Expressing?

[babyjan]

My LO is 3 weeks today and Im looking to start expressing, i heard its better to wait when they r so young but anyone have any experience with it? i would like to express so OH can be involved with the feeding. I have the tomme tippee manual breast pump and some bottles x

 

[hippylittlej]

I expressed at 4 weeks. It took a while for the pump to get any milk out though. I expressed after she had fed which also helps your supply. Just stick the pump on and go,don't worry of none comes out though. It can take a few goes to work, plus your body is still building up your supply at the moment. My LO takes bottle and breast fine, but it is recommended not to introduce a bottle until six weeks to avoid nipple confusion. I don't however believe in nipple confusion I think if a baby choses a bottle it is showing a preference rather than being confused. However you need to be aware that milk from a bottle is easier for baby to get than from a breast and so they can decide they prefer a bottle. Not all babies though prefer bottle mine prefers boob hands down.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

There are so many ways to get your OH involved besides feeding and trust me, they get bored of feeding REALLY quick. I would wait until 8 weeks so there is no confusion. It's easier to get milk from a bottle than the breast.

Your OH can bathe, change, cuddle, rock your LO. Plus, when you do start solids, it's funner for them to get involved with that.

 

[little_lady]

I second expressing after feeding, I can even hand express a few ounces that way. Also if your baby sleeps through a feed you should express then too.

I do find I can't express more than 6 ounces normally and the amount varies widely, some ladies can't express much af all. But you can but try. Just relax while you're doing it and think about your baby to stimulate letdown.

I started expressing at three weeks and had no confusion, but if you do start try and give a bottle every so often so they don't forget. Issy had one a week until twelve weeks when I went back to ebf and I'm now having MAJOR problems to get her to take one again before I go back to work.

 

[booda]

Personally ((this goes against recommendations)) I had an oversupply from the start, so about 10 days PP i pumped about 4 oz out to take to my grans funeral (I wasn't confident enough then to nurse in public yet!) and ever since then every few days LO would have the odd bottle of expressed milk. He was a constant feeder at first - so i done it just to give my grazed nipples a break lol and to get a snooze while OH kept him happy with the expressed milk. He never had a problem swapping between boob and bottle, and still doesnt at 4.5 months.

My OH isn't too bothered about not getting involved with the feeding, he's looking forward to gettin involved with cooking for weaning time and also since dannys first bath at about 2 weeks old he has done all LO's baths in the evening, that's their boy-time together

 

[meglet_nz]

I started expressing around three weeks because when I woke up in the morning my boobs were full and LO would only feed from one leaving the other engorged and painful. I froze each morning's stash and then introduced a bottle at around 4 weeks. She now has her 7pm feed from a bottle (the milk I've expressed from unfed boob that morning) and has no issues switching between bottle and boob x x

 

[pooch]

i was going to create a similar post as i work from home and am having a nanny come to the house; at first i said i was going to breastfeed exclusively but the more i thought about it i felt like i would be taking a lot of time away from working. i was just wasn't sure if i'd be able to breastfeed in the morning and at night but give her expressed milk (have the nanny feed her) during the day while i'm working, but from what you all said it sounds like it's perfectly fine! thanks

 

[Ozzieshunni]

You'll still need to pump while she is having feeds to keep your supply up

 

[babyjan]

Thanks ladies xx