively.

I had to do it for 12 weeks after ds born at 26 weeks. It is insanely hard work- you have a double shift of first expressing then feeding it to baby. Plus a load of sterilising. Why not wait and see how baby does with direct feeding? He/she might take to it like a dream and make your life so much easier. Expressing once a day to give yourself a break and your dh a chance to feed would be a compromise. I've been there not through choice and I can't believe you'd want to inflict exclusive expressing on yourself voluntarily.

Re the 'knowing how much baby has taken', your baby and its weight gain will let you know! Worth bearing in mind also that breast pumps are less efficient than babies, and it is not a given with a pump that you'd manage to express all that your baby needs- a baby is much more reliable than a pump!

MrsCharlieD it is totally possible. I only hedged with the OP because I wasn't sure if there was a choice.

DS2 was premature so tiny amounts of colostrum at first hand expressed. The nurses will show you how. DS2 had some formula as he was so small until my milk will came in. Then he had breast milk exclusively once I had a good supply.

Great that you have a team helping you. Ask for all the help you can get.

Oh so sorry to hear that - can they advise on machines? Can you line up extra support in view of the fact this will be very tiring? I didn't produce any milk until 3-4 days post delivery - do they have lactation consultants you can see now since you are trying to express before delivery?

Yes all women only produce small amount of colostrum for the first 2-5 days of their baby's life. About 5ml at a time, this is super charged with lots of antibodies and as babies tummy it's only tiny this its all they need to start with.

Exclusive expressing its the worst of both worlds and a lot of hard work. if you want to express regularly a couple of times a day once breastfeeding is established then this could be a better option. but trying establish a milk supply while just expressing its very hard work as breast pumps are not as effective as removing milk from the breast as a baby.

Have a good read on Kellymom.com on what to expect from a newborn to learn how to tell when your baby is getting enough milk.

Also, my periods returned after only 8 weeks exclusive expressing. That can happen with direct feeding too, but much more rarely. There's really v little to like about ee!!

Hi cocopop first few days baby is worn out and already has fat stores laid down to get it through the first week. As other ops have said colostrum arrives first and frankly It's just a few mls. After day 3 -4 your milk should come in then wowser you will have loads to go round. Personally I loved the idea that no one else could do the feeding but me. Good luck with it and go with the flow!

I think you should do a bit more research about breastfeeding to be honest.
If you manage to express from (a few days after) birth alongside breastfeeding, you will have very confused and engorged breasts.
If you manage to express a whole bottle full, you may end up wasting half as the baby only takes tiny bits at a time.
If you express only without breastfeeding you may end up losing your supply quite quickly. Or with the aforementioned engorged breasts.
There is no need to see how much a breastfed baby is drinking, and you will probably panic yourself if you do, because it's tiny amounts. You can tell if they are getting enough by the way they poo, wee and gain weight (or don't)
Breastfeeding from the breast is loads easier than expressing and bottle feeding. That sounds to me like the worst of both worlds. You won't see any benefit by your husband helping out because the extra effort involved in exclusively expressing, washing and sterilising etc will make things doubly harder than if you had just breastfed from the start.
Husbands can help by cooking you nice food, bringing you drinks, tidying and housework, looking after older children etc. Feeding a bottle isn't a massive help, especially if you will be spending the time he does that expressing!

I expressed for 7 months with my first because he refused to breastfeed. I could do it with him because he was my only child at the time. It would have been massively difficult with a subsequent child.

I would give two bits of advice:

Get a double pump (you can also get a bra thing to hold the things in place so you are hands free).

Less time and more often especially in the early days (about 2 hrs of actual pumping on each breast per day). And freeze, freeze, freeze any excess. You will probably need the supplies later.

They tell you to hand pump for the first few days until your milk comes through. Lots of skin on skin contact through that time to help with that.

HTH anway! And good luck!

I would also agree with Ehric. Given the choice I'd have breastfed all the way.

MrsCharlie Sorry to hear that, if you head over to breast and bottle feeding you'll find lots of lovely ladies on there who will be able to give you lots of support. A hospital garde double breast pump to get your milk to come in once lol is hear will be a must.

Your hospital maybe able to loan you one and good luck.