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mellybelly 
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Joined: 01 January 1900
Location: West Auckland
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 Topic: Expressing Advice required
Posted: 13 January 2009 at 4:12pm |
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Hi - just after some advice if anyone can help out.
I have just started expressing (1 bottle a day) for my 5 week old baby boy and want some advice re: the best way to go without causing engorgement!
So far I've managed to express one bottle over a couple of days (advised by m/w), hubby has given this to our wee boy and now I want to get more for him. I expressed last night (when the bottle was being given) but didn't want to over do it and only got 80ml - expressed a little again this morning so now have about 110ml but bubs took 130ml last night.
Should I express both breasts at night (when bottle being given) till they are empty or just one? Should I also express a little during the day to get the total amount? Bubs is still taking 1 or 1 1/2 breasts during the day so that also adds to it.
Does any of this make sense? If not I apologise as I am a little sleep deprived......
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KiwiL
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Joined: 29 December 2006
Location: Wellington, NZ
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Posted: 13 January 2009 at 4:22pm |
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I would express both breasts at once, while your DH is giving a feed.
I wouldn't worry too much about increasing your milk supply as your boy is coming up to a growth spurt soon, and you will probably be thankful for it then anyhow!
If you're getting too much, you can start a nice supply for the freezer. It's so handy when something unexpected comes up.
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fire_engine
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Posted: 13 January 2009 at 4:26pm |
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At night, your boobs are going to have the least milk in them, so you would probably need to top it up during the day. I've tried a couple of different ways -
- during the middle of the night feed, I'd feed him off one side using the rugby hold, and express the other side with my other hand (worked cos he only needed one side then)
- taking some off before the first morning feed. That's when I had mountains of milk, so taking some off didn't seem to have any effect
- expressing both sides at night while the bottle was given
There were no huge effects on my supply from any of these. The middle of the night one gave me the most milk but was a bit tricky (not good when you're sleep deprived!). The morning expressing was the easiest cos I had heaps, but I needed to get up a bit earlier to do it, cos when D wakes up, he wants feeding NOW dammit. If you're going to keep doing it regularly, probably any option would work - ou just need to see what works in best with your routine. One drawback of expressing a bit after each feed is that often the baby needs some attention then, and it's just 'another' thing to do at the same time as lots of other things. That's why I liked the morning or night ones.
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Mum to two wee boys
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kiwisj
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Joined: 02 June 2008
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Posted: 13 January 2009 at 5:01pm |
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Jeepers, I so don't have the coordination to feed and express at the same time! Do you have a manual or electric pump, Flissty?
We (DH) are giving Callum one bottle of EBM each night. What I have been doing is expressing before I go to bed - at 9.30pm - which isn't quite as much as Callum needs now but then in the morning I also express a bit more. I have been letting him drain the first breast then let him have a kick while I express a bit off the second before I let him finish off the second half of his feed.
Recently (because he's taken sooo long to feed over the past couple of days) I switched and let him drain one side then have as much as he liked of the other and then express the rest. Didn't seem to alter how much I was expressing too much.
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SJ
Callum - Dec 2008
Daniel - Oct 2010
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fire_engine
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Posted: 13 January 2009 at 5:28pm |
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Manual pump. I don't really recommend the technique, but it worked for a season!
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Mum to two wee boys
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FreeSpirit
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Posted: 13 January 2009 at 5:40pm |
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During the day, I would express off the side you havnt fed off straight after each feed, this is what I do as it leaves my boobs the same size (hate the lopsided look) and expess off both sides when the bottle is given. make sure you drink a glass of water every time you feed or express - all that liquid has to come from somewhere!! If you only get a little bit don't worry, it's ok to mix lots as long as they are the same temperature.
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LeahandJoel
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Posted: 13 January 2009 at 6:01pm |
Whenever I have had to express, I have done both sides as if he has fed off both.
I express each side for up to 10 mins only as he doesn't feed for that amount of time. Oh and I also top up bottles if need be to make up what I think he will need.
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mellybelly
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Location: West Auckland
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Posted: 15 January 2009 at 1:11pm |
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Thanks for all the advice guys. I expressed both boobs last night before going to bed and just before DH fed Caleb. Managed to get about 125ml - didn't take any off this morning, but may do as of tomorrow, would be good to get some in the freezer.
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Expressing Advice required
