Mel - expressing more often is more effective than expressing for longer. You're going great guns.
Are there ways you can make "cow-time" fun for Aricyn? 'Cause once you have built your milk supply back again, and Mehkelti is having mostly your milk, you will probably find that you are expressing for something like 4 hours a day all up...
Mel, like Janie, I don't have much time atm, but I can't keep away from this thread! You are doing so well hun.
The more milk you drain, the more you will make. If your goal is to fully feed EBM, then you will most likely need to start expressing for longer and more often. But what you are doing is working for you atm, so take it step by step.
Who'd have thought it hun, your daughter is drinking bm!! WTG!!
Hey Mel, I am late to this party but I have to say how happy I am for you!!
I've read through all the posts & can see you've been making such a huge effort to express and it's getting better and better with regard to the amount you are getting - I am SO impressed! I cannot express AT ALL so I am proud of you & jealous all at once lol.
It is just great to see your excitement about being able to provide breastmilk for Mehkelti and I really hope you realise just what a wonderful job you are doing!
Decided to express at 2am this morning when DH was feeding M (even though I usually get nothing) DH brought the laptop into the bedroom and I was surfing the net while doing it - and got 2ml.. lol
Better than the usual nothing!!!!
Kmn - I try to keep DS distracted as much as I can - I put on a DVD, I give food, I have books next to me - all at the same time.. lol... I think the problem is he wants to touch the "cow" and he stresses me out so much that my milk goes away... then he starts shoving me in the back, and pulling on my hair - and I end up speaking very sternly to him (sometimes yelling if its been going on long enough) so its just no use. But I'm doing the best I can!!!
Yeeehaaaar!!!! Mel you are doing so so well Zander plays up when I express as well, so I can understand the frustration & not being able to get much done during the day.
Just popping in to congratulate you Mel I really admire your persistence and determination. I'm sure you will find that expressing will continue to get easier and quicker for you.
I had to express quite a bit with my last baby. And what I did was just add the EBM to his bottle of formula. I'm pretty sure it's ok to do this... maybe other BB members can sanity check this for me? Sometimes I would give a bottle of 50% EBM 50% formula for example. This was just until my severely bitten/sore nipples could heal. My rationale was that my baby didn't much like the taste of the formula and this made it more palatable for him.
Also, don't be concerned about what your EBM looks like. Somedays i found mine looked 'watery' but rest assured the quality is still there!
My baby is 2yo now and I've almost weaned... but I'm so glad that I was able to persist through the trials of it all... because like so many other BB members have said our "liquid gold" is just that! Think of the anti-bodies alone that your DD is now receiving Well done!!!
Very interesting what Hoobley said about the nausea... I always felt a little "morning sick" in the early days of BFing. But I noticed this really settled down by the time my babies were about 2 months old. Maybe there is hope yet?!
In the meantime I'm looking forward to following your journey and being a member of your cheersquad
By expressing as often as you can you are building up your supply. The ABA actually have some great tips on keeping toddlers amused while bfing/expressing and the one I liked the best was to have a special box of toys that only comes out at this time, as well as a snack handy.
Hope you continue to do as well and you get as much time as you need!
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your doing a great Job!
You feeding goddess you!!
that is what M would be doing if you could stomach it.
Woo hoo! Well done, I hope it all goes well
YOU ARE A STAR
Zander plays up when I express as well, so I can understand the frustration & not being able to get much done during the day.
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