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Original poster

Silly question about expressing at work

21 replies

evenhope · 06/01/2008 21:37

I'm going back to work on Tuesday

DD is 9 mo. I'm in a tizz about the pumping situation. Do I need to lug the steriliser to work? If not, having sterilised the pump, obviously it won't still be sterile when it gets to midmorning- does it matter? If I need to express morning and afternoon is it sufficient to just wash up the pump in hot soapy water?

I have looked this up on several different websites and can't find the answer. Any advice from those who've done it/ are doing it gratefully received.

OP posts:

runnervt · 06/01/2008 21:45

I taught myself to hand express so I only had to take a sterilised bottle to work and expressed into that. I would recommend that but you probably don't have time to sort that out before Tuesday!
Other than that this thread is about washing in hot soapy water being enough (I think - it's a while since I read it).
Hope going back to work goes ok. I went back this time last year and the time has flown!

RoRoMommy · 07/01/2008 10:31

I sterilize the pump and bottles at home in the morning and don't bother with any further sterilzation throughout the day. This has worked fine, and since your DD is older I don't think sterilizatin is as much of a priority anymore (in fact, I've heard somewhere that you don't have to sterilize after a certain stage, and that washing with soap and water is sufficient; it's such a habit for me now, I continue regardless).

Good luck! Happy to talk about any other questions or concerns you have as I've been back four months now (it has flown!) and initially pumped three times a day then brought it down to two as my supply was sufficient by then.

Good luck!

Original poster

evenhope · 07/01/2008 12:20

Thanks runner for that link, that was very helpful.

RoRo do you just wash up the pump and leave it to dry?

DD doesn't have any sort of routine so I'm not sure how any of this is going to work. I'm assuming I'll need to express at about 10.30/ 11am and again in the afternoon. I only got 3oz this morning because she was messing about with the pump- I don't even know if she'll take it...

How much do you leave for your baby?

OP posts:

EffiePerine · 07/01/2008 12:25

I didn;t sterilise the pump at all after DS was about 6 months (slack mum). Just washed in hot water and air dried. At work I had a little bag to keep pump and bottles in the fridge. If you look on Kellymom there's more info

www.kellymom.com

I think they say you don't have to wash and re-sterilise pumps between sessions in the same day.

You might find that you can drop the day feeds (and pumping sessions) soon anyway. I went back to work when DS was 6 months and stopped the day feeds when he was 10 months. He wasn't taking much from the bottle during the day and just made up for it at night.

moondog · 07/01/2008 12:27

I don't know that you even need to express (unless you want to).By 8 mths my baby just had water or juice in the day,yet we continued to b/feed for 30 mths.

EffiePerine · 07/01/2008 12:27

I expressed 3 times to start with - mid morning, lunchtime, mid-afternoon. Quickly dropped the 3rd session. Then went to 1 session early afternoon/late morning depending on my schedule. Then stopped altogether.

Try different times and see what happens. Contrary to the usual advice, I found I had more milk in the afternoon than the mornings. You'll also find the amount you express goes down - don't panic! Just means your body is adjusting to the demand.

RoRoMommy · 07/01/2008 12:29

Wow, Effie, that's interesting...I can't remember, are you still bf? How old is DS now?

Even, I still sterilize now out of habit, then dry with a paper towel and pack into the little cases and put into my work bag in the morning. Have you started giving DD a bottle at all? 3oz is not bad at all, to be honest, that's on the lower end of the average of what I get per session, but just starting out it wasn't nearly that. I think you'll find that if she isn't taking a lot during the day, she will make up for it at night...I know DS does!

RoRoMommy · 07/01/2008 12:31

Oh, and I leave 6oz but he typically only does through 4 these days as he's loving the solids, so I freeze the rest.

jura · 07/01/2008 12:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EffiePerine · 07/01/2008 12:34

Yes, still bfing at 15 months. To start with I was getting 10-12 oz (I think I got up to 20 oz one day which was plainly mad) then it dropped considerably. Once I ws getting 5-6 oz over a day I stopped. But DS was feeding a lot during the day before I went back to work and now hardly at all (altough he is more demanding when I am at home, so have made a conscious effort to stop daytime feeds)

Original poster

evenhope · 07/01/2008 12:34

She is actually feeding very frequently day and night- hence the worry. When DD1 was this age she was only feeding 4 times a day (7am, 11am, 5pm and bedtime). I don't know if she'll do that "mum's not around so I won't bother".

She will drink from a spouted cup but not very efficiently and likes me to hold it for her

She is going to get a nasty shock tomorrow

OP posts:

RoRoMommy · 07/01/2008 12:37

Effie, that is some impressive output, you could start your own milk bank! .

Best of luck, Even! I think you'll find that these little 'uns are remarkably adaptable creatures.

love2sleep · 07/01/2008 12:45

Hello Even.
DS2 is also 9 months so hi!
I couldn't face expressing at work so I feed him in the morning and then in the evening and then express what is left once he is in bed. I'm usually fit to burst at this point so it is usually enough to see him through the next day. But I only work 3 days a week so my supply is kept up by feeding during the day the rest of the week. This definitely isn't textbook but it works for me. Took me ages with DS1 to realise how flexible I could be with expressing.

Good luck

EffiePerine · 07/01/2008 12:48

DS was feeding every couple of hours, day and night, when I went back to work. He soon adapted to less milk during the day, so I shouldn't worry too much. Just see how you get on

Original poster

evenhope · 07/01/2008 15:32

Thanks everyone. I'm only doing 3 days for the first few months while I get to grips with everything. You can see what state my head's in though, can't you

OP posts:

love2sleep · 08/01/2008 09:32

Let us know how you get on.

Original poster

evenhope · 08/01/2008 20:13

Well I BF her when we got to nursery at 8am. She'd also had a really long feed at 6.30am and gone back to sleep.

I only managed to express 2 oz at about 11am, but she only took 1oz of yesterday's milk at nursery, so it's looking like it'll be more for my comfort/ keeping up supply than for her. Since we've been home she's had about 4 or 5 feeds (in 4 hours!!)

OP posts:

cmotdibbler · 08/01/2008 20:19

Glad it went well today.
I froze so much that DS has only just finished up the freezer milk, 5 months after I stopped expressing, and he has mummy milk in a cup any evening that I'm not around. I'm rather sad that this is my first trip away that he isn't having any of my milk.

love2sleep · 09/01/2008 10:49

Well done to you and your DD!

RoRoMommy · 09/01/2008 14:21

I am so pleased to hear it! Good for you and little DD.

EffiePerine · 09/01/2008 22:25

Glad the first day went OK . I went back 3 days to start with as well, it was a good way of easing myself back into things.

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