Pumping?

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Due second baby in August. Bottle fed my first but with covid etc I'm thinking of trying to pump some breast milk (especially the early good stuff) to help with antibodies/immunity etc.

Is this possible? Or does it not work like that? Can you chose to pump some and bottle feed it or does it need to be more constant?

Sorry for how clueless I am haha 😂

Also, where would I begin with pumps!? There's so many!

In the first few days you're probably better hand expressing colostrum. You only get a few mls at a time and can feed with syringe.

Yes you can pump some and combine with formula feeding, though it might be hard to keep up supply for long (which you are probably ok with, I think you just want to give baby some breast milk?) You could also combine breastfeeding with formula - it honestly is usually easier than pumping.

Pumps are hard to recommend as everyone gets on with different ones. I personally found the medela swing was decent without being really expensive.

These might be useful for you:
www.midyorks.nhs.uk/harvesting-colostrum
kellymom.com/mother2mother/what-to-expect-when-pumping/

If you want to exclusively give EBM it's important to express regularly so your body knows to produce milk. Ideally at least 8 times in 24 hours, including overnight as that is when your milk production hormones are highest.

Initially when you express you are likely to get less than a ml, but the more milk you remove from your breast (either by breastfeeding or expressing) the more your body makes. If milk is not removed from your breasts, your body reabsorbs it and then produces less milk next time!

Your midwives at the hospital will be able to show you how to hand express, this will be important for the early days when you only have small amounts of colostrum. Once you start filling the small syringes get pumping with a hospital grade breastpump!

Yes hand express initially, it's so thick.
Once your milk is in though, get the pump on as much as you can.

If you don't use a double pump I'd suggest getting a Haakaa or something like it for the breast that isn't in use. Aldi do one for £5 and I think Nuby do one for around £10. Gives gentle suction. Or milk shells that sit in your bra and collect milk that comes out of the other breast that isn't being pumped.

Breast milk is easier than formula in a lot of ways. It can stay put up to 4 hours, if its freshly pumped there's no need to heat. I found heating it from the fridge a lot easier than making formula.

You can combination feed formula and breastmilk. Handy for times where you've not been able to get the pump on.

Sorry just jumping on here with a related question if thats okay! If you express and keep in fridge, how long does it last for. Is it like shop bought milk where there is an 'expiry date' or? Sorry total noob!

@expectinglittlebear

Sorry just jumping on here with a related question if thats okay! If you express and keep in fridge, how long does it last for. Is it like shop bought milk where there is an 'expiry date' or? Sorry total noob!

I'm sure it can be stored for a week in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer. Mines never lasts that long right enough.

...not because it's expired 😂 just because baby needs fed.

The kellymom website is a really useful resource for all things breastfeeding and pumping. I would think you will stimulate your supply better by putting baby on the boob in the early days rather than pumping, simply as they are better at sending the signals to bring your milk in 😊

There is some emerging evidence from small trials in America that cocis antibodies are being passed down in breast milk where the mother has been vaccinated 😊

I exclusively expressed for my first born and am 90% breastfeeding but pumping night feeds for my second child. The Kelly Mom website mentioned earlier is good, so is La Leche League (LLL). Don't apologise for being clueless - how on earth should mums know about this stuff, I didn't even know breast pumps existed until my neighbour gave me hers when my son was born 😂 You'd have to pump every time baby was due a feed to establish supply, another option would be to pump regularly for a few weeks to build up a freezer supply and then taper it down and give milk less frequently but for longer?

Re pumps: I have the Medela Maxi and it's seen me through pumping 8 times a day for a year and then 3 times a day now. Definitely buy a pumping bra so you can be hands free- game changer!!