Do you express in hospital?

[LaurenAnneP92]

I am planning on feeding my baby exclusively with breast milk, however I want to express to allow my partner to bond (and give me a break) but I'm not sure how it works...

I've been told that the most efficient way is to make sure you empty both breasts after every feed, so, once baby is full express the rest. I have a few questions surrounding this...

Can I start doing this in hospital if I am kept in more than a few hours after birth?
If I sterilise my pumps in advance will they stay sterile inside a sterilised container?
Is there sterlising facilities in hospitals? (I'm delivering in the Princess Royal Maternity in Glasgow)
Or do I just breast feed until I get home? and if I do that, will affect the way my milk comes in? Will enough milk even come in at first to express??

I feel like this is such a minefield and I am totally lost!

FYI no need to sterilise bottles or pump parts when breastfeeding. They need sterilising once bed first use, but then washing in warm soapy water, or in dishwasher (top rack) is sufficient (breastmilk doesn't harbour bacteria like formula milk), don't make extra work for yourself.

On the subject of pumping I agree 100% to wait for supply and feeding at breast to establish (approx six weeks) before expressing (I had to for medical reasons and its no fun at all if you don't need to). It's also worth noting that some babies can suffer from flow preference when they are given bottles regularly (bottle feeding is much more passive as the milk flows from the teat freely, whereas when breastfeeding more work is required to get the milk) and so it's important to consider if you would be happy to exclusively bottle feed in that eventuality. Obviously not all babies are affected by this, but it's certainly the case for some. Also worth reading about "paced bottle feeding" as that can help to reduce flow preferences as it involves bottle feeding in a way that more closely mimics breastfeeding.

I'd recommend reading more about breastfeeding on reputable sources like Kellymom and La Leche League, so you get correct information. There is a lot of bollocks out there about breastfeeding (see "emptying breasts" as an example), so it's important to be careful about where you get information from to ensure it's correct and helpful.

Everyone here is completely right. While it may sound like a good idea to have your partner helping with the feeds in the early days, it's so much more hassle than it's worth. YOU need time in those days to both establish breastfeeding and create your OWN bond with baby, as it is not uncommon for mums to have trouble initially bonding with their baby.

Dad can do nappies, baths, skin-to-skin contact, talking to baby etc, or more importantly support YOU while you bond, as you're also going to be recovering from labour so need the support more than the time away from baby!

The first few weeks of your baby's life are not going to be remembered in the grand scheme of things if dad can't feed them, so use that time for YOU to sort feeding out, as breastfeeding alone can be tricky as each baby is different.

Don't get us wrong, it's really lovely that you see it important for dad to bond with baby, but there are much more effective ways in the early days :)