How early can you express?

[BumbleBump]

Hi all

Early days for me to be in here, but I have a question for you girls before LO comes if that's OK - Hopefully I'll be a permanant fixture in a few months as long as everything goes well

With my first, I BF until LO was about 6 months (only gave up as I was going back to Uni, but I'd love to continue as long as possible with this one depending on when I decide to go back to work). I started expressing at some point so that we could have the odd break but I can't remember when I started - I think the first time we went out on our own was when she was about 6 weeks so it must have been by then... I was a bit of a human milk machine (very very lucky) and ended up pumping extremely easily. Fingers crossed I'm as lucky this time!

How early can you successfully express? My MIL has the 2 weeks from my due date booked off work to help out, and would like to take both LOs out for a couple of hours in the second week to give me a break (and mainly to show off the new addition to the girls at work!). By this point, LO should be between 1 to 3 weeks old - My first was a week late so I'm fully expecting to go late with this one too, but she may decide to show early...

Do you think at this age its possible to plan for someone to take her out for a few hours? The options I can see are expressing as soon as possible - but I don't know how successful it would be, and if it would mess up my milk supply pumping that early - Giving her an emergency FF just in case, but again I don't know if that would mess up my supply or if she'd even take it - Or if I feed her myself just before they go, and hope she lasts for a couple of hours before wanting to be fed again.

I know it's really difficult to see into the future and how LO will get on, but is it a definate no no or do you think it's possible?

Sorry for the essay! Thanks in advance.

 

[coccyx]

I was advised not to express until milk supply well established,around 4/6 weeks. Any reason you can't feed baby while you are out?. I would top up before going and then feed if required.

 

[BumbleBump]

I was advised not to express until milk supply well established,around 4/6 weeks. Any reason you can't feed baby while you are out?. I would top up before going and then feed if required.

Because MIL was planning on taking the LOs out on her own for the couple of hours to give me and OH a little break

I thought that was the case, thank you - I'll probably tell her it will be too early in establishing BFing, there's no point in her doing it if I'm going to be stressed out the whole time worrying if she's hungry! Her workmates will just have to wait (Or if I'm up to it, I'll go along too )

 

[poppy]

Yep, I heard that as well - that you should introduce expressed milk via the bottle by not earlier than four weeks (so no nipple confusion) and no later than six/seven weeks as the baby could just refuse the bottle.

xxx

 

[caggimedicine]

I tried to express at about 3/4 weeks and really struggled. I only managed to get about 1oz out and it took me ages to get that!

How often is your baby feeding? Harry was feeding every 2 hours so I would leave him with my mum and just make sure I was back between 1-1.5 hours. Suppose it would be better MIL actually taking baby as she can bring him back to you when he is hungry, rather than you coming back to find that he's still ok and you could have had another half hour or so.

 

[BumbleBump]

Thanks for all the replies. I still have 10 weeks or so before I find out how often she feeds I definately don't want to mess up our early routine or my supply for the sake of a few hours, so expressing or a sneaky FF is out - I guess it will be a wait and see if she settles quickly into a routine if it's worth her going out or not. And ofc she might decide to be up to 2 weeks late in which case I doubt I'll want to let her out of my sight!