Idiots guide to expressing

[Arcanegirl]

I have nooo idea anything about it, can someone give me an idiots guide to it pls

 

[Lu28]

Are you looking at combining breastfeeding and expressing hon? That's what I'm doing at the moment, although trying to get Aisling more on the boob and less on the bottle

Depending on how much you plan on doing, you could go for a manual or electric pump. I used the Tommee Tippee Manual hand pump at the start and now think it's some form of torture device! I now have the Medela Swing 2 phase electric pump which is brilliant. I tend to express during the day if it's been a while between feeds to keep up the milk supply and at night when we're still giving a bottle so I can get some sleep, I express before going to sleep etc. It does tie you down though and I have found that the more I've got Aisling on the boob, the more spare time I seem to have!

Good luck xxx

 

[ryder]

I used a manual and it was better then the electric I found... I just played around with the position and pumping until I ofund a way to make it work and I was getting lots out.

 

[Arcanegirl]

what about times to do it, which side etc? I really am clueless lol

 

[Lu28]

I try to bf or express every 3 hours or so. #if Aisling only bf on one side I'll express on the other side too. When I express without bf, I do both...

 

[Mervs Mum]

Before you start just bear in mind that pumping isnt as good as Alex's suck sooooo when you first pump be careful not to fall into the trap of starting to doubt how much he's getting - this is one of the reasons they dont recommend it before 6 weeks. It kinda gets in new Mum's heads and the next news they are jacking in because they cant get past the fact they can only pump half an ounce in 30 mins.....

Soooo...that said when you do want to pump you need to kinda treat it like feeding and do it regularly and around the same time for best results. I found pumping first thing in the morning best as your milk seems to get less as the day goes on pumping wise - I jacked in pumping after lunchtime as it was soul destroying!!!

I made sure I drank a pint of water half an hour before starting - thats not a scientific thing but for me I felt it helped as it made me so thirsty to pump or feed.

I recommend looking at Alex or at least a picture of him to get the BFing hormones flowing which will also help.

It's tricky at first but pumping one side and feeding on the other definately gets better results - I needed OH to help get me rigged up with cushions etc - Hebe wasnt keen as I think she worked out the pump was making off with her dinner, so she booted the pump constantly!! The pump's nickname is now 'Maggie' after Maggie Thatcher the milk snatcher....

I cant emphasize enough how important it is that you dont get hung up on the amounts you pump - I can only pump 3oz at a time where as one point I could get a good 9oz - its about practive effectively and just remember Alex will be taking way more than you could ever pump

 

[QueenMummyToBe]

I'm having to express exclusively, I tried and tried to get Amelia to breast feed and she just wouldn't have it, and I try to get her on the breast daily but she still won't have it! ..

I express 8 times a day, and I've been very lucky because I can get 100ml / 3.5 ounces pumped in 20 minutes. A lot of the time I get 150ml and sometimes even 200 ml.

The hardest thing I find about expressing is getting the 8 expressions in! Especially if I need to go out.. it takes a fair bit of planning.. and I know it would be so much easier if she would breastfeed but hey ho.. I don't let it get me down.

I have got the avent isis electric pump and I think it is amazing! I have found it loads better than the one I had to use in hospital!

My advice is make sure you eat and drink plenty, I always have a pint of water on hand and healthy snacks to chomp on

Good luck Hun

 

[Jelly Bean]

I'm having to express exclusively, I tried and tried to get Amelia to breast feed and she just wouldn't have it, and I try to get her on the breast daily but she still won't have it! ..

I express 8 times a day, and I've been very lucky because I can get 100ml / 3.5 ounces pumped in 20 minutes. A lot of the time I get 150ml and sometimes even 200 ml.

The hardest thing I find about expressing is getting the 8 expressions in! Especially if I need to go out.. it takes a fair bit of planning.. and I know it would be so much easier if she would breastfeed but hey ho.. I don't let it get me down.

I have got the avent isis electric pump and I think it is amazing! I have found it loads better than the one I had to use in hospital!

My advice is make sure you eat and drink plenty, I always have a pint of water on hand and healthy snacks to chomp on

Good luck Hun

You're an inspiration to me! I feel like such a martyr after expressing just six times a day.

 

[Mervs Mum]

^^^^^ I agree! I am always in awe of our mummies who exclusively pump - that's a rare kind of determination - wow.

 

[Arcanegirl]

Mervs mum, how often do you give Hebe expressed milk? Im probably only looking to do enough for one feed a day for OH to give.
If im only wanting enough for one feed is it still better to express from one side and feed from the other all the time?

Im soo lost with all this lol.

 

[Mervs Mum]

Dont worry hun - it's a lot of info all at once but it will click

I have given her 1 feed about 8pm every night since about 4 weeks. I'd say hold off a teeeny bit longer if you can - I cocked everything up about day 10 and had to start from scratch

With the pumping, like I said before, be prepared for pumping to be quite disappointing to start with - I think if you start off not expecting much then anything is a bonus!! At first it would take me a few days to gather a feed together but as the BM is fine in the back of the fridge for 5 days (and sometimes it took me 5! ) you will eventually get enough and over time it will come quicker.

So I liked to pump from one side and feed from the other when I first started expressing BUT thats not to say that you have to stick with left for pumping and right for feeding IYSIWIM. Dont pump every feed - maybe start just pumping 2 or 3 times a day max and say to yourself that you wont pump after a certain time - if I hadnt managed to I wouldnt pump after 3pm ish as I got bugger all. Drink a pint of water 20mins before you start (sorry if I'm repeating anything ) and then get comfy. My pump has a half hour cycle on it so thats the max I would pump for in a sitting unless it was still coming out well.

I think I started off getting less than half an ounce dont let it get in your head! Within a few days (I was getting up, drinking then pumping religiously) I was up to 1 oz and so it increased. At my peak I could get 9-11 oz in a sitting but that was both boobs when she was sleeping 11pm - 8am and I got up at 6am to pump both off so that there was loads of time for them to fill back up and I got all my pumping out of the way for the day in that sitting.

I'm not a regular on MSN but if you ever want to chat about anything PM me and I'll sign on

 

[lily24]

^^^^^ I agree! I am always in awe of our mummies who exclusively pump - that's a rare kind of determination - wow.

Tried it myself and it nearly killed me! Had to give up exclusivly expressing after 5weeks

I dont really know if i could give an 'idiots guide' as i would always just 'go with the flow' when i was expressing.
Just dont be disheartened if you only pump say 1oz, like mervs mum said, its totaly different than if your baby was on boobie.
Just try and drink plenty fluid before hand, have a pic of your baby or baby with you and a little massage seemed to help me sometimes.

Good Luck hun

 

[wishingonastar]

obviously i'm clueless what with this being my first baby but i did read that you have the most milk between 1am and 5am so you could try expressing when you get up to do a night feed and see if you get more than at another time...?