expressing help??

[florence_]

hi ladies im in some need of help please!!

I have chosen to express feed exclusively hopefully (its a little time off im only 23 weeks tomorrow) however;

I really don't want to directly breast feed so I'm doing my research on what pump to get and have learnt a lot like to try expressing every 3 hours etc

my question is this, how do I start? I know t can take a few attempts to start the flow so what do I do before that happens? wont my baby go hungry for a day, I am willing to let him feed onme for that firs day to get the milk going but how many ounces will he need and how often, surely there will be a time between birth and establishing a milk supply were he wont have any milk? what do I do? many thanks

and before people say try bf etc ive ade up my mind and this question is to ask about expressing not Bf thankyou xxx

 

[Popples1]

I've had to express from the start as my little one refused to latch on, despite the best efforts of several midwives. I stayed in hospital until we had a feeding plan underway but I was told to start by manually expressing (massaging your boobs then squeezing out a drop of colostrum) and finger feeding for the first 24hrs or so. I then moved on you using a breast pump for ten mins on each side, feeding him that and topping up with formula to a total of about 35ml (if I remember rightly). I didn't have much colostrum at first. 15 days later and after a very upsetting couple of weeks trying to breastfeed, I'm currently expressing and topping up with formula where needed. I bought an Ardo Calypso double breast pump which is great - I've expressed up to 4oz in a 20 minute session. LO is having a very hungry day today though so he's been topped up with formula. There's a really good thread here on exclusively expressing - it's definitely not an easy option but then I don't think there are any when it comes to feeding our babies!

 

[the why bird]

When my baby wouldn't latch in the hospital I pumped. Even before your milk comes in you have colostrum. It's only a tiny amount. I remember one of her first feeds she had about 5ml and the midwives commented that was a good quantity for her. Just start pumping right away. If you are willing to breastfeed even for one feed, you might find that easiest for the first one, since baby will want to feed right away and you won't want to put down your newborn to go on the pump. I can't say how much you'll need once the milk comes in because every baby is so different. My daughter only took 2 oz at a time for weeks, but very frequently.

Things to bear in mind (I exclusively expressed from 7 weeks to 9 months - she fed on and off from the breast in those first seven weeks):
- Not everyone responds well to the breast pump. Some people who feed successfully for months or years never manage to get much out with the pump. So you need to be realistic and plan for the possibility that you will need to supplement if you are exclusively expressing. There's really no way you can know ahead of time.
- Get a good breast pump. Get the best one you can afford, and look into whether you can hire a hospital grade one. Get one that lets you pump both sides at once, it will half the time you spend attached to it every day. Make sure you can adjust the suction strength, it's easy to clean and you can change the shields to find the right size for you. Trust me on this, a good pump makes the world of difference.
- Pump every time the baby feeds for at least as long. Keep pumping after the milk stops flowing. This is the only way to tell your body to keep making more milk. 3 hours sounds good but it may or may not be enough. My supply would plummet if I went under 12 sessions of pumping for 20 mins a day. I know you've decided not to breastfeed and that's fine, just bear in mind that any time the baby does latch on you will stimulate your milk supply, and having lots of skin to skin with baby will also stimulate your hormones.
- Prepare for very little sleep. At least to begin with, you will have to pump every few hours even at night, and that's on top of feeding, winding, changing the baby. I don't say this to put you off, but to prepare you because this was the single most difficult thing about expressing. Some nights I would get to sleep in maybe 15 minute stretches before the baby would wake and I would need to pump again. If possible, get someone to feed the baby during the day so you can sleep between pumping.
- You will still need nipple cream and breast pads. You will need to be on the look out for blocked ducts and mastitis. Even a good breast pump will not be as effective as a baby so unfortunately you are at risk of these things. You might not have any problems though, I never did.
- Drink tons of water, have tons of healthy snacks because you'll be super hungry and thirsty.
- Get a kindle or netflix or something you can do while sitting on the sofa, because you're going to be spending a lot of time there.

Good luck with this. It's doable but very difficult and tiring. I'm not sure I could do it again to be honest, but I am proud of what I managed.

Is your partner/family on board? Because their support will be so invaluable.

 

[Pollywollydoo]

All the above advice is really helpful if you're considering exclusively expressing, but the biggest point is support. You need everyone around u to fully support your decision cz they the ones who will need to step in and feed, change, comfort your new baby whilst your expressing every couple of hrs.

 

[missbabes]

All the above advice is really helpful if you're considering exclusively expressing, but the biggest point is support. You need everyone around u to fully support your decision cz they the ones who will need to step in and feed, change, comfort your new baby whilst your expressing every couple of hrs.

Agreed, exclusively pumping for the first couple of months is extremely time consuming and it's more bearable with the right support.

 

[Simonecah]

Check out the ins and outs of exclusively expressing thread too

 

[florence_]

thanku so much for the advice you have all given, I feel like a lost sheep! I have good support, one of my sisters is a breast feeder of her 3 babies and will help me loads she is very supportive of my decision cause she knows me well and my husband has already voted to do the night feeds he is taking 4 weeks off with me so hopefully I can get established and used to pumping a lot. I don't mind spending a lot on a pump, im not rich but the money ill save on formula makes it worth it, any body recommend any particular pump I was going to get the avent comfort electric pump but I don't think its a double pump and a lot of ppl rave about double pumps for milk flow and time saving x

 

[harley81]

I have the avent electric pump, I exclusively pumped for the first 5.5 weeks due to tongue tie. I like the pump, but as it's a single it would take me at least half an hour to feed, wind and change then at least half an hour to pump enough from both sides for next feed which doesn't sound a lot but during the night felt like an eternity lol. Looking back I think we should have gone for a double pump. Goud luck with pumping, you adjust to it and it just seemed normal to me x

 

[florence_]

Thanku ive seen that avent do a double pump the comfort one too which works out about 140 pound think in going to invest as all my bottles are avent and I've read such good reviews it would be good if we cud start pumping before birth as in leaking already but i know u cant lol in really feeling positive about pumping glad its worked for others x

 

[Simonecah]

If you are exclusively pumping, see if your insurance will let you rent a hospital grade one. I got to use that one when I was in the NICU with my son and had a madela freestyle for home. I literally would get double or triple the amount with the hospital one.

 

[missbabes]

If you are exclusively pumping, see if your insurance will let you rent a hospital grade one. I got to use that one when I was in the NICU with my son and had a madela freestyle for home. I literally would get double or triple the amount with the hospital one.

OP is in UK where we don't have insurance.