MSE Parents Club Part 15

SkintMonkey

My son is 2 weeks old and because he is very poorly and unable to breastfeed I'm trying to express for him.

At home I'm using an electric pump - Ameda lactaline - has anyone tried this before? How did you use it - it has cycles and vaccum function - how did you use these functions? Also, how regular did you pump?

I don't appear to be very productive and really want to make sure I'm doing it right.

thanks

pinkclouds

I have only used hand pumps (Avent and Lansinoh) and also hand expressed. When using a pump, it helps to think about your baby - try to picture their snuggly little face and their hunger/need for you. Alternatively, and I realise this will sound slightly mean, listening to them cry really helps to trigger your milk "let-down". I had several occasions (when my eldest was very young) when I expressed to avoid the pain of being chewed when I had sore nipples and listening to her cry for a feed helped the milk come out double quick!

Hand expressing is a skill that takes time to acquire. If you'd like to give it a go, just hold a clean/sterile container/bottle over your nipple or lean over it (e.g. with the container on a table) and sort of stroke/squeeze from the sides towards the nipple and properly squeeze when you get to the areola. I imagine it's sort of like milking a cow! (Not that I know as I never have.) It is easier with two hands until you get used to it. Also, expressing isn't as efficient as a baby so you'll need to use both sides to get a full feed out. I found it was about 4 ozs (2 from each side). Although, if you're a bit full or engorged then it can be a lot more - always completely express whatever is there, even if it's more than you expect. If you don't, then it's just like when baby has a nibble and stops - you end up getting slightly engorged.

Hope that is of some help - and best wishes to the little one for a swift recovery.

Oh, one more tip, I nearly forgot. Is he able to suckle for even a few seconds? Just one brief suck to trigger your let-down will start the flow and you then express it even quicker.

ladybirdintheuk

Hi Skint Monkey. There are a full expressers on here, so I'm sure one of them will be along at some point. Congratulations though

got-it-spend-it

Hi Skint Monkey. I've done a bot of expressing with an electric pump and I think general advice is to keep pumping after the milk has stopped to try and stimulate the milk. Also is baby home with you? If so are you able to hold him while you pump as this can also help stimulate. If not can you have a photo of him with you when you pump as this can also help.

Oats are excellent for milk supply so lots of flapjacks and porridge is good. You can also take fenugreek supplement which I believe you can get from Holland and Barrett.

As Ladybird says there are some real experts on here so hopefully they wiil be along soon. Congratulations on your little boy, and well done for doing such a wonderful thing for him.

ladybirdintheuk

I have a litle girl asking for monkey food for breakfast. Banana it is then. Easy peasy!

got-it-spend-it

I have a little boy who just had weetabix and toast! He's a gutsy one.

Krystaltips

gill_81uk wrote: »

Quite a few people in need of hugs today so huuuuuuugr *HUGS* for you all

Can I have some opinions on this please? It seems a really good price but is it worth it? I do want some sort of activity table but was going to wait until his birthday. (May). I don't want to let it go if it's a really good deal. What sort of age would it be suitable for?

That's a really good price! We have the fisherprice table but I've had to put it away now because Caitlyn kept standing on it... But she had hers from christmas last year, we didn't put the legs on it until she was standing up a bit more confidently... But she was definitely enjoying it very much before her birthday...

My_Fathers_Daughter wrote: »

We are going here.

Where?!

SkintMonkey, information on expressing here but I would send a PM to ElleGee, she pumped exclusively for her little one until he was over 1

SusanC_2

We have loads of snow here! Usually they salt our road and even salted part of it all through last winter but they've sent a snow plough through instead.

Somnium

Morning all

SkintMonkey - sorry no advice on expressing but wanted to say congrats x

baby girl is eating a lovely mix for breakie peanut butter on toast and pineapple, she also has a chunk of my hot cross bun and is altyernating between them all. Oh and fave TV here is Waybuloo and Tweenies, also partial to something special and giglebiz cos justin looks like Daddy, oh and show me show me. Daddy likes Mr Maker and Mummy thinks Chuggington is cute

Gill - that table is a bargain, I could do with something like that for T now she is wanting to be stood up all the time so I would maybe say get it for Xmas instead. Love the tool box too

Becles - eek about Charlotte and the pond, poor lil lady x

Still no snow here, but then in all fairness its not forcast till monday, so hope it shows up cos OH is off work all next week so we can ll go out and have fun in it.

Ethelsmum - we stock the sophie at work and as ELC and Mothercare are the same company they will take the voucher if that helps.

I attempted to pop to Tesco after playgroup yesterday to get a few bits before the weekend, it was madness! Dont know if Xmas has started early or its soft southerners panicing about impending snow! Anyhoo I decided instead of driving around the car park for ages I'd park in work next door, of course I had to pop in and have a nosey at there 50% off stuff I ended up buying some more Happyland stuff for T's Birthday oops! I could have bought loads more and as T has Xmas Money from her Grandma I may do just that.

Buttonmoons

Banans are a firm fave in this house for breakfast or anything, Keira gets up so late (after 10am always) and takes a while before she is hungry, so I normally try and get her to have some toast/scrambled egg/cereal/yoghurt before nursery, and then a banana on the walk round to eat, she then gets a snack at nursery which is usually along the same as what she gets for brekkie :rotfl: I find she will usually eat her dinner if she eats that amount, she just really isn't a big eater, unless it's sweeties........she doesn't even like biscuits? Or malteasers, as they are biscuits in disguiiiiiiise.

She ate spanish chicken the other night, she kept saying I'll eat the rice but no yukky bits (veg and chicken) so I fed her it with chunks disguised under the rice and then I told her so, so she ate it herself as long as she closed her eyes, so she couldn't actually SEE said yukky bits. What a right kerfluffle

Ellie is staying over tonight, so they can both have sausage and mash (Keira with peas, ellie with beans) Ding dang dong, easy peasy.

Oh right lol, the other day after dinner, that Keira picked at, she asked for an apple, so she ate that, and asked for another, so gave her another, then she had 2 bananas. WELL, the next day she had the trots :rotfl: and was scared to go for another poop incase it was diarrhea, she just wanted her poopies to come back, y'know :rotfl: