breastfeeding and expressing

[loz202]

Hi

Looking for abit of advice this is my 2nd pregnancy but 1st time round i didnt get to breastfeed and if im honest wasnt really for it then.

But now with this baby i really fancy trying it but at the same point i seen how much my husband bonded with our son as he loved getting up to do night feeds and if i every asked he would do it during the day aswell. so was wondering how soon after birth you can express your milk?

I have read about nipple confusing for the baby but if i'm honest i dont know how i would cope being out and about and having to breastfeed in public dont have a probelm with anyone doing it infront of me just dont know if i could do it but want baby to get goodness of breastmilk so if i got to express and just bottle feed baby wouldnt bother me.

Hope this makes sense.

xx

 

[Mummy Bean]

I was about to ask the same question, as I want to introduce one bottle of expressed a day - mostly for selfish reasons as I would like to have a drink at xmas or so I can get out for a few hours.

everything I have read seem to contradict it self, some say to introduce it between 3-6 weeks so they get used to both bottle and breast, where others say to wait until at least 6 weeks when breastfeeding is fully established.

Also worried if it will affect my supply?

so will be stalking - hoping some one with actual experience can help.

 

[Pielette]

The general advice is to leave expressing until about 6 weeks after birth. Your supply needs to establish itself so that's why it needs around 6 weeks. If you express before that point you run the risk of telling your boobs they need to make more milk than they do, leading to a potential oversupply, which can be a real pain!

I started expressing at around 5 weeks. You could bottle feed while out but I'd recommend getting a specific bottle that mimics breastfeeding. I have medela calma bottles because I don't want him getting lazy! I'll be honest I don't get much time for expressing with a toddler and a baby and it don't really want to 'waste' expressed milk by giving it when we're together, I'd rather just pop him on but that's just my preference

Also be wary of getting your OH to feed expressed milk at night too often, your prolactin levels are highest overnight so they're essential for building up supply.