help expressing

[_Lexi_]

Just in need of some help about when to express. I've got two events coming up where I can't take Jessica. One is a spa day with my mum that oh paid for before I was pregnant, the voucher expires in 3 months. The second is a wedding in september. I'm a chief bridesmaid, so have to be at the hotel early saturday morning. My mum was going to then watch jessica whilst oh got ready, then give him a lift there. My mum lives 1hour from the venue, and neither me or oh drive, so my mum suggested she have jessica overnight and bring her back the Sunday morning and give us a lift home. Obviously for all this, I need a milk stash. Jessica is fine with bottles, we spent her first week in hospital with jaundice having phototherapy, so she had syringe, breast, bottle and cup. Ive expressed the odd bottle since, mainly early on when I was more nervous about feeding around people, so I'm not worried about confusion. But when is the best time to express? She's fed on demand, and I don't want to express, then she needs feeding and theres no milk left for her. How much should I plan to have in the freezer? I've got no idea how much she's getting at a feed. If I express, how long before the milk supply is up enough for her to feed?? Any advice is welcome x

 

[MrsFernihough]

I find I have more then enough to express after first morning feed and not affect her at all.

 

[firsttime83]

Same here, first thing in the morning. Sometimes when I feed her at like 4am if she only has a little to eat and I notice them being full I will pump then too. Just be patient. Everyone can pump different amounts as well. I have been pumping almost every morning (OH gets up for the 7am feed and lets me sleep for an hour before he goes to work) so I pump as soon as I get up for the next day. Usually I get way more then she actually consumes, so I start to get a build up for the freezer