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Should I start expressing?

BeebeeBeebee
in Breast & bottle feeding
I am being induced next week at 38 weeks (due to diabetes) and was wondering about milk. Being 2 weeks early & as I still haven't started leaking yet I wondered if I should start to use my breast pump for a few days before I go in. I would like to breast feed (at least for a while) and as I am being induced am worried that I may not be able to unless I start the milk off first. :\?

This may sound silly & my milk may come in by itself once labour starts but I have no problem using the pump for a but to help things along so do you think it will be useful or not??

Replies

  • leet1976leet1976
    i went to a breastfeeding workshop and the advisor there said that you can express before baby is born and to practice doing it so you've got the hang of it before baby comes along. try it in the shower by hand, you may be surprised, you will prob get a bit of colustrum, but it will still come after baby is born, it continues to be made whilst you are still pregnant, so baby won't miss out. also oncethe placenta is gone that's when it triggers your milk to come in, which is why they recommend feeding in hte first hour after birth, also that's when baby's sucking reflex is strongest. hope this helps try the nct website, they will have loads of info on their. Good Luck Em xx
  • highlandfeahighlandfea
    dont worry about your milk when your induced .i was induced last time and apart from the usual latching on problems that everyone had the baby fed fine and i produced so much milk i thought they might hook me up to the national milk marketing board lol
  • EnglebertW_nkfaceEnglebertW_nkface
    Tallulahlola is right it is the loss of the placenta that triggers milk production, before this all you will be expressing is colostrum. Don't worry about the fact that you aren't leaking I never did before Millie was born and even afterwards I only leaked for the first couple of weeks. Millie is now 8 months and I am still breastfeeding so it really doesn't matter if you leak or not. I personally wouldn't bother expressing, your nipples will take enough of a bashing in the first week or so, better to let them rest now! (IMO)
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