Joined: 11 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 5766 Gender: Female
Posted: 30 August 2005 at 10:51am | IP Logged
I have decided to start expressing milk for when I return to work. It's blooming hard work! I have never been very good with keeping up with expressing partly because I had no need to and partly because I am lazy.
I seem to have more success in the mornings with between 2-3oz of milk in total, in the evenings I am lucky if I can get an ounce. I am using an electric pump and trying to drink plenty to get my milk supply up.
Any tips from experienced expressers (hint Busydoc) would be greatly appreciated. If all else fails Ollie will have formula but he doesn't seem to like it very much and gets very sicky on it, have tried him on C&G formula so far. Would like to carry on with just breastmilk if possible but I am not going to beat myself up with it.
Joined: 12 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 223 Gender: Female
Posted: 30 August 2005 at 11:43am | IP Logged
Hi MumSam, knew I'd come in useful eventually!!!
What's your plan for getting back to work? Breast feed morning and
night with expressed during the day? I'm planning to continue
expressing at home once or twice a day with formula during the day -
we'll see if that's possible in my line of work!!
So you're using a pump after feeding Ollie I guess? I don't have any
experience of expressing after feeds obviously but these are my general
tips... and there is a good website for more advice:
To increase supply, you could try breast massage (before pumping, and
during if you have 3 hands!!), having a warm bath before or having a
lie down for half an hour before expressing. It's important to relax
while expressing but I find that forcing myself to relax is counter
productive! so I tend to read a book or magazine, or chat on the phone.
The most important thing though is definitely to express from both
sides at once. This increases the prolactin production more than any
other technique. I'm up to 8oz in the morning and 5+oz the rest of the
day - but I'm reducing the frequency now, down to just three times a
day this week (OUCH)!
My other tip is to get a spare pump kit if you're going to express
frequently to save you having to wash up all the time! Even with two
kits my hands are like sandpaper from being in water/ sterilising
solution so often!
Once you get into expressing it's not too much hassle really. Now that
I'm cutting down I'm missing having those 15 minutes of sitting down
and reading a book all on my own!!! But it's nice being able to go out
for a few hours and not having to take the pump with me!
If you have any other specific questions then get back to me - but most
of my knowledge comes from the express yourself website anyway!!
Good luck!
Joined: 11 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 5766 Gender: Female
Posted: 30 August 2005 at 2:58pm | IP Logged
Thank you Busy I knew you would be brilliant.
Yes I plan to feed first thing in the morning and in the evening. I am lucky enough to be able to come home at lunch time for 30mins too so was hoping to get a feed in then.
I think you are probably right in saying to invest in a second breast pump I had thought about it.
Do you find that the amount you drink or don't drink affects your milk supply or is your milk supply independant of your fluid intake?
Joined: 12 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 223 Gender: Female
Posted: 30 August 2005 at 9:48pm | IP Logged
Glad to be of service!!
Which pump have you got? Medela I seem to remember.
I have an Ameda and they do spare kits (bottle/ business
end/valve/diaphragm/tubing and snap top) for £12.50 - I assume Medela
do the same!?!
I have never found that how much I drink affects my milk supply
although I have heard that too MUCH fluid can REDUCE the supply! But I
do find I don't go to the loo all day and end up with a headache if I
haven't drunk enough. I think the idea is that mum suffers rather than
baby (like when you're pregnant)!
Joined: 27 August 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 36 Gender: Female
Posted: 01 September 2005 at 10:53am | IP Logged
I tip you may find useful...
I can only pump lots at one sitting if I leave it at least 3 hours since the last feed/pump (preferably more). If it's any less I down get let down (sorry tmi !!!) and only get 2-3 oz.
Double pumping also saves so much time. You can hire them if you didn't want to buy.
Joined: 11 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 5766 Gender: Female
Posted: 01 September 2005 at 1:17pm | IP Logged
Hmm not getting very far with this expressing. Think you are probably right about the 3hrs after feeding but Ollie never goes more than 3hrs. I manage to express about 2oz if I express as soon as he has fed from the opposite side. Finding this a bit exhausting to be honest. Double pumping is probably the answer but I only have the one pump and can't really afford to buy another right at the moment.
Joined: 13 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 8199 Gender: Female
Posted: 01 September 2005 at 2:14pm | IP Logged
I've found when I express that I can go it just before edwards feed and still have enough for him and I get a lot. I find I needs lots of water and laying a hot flannel over my breast first helps a lot to get it going. A warm bath can also help but be careful with the electric pump!
It takes a few days to get your supply up but if you do it at the same time eachday it gets easier.
Joined: 11 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 5766 Gender: Female
Posted: 01 September 2005 at 3:37pm | IP Logged
Right going to try and be a bit more positive then and try all your tips. Think I am just feeling very tired and a bit down at the moment. probably not helped by the medication I am taking still. Finding it hard to get my head around going back to work too after having decided not to go back once we had Ollie. Will sort myself out, get some earlyish nights and pull myself together....
Joined: 27 August 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 36 Gender: Female
Posted: 02 September 2005 at 11:25am | IP Logged
I know down here you can hire free of chrage double electric pumps.
Otherwise call the NCT on 0870 444 8707 and they hire out double pumps v cheaply.
Try swapping formula if C&G makes Ollie sicky. They say Aptamil is most closest to breast milk and I used Farleys on my older one to supplement his feeds.
I know it's not easy but try not to get too stressed !
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Topic: Expressing to return to work
