The ins and outs of exclusively expressing

[ke29]

Just out if interest could I switch to exclusively expressing from breast feeding? I have the medela swing and and currently expressing 5-10 oz a day above what LO eats. I've been breadtfeedong for nearly 6 weeks
I've been giving the odd bottle but for various reasons (poor sicking, thrush and vasospasm among them) I'm considering bottle feeding EBM - what would switching over entail?

Will it leave me any time to actually spend with her? Will I be tied to my pump?
I personally really dont want to resort to formula and I'm worried it will end up with that as my supply won't cope?

If it makes any difference she's a hungry baby - she'll happily take 6oz and a booby suck afterwards!

Feel free to be brutally honest, my gut instinct is expressing exclusively won't work long term and we'd end up FF supplementing - am I wrong?

It would be extremely tiresome! my LO had poor latch so I tried to exclusively express, my supply dropped down to drips so he was mainly formula fed, I am now re attempting breast feeding. There was a post the other day about exclusively expressing with the times that they did it.

 

[ke29]

deleted as duplicated

 

[Farie]

Thank you that's kinda the impression I got! I guess I'll tough it out and fingers crossed as her reflux settles down the feeding gets easier.

 

[xnmd1]

Thank you that's kinda the impression I got! I guess I'll tough it out and fingers crossed as her reflux settles down the feeding gets easier.

i'm exclusively expressing and i don't find it;s too tiresom or takes away my time form LO. i pump for about 15 minutes after each feeding with the exception of one feed during the night (because i'm too tired!) .. i can hold LO while i pump as i have a dual electric pump that has an attachment to add to it so that it only requires one hand.

so i often hold him and sing and chat with him while i'm pumping, or alot of the time he's asleep anyways. i have had to suppliment during his growth spurts as it takes me a couple days to catch up with his feeding needs, but i do get my supply up. i had a problem where i wasnt getting enough milk a couple weeks back so i put him on my breast to suckle for about half an hour a day for 3 days and my supply pretty much doubled!

i havn't had as much trouble with it as a lot of people seem to have, and i'm glad but maybe i am just lucky.

 

[Babydreams321]

farie :0)

It was a worry of mine but I dont feel that pumping takes away from time spent with my LO....i feed him a bottle of EBM & then i know hes happy on the floor/in his chair infront of me having a kick & a stretch/play while i pump & continue to chat, smile & sing to him for 15minutes while his food goes down! He loves being left anyway so works for both of us to be honest :0) xxxx

 

[lynnikins]

i found exclusively expressing for the 5 1/2 wks i did it to be hard work and it did really impact on the time i got to spend with my boys, probably caus i was in effect feeding EJ twice every time so Nate lost out so i was very happy to be able to relatch him and go back to BF most of the time although i do still express lol,
i think it would have been easier with just the one child but Nate really needed me to devote that time to him rather than pumping

 

[mom22boys]

WOW thanks for all the info! I am just ttc but I so want to breast feed! BUT I will have to go back to work and was wondering how I would be able to work and breast feed. This could be a option.

 

[helloeveryone]

Hi just a quick question if that allright, i will have to exclusively express because my baby has got a cleft lip and palate, anyway..

Wondering how hard work is it i have got 5 children allready so with exclusively expressing i am wondering how much rest do you need with expressing as it says to rest as much as possible, but with 5 children, school runs twice a day,washing ironing ,the list goes on....
will not being able to rest somedays effect my milk supple..
any other help would be lovely as i am trying to learn as much as i can before i have my baby in 18 weeks...
Thanks .. xx

 

[xnmd1]

Hi just a quick question if that allright, i will have to exclusively express because my baby has got a cleft lip and palate, anyway..

Wondering how hard work is it i have got 5 children allready so with exclusively expressing i am wondering how much rest do you need with expressing as it says to rest as much as possible, but with 5 children, school runs twice a day,washing ironing ,the list goes on....
will not being able to rest somedays effect my milk supple..
any other help would be lovely as i am trying to learn as much as i can before i have my baby in 18 weeks...
Thanks .. xx

just make sure you've got a good pump. and you;re pumping every 2-3 hours around the clock fir the first weeks/months.
obviously with 5 kids you're extremely busy, but relax as much as possible when you've got down time.

good luck
xx

 

[ke29]

Breastfeeding support teams will tell you that rather than expressing at set intervals to express 8-10 times a day including 1 time between 2 and 5am. This is to take into consideration family commitments. I express once in the night, first thing in the morning, a couple of time during the day as I can, then hourly to catch up in the evenings when LO is in bed. As long as you maintain expressing and keep pumping for 5 minutes after flow stops you should be able to keep up.

 

[Newt4]

Question for the veteran expressers- How much do you generally feed your baby breast milk while your baby is eating solids? Im just wondering is I should slow down my expressing as my lo is going to start solids soon.

 

[Babydreams321]

I understand for first few months of weaning baby still has as many milk feeds as usual so carry on expressing as normal for a few months more yet!! I plan to anyway xx

 

[ke29]

up to a year they should still have around 15oz milk in addition to 3 meals

 

[Newt4]

Ok thanks. I have a very good stock in the freezer too. I just dont wanna lose my supply to soon and add in formula .

 

[zippy4]

I just found this section. My baby is due in just over 11 weeks. He has a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and therefore cannot be breastfed so I am hoping to solely express for him so any tips would be welcome. I'm also looking to buy a top quality double electric pump, any recommendations would be great (I know they can cost £100s). I'm aware I may have to top up with formula but want to give my wee man the best as his life will be hard enough with his cleft. Thanks xx

 

[ke29]

The medela double pumps rate well. I hire a medela symphony.

 

[skunkpixie]

Hi ladies. I plan to exclusively pump and was just wondering if I should pump from day 1 as soon as LO is born, or should I breastfeed collostrum and then start my pumping once my milk has come in? My thought was the latter... Also Im thinking that from the time that I start pumping I may need to suppliment the first few proper milk feeds with formula as Im not 100% convined that I will get the 2-4oz needed for a whole feed the very first time I use the pump. Is this the case? If so what uk formula would you recommend to initially complement breastmilk? xx

 

[summer rain]

skunkpixie; if you're expressing colostrum you will need to do it by hand probably; but the tiny amounts will be enough for your LO for the first few days; FF babies take 2-4oz from birth but thats because their tummy stretches and needs the extra very quickly. If you're just feeding colostrum then this will also be enough. Then as your milk starts to come in you should get 2oz+ even on the first attempt as you have a real excess of milk at first; so I don't think formula would be needed, even if you only get 1oz it should be enough because breastmilk is different to formula in terms of amounts taken and what babies will need to take; with breastmilk babies rarely ever take more than 25oz in 24 hours because it matures and changes as they get older to contain more fat and nutrients; rather than the actual amounts needing to be increased. My LO would take 3oz of EBM at a week old but I have been told thatd a huge amount for an EBF baby and even most FF babies of that age; more usual would be between 55 and 75ml (just under 2oz to just under 2.5oz) I've been told by nurses in SCBU.

 

[skunkpixie]

skunkpixie; if you're expressing colostrum you will need to do it by hand probably; but the tiny amounts will be enough for your LO for the first few days; FF babies take 2-4oz from birth but thats because their tummy stretches and needs the extra very quickly. If you're just feeding colostrum then this will also be enough. Then as your milk starts to come in you should get 2oz+ even on the first attempt as you have a real excess of milk at first; so I don't think formula would be needed, even if you only get 1oz it should be enough because breastmilk is different to formula in terms of amounts taken and what babies will need to take; with breastmilk babies rarely ever take more than 25oz in 24 hours because it matures and changes as they get older to contain more fat and nutrients; rather than the actual amounts needing to be increased. My LO would take 3oz of EBM at a week old but I have been told thatd a huge amount for an EBF baby and even most FF babies of that age; more usual would be between 55 and 75ml (just under 2oz to just under 2.5oz) I've been told by nurses in SCBU.

Thanx for the great info summer rain
In your opinion should I feed colostrum from the breast or express it? I think I would feel more comfortable from the breast and then start expressing when my milk comes in, but Im a total expressing novice so dont know whih is best xx

 

[shambaby]

hello, skunkpixie

firstly i would say know what you're letting yourself in for and get a good pump - expressing is hard work. that said it can be done - my lo is 6 months and i am now slowing down and preparing to stop. mainly because i have to give back the medela i have hired and my tommee tippee single electric pump is not up to the job.

personally, i would say feeding from the breast at first would be better as it would stimulate your supply better. then, when your milk comes in express as well as breastfeeding, as this is when you establish how much you will produce and it should give your supply a good boost. although low supply is more common, it's worth remembering there is such a thing as over-supply, which i wish someone had mentioned to me - i was producing twice as much as my baby was drinking for a while, and i had a severe bout of mastitis, many blocked ducts and an abcess. so keep a check on what you are expressing and what lo is drinking, so you can regulate your supply, as baby would if you were breastfeeding.

can i ask why you intend to express rather than breastfeeding? i am glad i did it, but i wouldn't choose to express if i had a choice, especially with another lo around - it is hard work and very time consuming as you kind of have to feed twice every time.

good luck x