Hi I'd say if ur able to bf in the beginning then to do that because u dont get a lot of colostrum and because its so thick a lot can get lost in the tubes and piping of the pump.

I won't lie, expressing is hard. I did it for 4 months. U HAVE to express every 3 hrs and it can take half hr each time. I'd highly recommend that u have a double pump too, halves expressing time get lansinoh cream in ready!

Hi just a quick question i might have to express because my baby has got a cleft lip /palate and can not breastfeed a baby with this condition...
I know i will have to express every 2/3 hours in the first 12 weeks but not sure if it is best to express every 2 hours or every 3 hours which time is best to aim for....

Thanks ....
And also i will have to hand express(37 weeks) before baby is born has any one any advice about how much columlon i will get out...

hello sorry to hear about your baby's condition, but at least you can be prepared and plan for what you will have to do. it's difficult to advise really, as in my experience the usual advice does not apply to everyone - i followed the advice i was given at first and ended up with too much milk, which sounds like a good problem to have, but it led to mastitis, infections, many blocked ducts and an abcess which may well have caused permanant damage - i get far less from that breast compared to the other, since it happened.

having said that some people have problems with low supply. i think you can't really know what will work for you until you are doing it and see what your supply is like. i found it helpful to keep a log of how much i was expressing each time, and how much hayden was drinking, so i could make sure there was enough. unfortunately i did get a little obsessed with it for a while and it made me panic when the amount i expressed started to drop when i pumped less (even though it was still double what he was drinking!). and it has become a bit of a habit - i am still doing it now, even though i know i am pumping far less than he is drinking, and am actually slowing it down to stop, and the amount he drinks is fairly stable.

as for the amount of colostrum you are likely to get - i am not sure, as i didn't start expressing until after my milk came in. i believe that can vary too but is usually not very much, so you are better off hand expressing so you don't lose any in the pump, and some people struggle to get any at all, especially antenatally.

good luck x

This morning I had decided that I was going to knock all this breastmilk idea on the head but then i'd remembered that I'd seen this thread while browsing the forums, read every post then decided that I would maybe keep trying for a little while longer.

Ok, this is my situation..

My LO is almost 6 weeks old and I initially started BF her but then had probs and had to revert to part expressing and then topping up with formula. Save me going through a lengthy explanation, for anyone that's interested, here's a thread I did recently - http://www.babyandbump.com/breastfee...7-my-milk.html

Where I'm at now is, I am taking 6 Fenugreek a day and also I was eventually perscribed Domperidone, which I have been taking for 2 weeks now at 2 a day, but has not given me the results I so desperately wanted.
Basically I have never had this great abundant milk flow. I think maybe I haven't helped myself somewhat as, I have had a couple of gaps where I wasn't able to express, so maybe my flow practically came to a halt? Also, from reading through this thread (which is bloody briiliant btw!) I have realised that I have not been on the pump nearly enough, in fact nowhere near as much as I should have been. I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person, but feel so stupid about my lack of comprehension of all this! I have also been quite stressed lately and for several other reasons, this has affected how many times I've tried expressing but could also the stress hinder the flow too?

Ok, now that I've over-rambled above, I was wondering if someone could offer me some no frills advice? Basically I need to know if it's worth me continuing to try and get my milk flowing or have I left it too late? I am definately not going to try to BF again as my LO just doesn't like it, so won't put either of us through the stress. I don't mind using some expressed milk and also still giving formula too, as I don't expect miracles, but still feel very passionate about giving my daughter some of my milk. I am still only getting a little more than a dribble but feel that it has improved very slightly. If anyone reading this feels like I have left this all too late and it is pointless carrying on, then please tell me, as I really need someone else's opinion asap. Also, I am going away for the next couple of days and although I should be able to express, the times spent will definately be limited, so yet another hinderance!

Thanks and apologies for this being so long

sorry to hear about your difficulties, metalmummy. i definitely think the stress could possibly be affecting your milk supply, is it likely to get better any time soon?

the only way to know if you can get your supply back will be to try, but i don't think it will be easy. i don't have any experience of trying to get the supply back, bit i would guess that if you still have a little it might be possible. i can only advise to pump as frequently as you can (every 2-3 hours maybe?) and to make sure you pump at least once in the night. have you got a double pump? it cuts the pumping time down, and can also boost supply, as expressing both breasts at once increases the hormone levels.

good luck, let us know how you get on x

My son had problems eating from the breast and bottle and is 3 years old now and continues with eating problems. Anyways, I exclusively pumped for 8 months when my milk finally dried up. I was very hard on myself as I was determined to give him only breast milk for the first year. I had a double electric breast pump, used fenugreek, ate oatmeal everyday and drank that nasty mothers milk tea. Exclusively pumping is a long time consuming process. My husband would feed our son when I pumped to save time. I think you really need to be dedicated to wanting to keep it up because it is soo much easier to just quit. I applaud anyone and everyone who chooses to breastfeed their baby and after the experience with my son, I feel like anyone who exclusively pumps needs a standing ovation because for whatever reason you need to do it you are the most dedicated mother for doing everything you can for your little even though it is a long and hard process. I'm glad to see others struggle to do the best.

So my son isn't gaining weight well and I'm to top him up after feeds. Iv decided to use ebm rather than formula. My question is the first ounce or so that I pump is really really watery and thin. The 2-3oz After that it has more of a milky colour. Is this normal
Second question when the ebm separates slightly in the fridge how much fat is there normally on top. I usually have about half oz of creamy stuff on top then I gradually fades to half oz of watery milk at the bottom. Is this normal

yep, totally normal - the watery milk you get first is the foremilk, then the hindmilk is the thicker, creamier stuff. it always separates in the fridge, just give it a swirl to mix it up (apparently shaking it is bad. i forget why )

Hi ladies!

My LO is 8 days old and at first just wouldn't latch on at all. We gave her expressed milk and topped up with formula on day 4 and carried on like this until day 6 when she clicked with bf. Trouble was she ended up with screaming colic... Two of the hardest days of my life and I still cry remembering it.

The windiness is abating now and she seems to be taking the breast well but I do still want to express at least once a day for if we're going out etc. Is she old enough for me to do this? And will expressed milk in her bottle bring back the trapped wind, constipation and colic? I'm so new to this and so scared...

don't be scared, you're obviously doing a great job if you have gone back to bf.

all babies and mums are different, but as a rule it is recommended to wait until bf is well established - generally when baby is 6 weeks old or so - before giviing expressed bm by bottle, in order to avoid nipple confusion and problems with your supply (expressing might not stimulate your supply as effectively as actually bf so you might not get enough milk). having said that i guess your lo didn't have any confusion if she has taken to bf again, but beware of supply issues.

windiness and colic are all more common in bottle fed babies, because they are more likely to swallow air when they feed - there is air in the bottle as well as milk, whereas there is no air in your breast. not all babies will suffer (hayden has quite a bit of wind, but gets it up with no trouble and never had colic) but it sounds like your lo might. there are lots of bottles which claim to reduce colic, but i don't know how effective they really are. i don't really know, but i would guess that the occasional bottle would be less likely to cause windy problems than bottle feeding all the time.

hope you manage to find a solution that suits you, and well done for getting bf going again. congratulations, and enjoy your newborn - this stage is so short, make the most of it and try not to spend too much time worrying x