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Expressing

Hi Everyone
My daughter is now 15 days old and I was wondering when is a good time to start expressing, not only would it be nice for OH to feed our little girl but I also will need to be away from home for short periods of time for things like hair appointments and when I'm playing sports.
What time of day is best to express? Would this be after I have fed or would I express from the other breast? Do I need to give our baby a bottle every so often to get used to her used to it?

Sorry, lots of questions but I've spoken to MW and HV and they both have given different advice so I'm a little confused and want to know you other mums do.

Thanks

Shell

Replies

  • Hi there! I think they normally say wait until breastfeeding is established before introducing a bottle - ie around 6 weeks. I remember my mw said it can cause probs with bf if you introduce a bottle too soon.

    As for when to express I always found feeding with one side and then expressing with the other worked really well for me! Also found lo didn't like me giving her a bottle - def confused her! So I wd make sure oh gives bottle the first time. xxxx


  • Thanks for the advice
  • I've been expressing since 10 days. I would actually recommend introducing a bottle before 6 weeks as it can be very difficult to get an older baby to start on one but the official advice is the same as Mimsywoowoo. Make sure you choose a bottle that is similar to a breast (eg tommee tippee) and use the slowest nipple so that they still have to work for the milk.

    I always express in the morning after I have fed LO. This gets the hindmilk and also means that she gets her fill first. I also express any time when she has a bottle in order to stimulate my breasts.

    If you don't get much the first few times don't worry - it takes a while to build up your supply.

    Good luck,
    H xx
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