Tips for Expressing Milk

[mrsd]

What are your tips for expressing milk ?

I've been back at work for a week and G is taking the expressed milk bottle but is less happy with formula.

How have other mums handled :

* letdown ?
* soreness after using the pump ?
* maintaining your supply ?

Any tips / suggestions would be much appreciated !

[aardvark]

I express twice a day for DS at work, at roughly the times he would feed from me if I were home with him. I'm an old hand at this now, as he is 27 months old, and I also expressed for #2 at work for around 12 months from age 1 to just before she turned 2.

I have a double electric pump which I bought new sealed in a box off ebay, saved a fortune, just needed to buy an Aussie power cord from Tandy (under $10).

The double pump is great (even double manual) as you get more stimulation, so you get a better let down. And more let downs, too.

Maintaining my supply - I take Fenugreek if I find it failing. I also drink Weleda Breastfeeding tea a couple of times per day regardless.

If the pump is making you sore, I'd suggest reviewing how you are using it, or trying another one. It should not make you sore.

[mrsd]

Thanks Aardvark !

Excuse my ignorance but :

a) what is Fenugreek
b) where would you get it and the breastfeeding tea ?

We don't have a health food shop in our country town !

[Seekrit]

* letdown ?
As in getting it? I used regular times and having a photo of Cobes, often I'd close my eyes and think of how he smelt, INSTANT let down... a few times I had a shirt of his to smell..
Also stimulating both nipples at the time time, either double pumping (found a 2nd hand pump in the local paper for $40!! electric and all!) or massaging/hand experessing the other nipple

* soreness after using the pump ?
Lanisonoh cream... and soft, reusable breast pads. :)

* maintaining your supply ?
Fenugreek is AWESOME (it's a natural remedy, you can buy it from chemists and health food stores, it's really magic!), also making sure I was well hydrated and didn't put myself on a time limit, I'd pump until i was finished!!! (I had a very understanding boss, which helped) and again, regular times.

How old is your bub? I went back at 6 months, pumped for another 6, then kept breastfeeding at home (cows milk away) until mutual wean (:p) at 20 months... I asked the ABA at about 9 months if I could just pump once at home as I'd yeild MORE if I waited until i got home than if I pumped at work twice, they assured me that my supply would keep up - and it did!

[naiwen]

I found stimulating letdown by looking at his photo and then zoning out watching TV worked for me. Also doing double pumping is great but if you can only single pump it's better to do 5 or 10 mins on each breast and then swap as this really stimulates your supply.

If you find you are starting to get hardness in your breasts soaking them in epsom salts really works for this!