How soon can you express after birth?

annem1982 · Feb 12, 2007 7:15AM

Afternoon Ladies, hope you are all well. I was just wondering how soon you can express after birth, I'm really wanting to breastfeed (providing I can), but my husband thinks he will feel a little left out. I thought you could start to express pretty much straight away but I heard someone say you had to wait 6 weeks.
Just wondering if any of you knew?

ruthroberts · Feb 10, 2007 9:15AM

my midwife says about six weeks, depending on how established your milk is. you can express from staight away, but I understand that breast feeding and establishing milk levels can be hard as it is, with out having to express too! Why not give him other resposibilities to make him feel included, like he always baths baby before bed time, of settles him to sleep? ( apparently men are better at this anyway, as they dont smell of milk and make baby want to feed instead of sleep, I like the idea anyway!)
Ruthx

annem1982 · Feb 10, 2007 9:21AM

I know this will sound daft but I'm really worried about how hubby is going to take to baby. His sister had a wee girl in Sept and he is just so not comfortable holding a new born baby I feel as though I will always be looking over my sholder checking he is ok with she/he. I know with time he will become more confident it just worries me a little.

mrs · Feb 10, 2007 3:29PM

Men tend to react differently when it is their own baby and realise that newborns aren't as fragile as they think. I'm sure he will be fine and proberly shock you $:\$ )

annem1982 · Feb 11, 2007 7:25AM

God I hope so mrs.

k8-40258 · Feb 11, 2007 3:06PM

Hi all my friend thinks she will be able to express straight away (my baby was bottle fed so im not up on all this) My other friend was told by her midwife not til 6 weeks after birth.. What is the truth?!!

shay2 · Feb 12, 2007 5:31AM

Im sure you can express straight away really- I know the hospital staff encourage you to express in the hospital to encourage the milk to come in if baby isnt feeding for some reason or is only having small amounts..... im planning on expressing straigt away aswell as I breastfed my last daughter for 2 weeks as I got too sore so I thought by expressing it should give my nipples a break in between and give daddy the chance to feed and hopefully I can breast feed longer this way....thats the plan!!!!!!

clindley · Feb 12, 2007 7:15AM

I went to antenatal class at the weekend and the midwife there said that babies under 6 weeks tend to get nipple confusion when breat and bottle fed. i guess thats why they say to wait until 6 weeks. but then again they spent two hours talking about the joys of breastfeeding and about 30 seconds on bottle feeding - grrr!

How soon can you express after birth?

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