How Much Should I Express?

[Seekrit]

How much????
Cobey's 7.8kg and 6 months old..
I'll be leaving him for 2 feeds at least (maybe 3... I'm hoping that he goes every 4 hours with carers as he does when we're shopping, when he's with me it's every 3 hours)
but yeah, I'll express enough for 3 bottles.

I start on Wednesday :gloomy: and I just don't know how much I should be aiming to express and to give! (doesn't help that my boobs are only letting 55mL out at a time) :p

[Seekrit]

bumpity bump bump!

[the_queen]

Try expressing from one side as he's feeding from the other. That was how I got maximum milk production when I was trying to give DD only breastmilk in the first 3 months.

As for "how much"? I would say better too much than not enough, so just pump pump pump as much as you can! And, if you are taking lots out of the breasts, you will make more (the more he sucks, the more you make - it's the same for lots of expressing) and that will then be easier for you to pump more, IYKWIM. Basically, I would be pumping inbetween feeds, and pumping at feeds, from now until wednesday. And from then on, express every time you feed him. And make sure you pump at work too, if you're leaving him for 2 feeds worth, then you need to pump twice while you're away from him, to keep that supply up! :) Good luck mate. Try the lactation cookies, and oatmeal, and a guiness or two in the evenings after the Cobester is in bed. :thumbsup:

[Seekrit]

Try expressing from one side as he's feeding from the other. That was how I got maximum milk production when I was trying to give DD only breastmilk in the first 3 months.
hahaha I tried this and as soon as the pump goes on he near breaks his neck trying to see what the racket is about LOL


Try the lactation cookies, and oatmeal, and a guiness or two in the evenings after the Cobester is in bed. :thumbsup:
Erm.. no Rum & Coke? ;)

Thanks Queenie. I have 400mL saved in the freezer.. :)

[Seekrit]

woohooo! Go my boobs! I just pumped 150mL in 10 minutes :D

[nats]

So.... the expressing gets easier, eh?? :detective:
But I don't have an electric pump. Have you expressed this much by manual pump??? :)

[Seekrit]

So.... the expressing gets easier, eh?? :detective:
But I don't have an electric pump. Have you expressed this much by manual pump??? :)

No, but I haven't tried too hard with the manual. It's more my hands get tired and I get bored before the job is done.

[pegasus]

I only use a manual (Avent) and haven't expressed for ages.

Have 4 bottles in the freezer, but got rung up today to go in tomorrow for a meeting for work, so I've been on the express machine for the last two feeds. I'll get one more feed in before I drop DD off tomorrow, so hoping my 100mL I've got in the fridge will get to at least 150mL before I have to leave.

I could never express after a feed and before I'd time it all wrong. I only express now at the same time. I got it down to an art with DS - tripillow so that bub is supported in football hold on one side so I can express on the other. The same seemed to work for DD this afternoon - 80mL on the first feed seemed like a good effort since I haven't expressed for about 2months.

It makes you appreciate the feeds when you're not expressing so much better!

Wasn't there a kelly mum link posted before where you could work out how much?

[Seekrit]

the kellymom link is for bubs up to 6 months :/

Cobey has been knocking back about 200mL in the morning and 100 - 150 in the afternoon.