Advice re: Breast Feeding please

tsstss7

My baby is 3 mths and has been been on ebm until now so I've a lot of experience with expressing.

If you build up an emergency supply in the freezer then you could probably get away without expresssing while at work after a few weeks and just use other times of day to stockpile feeds. I find that although I do express quicker in the morning its easier to do at night in front of the tv when baby is asleep so you could probably use either or both times to build up a supply if you get into a routine.

Sami_Bee

You'll probably find your boobs are full to bursting after the first few days of not feeding for that long so it may be wise to take the pump just in case you need to use it and/or express as soon as you get home.
You might find this storage tip handy if building a freezer stash http://youtu.be/YAK-sC424Kk FWIW I would keep a freezer stash because you never know what's going to happen and when a growth spurt will occur so you don't have to use formula as a back up if your not comfortable with that.
top tip - take/keep a spare top at work just in case, I used to leak a lot at a usual feed time when away form my LO and pads couldn't cope with it.

rachbc

at 3 months you will prob need to express to maintain supply - I would try and express in morning and afternoon breaks as well as lunch time. How many feeds is lo having? Try and build a stockpile as well but you might be able to get in the swing of expressing enough to chill and feed the next day.

Good luck

Nicki

rachbc wrote: »

at 3 months you will prob need to express to maintain supply - I would try and express in morning and afternoon breaks as well as lunch time. How many feeds is lo having? Try and build a stockpile as well but you might be able to get in the swing of expressing enough to chill and feed the next day.

Good luck

Am I missing something obvious? She can feed baby before she goes at 7.30 in the morning, and when she gets back at 12.30. So the baby is probably only missing one feed, or having it slightly later than usual, as far as OP's body is concerned. I've breastfed 3 babies and at 3 months in my body could definitely have gone for 5 hours without feeding without my milk drying up, particularly if I fed normally for the rest of the time. All my children slept through from 8pm to 7am from about 8 weeks with no impact at all on my milk supply (so 11 hours without feeding or expressing) and I was still able to feed as normal during the day and do a feed at night on the very rare occasion they woke up hungry.

OP you may feel uncomfortable for the first few days as you adjust, but try not to stress about your milk drying up over such a short time period away from your child. Supply does adjust according to demand, so if you do find it starts to get hard to feed when you are around, you can act quickly to start expressing to build it up again, but nothing irreversible is going to happen over the course of a couple of days!

onlyroz

Whether you use formula or expressed milk, you need to make sure that the baby will actually take a bottle - because I know (from personal experience and from friends) that an exclusively breast-fed baby will sometimes refuse, point-blank, a bottle, regardless of how hungry they are. I'd suggest getting in some practice as soon as possible.

rach

Skintchick is totally right, I'd also recommend looking here at Kellymom http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bf-links-pumping.html

There are also some storage guidelines here, breast milk keeps much longer than most people assume! http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html

If it was me I would try and express once during the time at work, it will help keep your supply up and also you are entitled to be able to express at work, and to a suitably private place and extra breaks to do it.

Well done for breastfeeding!

PinkLipgloss

You are all wonderful! So many replies!

Thank you all - they have been really helpful and are much appreciated!

I will express early morning then feed baby directly before leaving for work and use the electric pump during morning break time to stock up. Great idea from Sami_Bee about taking an extra top to work - hadn't thought of that! Also great links from rach and skintchick - thank you!

Unfortunately I can't drop into a centre as I'm currently living abroad, but will give the helpline a ring if I encounter any issues.

Luckily baby is very easy going and doesn't mind feeding from bottle. He's been bottle fed (with expressed milk) several times by dad.

izoomzoom

Hi

My younger son is 10 tomorrow, so it is some years since I did the expressing at work malarky.

My eldest was 3m when I returned to work and my younger son was 4.5m. I worked similar hours to you (actually I think I did 7am to 1230) plus 20 minutes travelling time.

My own experience is that I fed baby just before I left for work.

I then expressed late morning (abt 11am ish), as I found I was feeling quite full then and it was easier. It was quite difficult to get much milk out but as soon as my let-down reflex kicked in, it just used to flow. I think I used to spend 20-30 minutes. (This was a manual pump).

Before I went back I think I had managed to stock pile about 4-5 days worth of milk (frozen)

In the first few weeks I only managed to fill a smaller bottle (like 125ml) but over time I did manage to fill a 250ml bottle. I do recall that sometimes I used to feel quite stressed about getting enough milk out. I don't want to alarm you but just want to prewarn you that you may experience this. However, I must also add that my babies were never hungry cos I hadn't produced enough, it was more a self imposed guilt because I did have that little stock-pile from before. (I did use the first in first out stock control system)

I managed to exclusively BF DS1 for 6 months after I returned to work (so he was 9m) and DS2 for 3 months (so he was 7.5m).

Good luck

GobbledyGook

As you already have established that you can express ok I'd just try expressing on your break and see how you go. You can always adjust your method if it doesn't suit.

skintchick

onlyroz wrote: »

Whether you use formula or expressed milk, you need to make sure that the baby will actually take a bottle - because I know (from personal experience and from friends) that an exclusively breast-fed baby will sometimes refuse, point-blank, a bottle, regardless of how hungry they are. I'd suggest getting in some practice as soon as possible.

The Op has already addressed this, but for anyone else reading, you don't have to use a bottle, you can give milk in a cup and young babies will lap at it (like a cat) while older babies will drink it. You ca use a small cup for small babies. So if baby won;t take a bottle, it doesn't mean you can't express feeds.

Rach - yes, you're right, Kellymom is a fantastic resource. And I love what you said about me so much it's going in my sig!! :rotfl: