It isn't advised by BF experts to take fenugreek or any other medication herbal or conventional to increase milk supply right from the start because an oversupply is actually more common than undersupply; and if you have an oversupply it may result in your baby not getting enough of the fatty milk at the end of the feed which can lead to them being unsettled and not gaining weight well; instead they advise only taking such things if after several weeks there are serious issues with baby gaining weight or other signs of undersupply. Fenugreek can have side effects even though it is a natural product.
Your milk will come in at 3-5 days regardless of what you do beforehand to 'speed up' your supply; the best way to bring your milk in well is to BF frequently during the first few days, every 1-2 hours if possible and frequently swapping sides, at first you will have colostrum and this is enormously beneficial for your baby and there isn't any point in expressing it unless its impossible for your baby to latch on or you have gestational diabetes and need to express the colostrum to give to your baby to keep their blood sugar levels steady.
Breast pumps different ones work for different ladies; and it depends what you need it for; if its occasional expressing or even up to 3x a week a manual pump is fine; if its more frequent than that you may want to get an electric pump, medea, ameda, lansinoh and spectra are all good brands. You can freeze expressed breast milk for up to 6 months but bear in mind breastmilk changes in composition for your baby as they get older, so its best to use any frozen breastmilk within 2-3 months to ensure the composition of it is right for your baby at their current age. In the fridge, at the back of the fridge and not in the door, and with a temperature of no higher than 4 degrees c, breastmilk will last for 5-7 days though its better to use it within 72 hours. xx
