new mum expressing - few Questions. Sorry if long. Need tips :)

hawalkden

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First time mummy. :wave:. Had my Peanut 5th November. He's 5 weeks early and in NICU due to not feeding and jaundice. Hopefully he's out for the weekend. We did try him on the breast but frustrating on both sides took over us so expressing and bottle feeding I think I find a lot better also I don't think I can cope with a baby on one breast and the other leaking loads!

Few questions I hope you ladies can help me with :).

I've got a Avent electric and Tommee Tippee Manual pump at home and just got use to the whole none leaking and timing it right to change breasts. I don't manual pump I just leave it on the one which isn't being pumped at the time to collect the milk that drips out. I'm on the ones at home for 20 minutes change over etc and collecting 120ml in total. When I go and see Isaac in NICU I use the hospital pump and it's amazing shame I don't have £1,500 to buy it for home. When I go to the hospital I collect 120ml from each breast and I am on the pump for 10 minutes.

Questions!

1. Due to me being Daisy the Cow at the moment and needing to express every 4 hours. When I'm not at the hospital I take my breast pads away and put a towel on my breasts to soak the leaking out. I have been told by the hospital staff when I express there they'll use the fresh milk there and then and when I express at home just freeze it. What can I store the milk in? I'm taking home with me at the moment the bottles that attach to the breast pump but obviously when Isaac is home I'll have just the bottles. Can't I just sterilise the bottles that I'm storing milk in at the moment in to just reuse them?

2. How long can the milk be frozen for?

3. When wanting to defrost the milk how long usually does it take and how long before it needs throwing away?

4. At the moment Isaac is having his milk at room temp which doesn't seem to bother him and during the night when he's home hopefully he'll be okay with room temp milk so no need for going downstairs and getting it out the fridge etc. Is it still okay to do that once home?

5. I'm worrying once he is home my milk supply will stop or I won't have the energy/will power to keep up with expressing. Any tips on keeping up with expressing?

6. Also if by any chance my milk supply goes down a lot and I need to stop what is the best way of getting round the pain and leaking etc whilst I stop expressing? Also how long does it take before my breasts stop producing milk?

7. I've just expressed at 1.30pm and my left breast underneath is hurting a lot and still feels hard. Tried to use the manual pump on it but it just hurt to much. How can I ease blocking/build up of milk ducts?

Hope you can help me :) :flower:
 
I can't stress enough how much easier your life will be if you can get LO latched on. The leaking does stop eventually.

You'll probably need to pump every 2/3 hours during the day and every 4/5 hours at night to establish a strong supply. If you pump less, you risk blocked ducts and reduced supply. The best way of draining your breasts is for LO to feed, but of you're really not going to try and latch him on, then you need to be doing breast compressions while you pump and ensuring you keep pumping until the milk stops flowing.

Seriously, consider getting an LC to come and help you latch LO on. Once your LO is home, you won't want to be expressing instead of cuddling him.
 

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