expressing - lots of questions

[ninja]

I've just gone back to work 3 days a week and am trying to express for a 6 month old who is just beginning to be weaned.

I thought I knew what I was doing but I keep having more and more questions!

1. Is there a minimum time I should express for? I've just bought a dual electric pump which I love. I seem to get most of the milk in the first 5 minutes - sometimes shorter. If I pump for longer sometimes I get letdown again, sometimes just sore nipples! I always thought you had to do it for longer but if I'm getting 3 - 6 oz in 5 minutes is that enough time to keep stimulating my supply. (My breaks are very short)

2. Do I have to wash the pump between breaks - I always assumed I would but sometimes I don't have the opportunity (jsut to do it I'm expressing in a store cupboard!) It occured to me if breast milk lasts for up to 8 hours at room temp, my pump should be OK - is this right?

3. My DD sees very poor at taking much milk at nursery should I worry if she's only taking 3 oz during the day? She's still quite a night snacker so I guess she'll make up for it then

4)why does one boob seem fully on some days, and the other boob on others (not an essential question - but I am curious)

That's it for now - but I'm sure I have more.

Thanks

Nobody have any answers?

I don't have all the answers but here goes:

1. I don't know about double pumping (I used an Avent hand pump), but would have thought that if you're getting 3-6 oz in 5 minutes, that's pretty good. You could always go and express again in an hour or so if you're needing more, when you might get another let down.

2. I never washed my pump during the day, although I was able to leave it in the fridge (in a plastic bag!). I did on occasion have to go down to London though, so wasn't able to refrigerate it, but reckoned it would be OK, using a similar logic to yours. Ds never seemed to have any problems anyway!

3. Your dd will take as much as she needs/wants during the day and make up for it at night, so don't worry.

4. No idea! My right boob was always the "good" boob - my left boob was never quite as bountiful, despite trying (in the early days) to favour it.

HTH

PS I breast fed ds for over a year, even though I went back to work full time when he was 4 months old. It CAN be done!

Hi ninja- I'll try my best!

1. you're getting a hell of a lot more than I used to! If I had time I used to try for 2 let downs each side- I stopped if I got sore!

2)I used to sterilise the pump at home and take it to work in a cool bag, and put it back in between times, my logic was the same as yours- if the milk can keep fresh in the cool bag, so can the pump.We never had any problems with gastroenteritis.

3)Don't worry, as long as she's making up for it at night, she won't starve. My dd never took more than 8oz of EBM a day, even when larger. Bank any spare milk you have- it will come in handy in the future and there will be a gradual drop off in the amount of milk you can express over the months.

4)Not sure- anyone else?

HTH

ninja - can't say with any real authority, but I think the amount you are pumping is fine - if you feel your supply starting to dwindle then you can always pump more in response. Re leaving the pump - I would say that washing it would be best, really, but janz's idea of bagging it and putting it in the fridge might be okay. I am not a major steriliser, but milk drops left exposed to the air even for a few hours would make me nervous. Do you have a kitchen at work or is it just your glamourous store cupboard ? There are great bags you can get that you can use in the microwave for a quick 3 min sterilise if you are worried at all, might that help?

Hopefully your dd will start to take more milk at nursery as she gets used to it there, in the meantime, I'm sure she is getting plenty at early morning and night feeds.

Don't know about the boob thing - with my ds left boob was always brimming and this time with dd it's the right boob. Very odd.

Hi ninja, having only started to express yesterday (because of a blocked duct) I am by no means an expert however I'm being supervised by a bf councellor and had similar questions to yours, here are her answers.

1. No minimum time but you should always try to empty the breast i.e. when you can't get any more out. I especially need to do this at the moment because i have an inflammed/engorged breast .
2. My councellor wants me to sterilise between feeds. However my dd2 is only just 3 months, I think they get better at handling things the older they get. I like your theory but would agree with bagging and putting in a fridge. Did you know that by law the company HAS to provide you with a quiet private room (this does not include a toilet) and a clean fridge in which your milk can be safely stored. They also HAVE to provide you with adequate breaks for you to express.
3. can't help sorry
4. Often one breast doesn't seem full yet tonnes of milk comes so no idea why?

Good luck

Opps forgot - what electric pump did you buy. I had been using the Avent hand pump and hated it because it was agony however I am now hiring a big enormous ameda electric one and was curious as to how they compare with ones that can be bought.

Ninja, a long time since I did it, and I used a hand pump, but wanted to say well done; it sounds like you have got a good set up and it will work. The only time I could express was about 20 mins at lunchtime and a top secret to my boss about where I was sneaking off - however, I bf for 11 months after returning to work. Obviously, only expressing once a day, I had to supplement in day time with formula, but I had a good milk supply for all the feeds when I was home. He also had 2 evening feeds and one night feed, which I was OK about keeping, ie more milk at night and less at nursery. I just had a cool bag with 2 freezer packs but nothing ever went off. Best of luck.

HI Ninja -- I've worked 2-3 days week & expressed twice for 6 month olds.

1. I pumped 2x/day at that age, for whatever I could get out (they took 7-9 oz at that age).
2. I sterlised the pump in the morning, & just stuck the pump back in the fridge between pumping sessions. Everything I've read suggests this should be safe for up to 10 hours.
3. I think your baby knows how much milk she needs.
4. sorry, can't say! I'd just pump until they were empty to keep supply up.

Wills, you could probably get away with washing your pump with hot water and detergent - since the idea is to avoid bacteria getting into the milk. I used to just stick mine in the fridge, but DS was 8mths and sticking everything in his mouth by then anyway.

I had an Ameda Lactaline, which I found much better than the Avent hand pump - although some on here have found the opposite. I usually used to pump until I'd let down twice, depending on how much time I had - the first let down was really quick, the second could take quite a bit longer and yielded a bit less - maybe 10-15min altogether of pumping time. I pumped in the first aid room, which was a dark and dingy hole, but at least it was private. At first I pumped twice a day, but soon went down to one - I think it depends a bit on how often your DD is drinking. However DS was crap at drinking from the bottle and never drank more than about 1oz at a time and never really liked the frozen stuff either, so I ended up wasting lots of milk - it was really just to keep my supply up and relieve a bit of pressure!

Thanks, I can use the first aid room at work, and there is a fridge in the kitchen but the problem is I teach and in the short morning and afternoon breaks there just isn't time to get there - I do feel reassuerd that others seem to have done similar.

Wills I've been using the dual medela pump and I've found it ALOT easier than the Avent that I was using before. If I'm at hom watching tele I seem to be able to get out 7 oz - sitting in a dingy store room betwen 3 and 5! I'm certainly producing morethan she's drinking - but I hope that she'll start taking more.

I'm glad that you mentioned the frozen milk florence - is it just me or does it always smell off? She rarely drinks it and it just smeels a bit rancid to me. I don't like milk at the best of times but I'm sure my fresh stuff doesn't smell. Is this normal or could there be a problem with how I'm storing it?