It hurts!!

Thanks so much for your support once again girls!! Still going on the expressing. Getting around 50mls each time. She is such a little piggy sometimes. In the evening she can have 1 hr on the breast and still want more and then drink 50mls!! lol. No wonder she's putting on weight!!

Can I add the expressed milk all to the once container for the one day?? I mean like every time I express in a day can I put it all together. And when I freeze it what's a good amount to freeze in each container?? Should I get some glad snap lock bags??

50mls is a champion effort :clap: I expressed double what I usually can from my boob for the first time last night which was the equivelent of 10ml an hour for that boob so, I'm very impressed with you.

Yes, you can add it all together if you want, just be sure that temperature's of what you are mixing together are the same. So, if it's room temp you can add newly expressed stuff straight into it, if the container has been in fridge or freezer, you need to cool down the newly expressed stuff in the fridge before adding it.

It's really up to you about the size of the containers and depending on how much she eats - but I would say freeze it in portions of the amount she takes at one feed. You can always defrost more than one batch at a time if you need more, but you don't want to waste any precious EBM if you defrost too much IYKWIM. Avent sell these portion cup things with a screw on lid - and also you can buy a direct teat attatcher if you want. I'm too unco to put liquid into soft bags and try and keep them open and not spill it etc, so I always used them.

Yes, as long as you don't add warm EBM to chilled or frozen EBM you are ok to mix it. So always chill before mixing.

It's recommended that you don't use snap lock bags as they are not designed for bm. They can be ok for short term use but there are concerns that they can pierce too easily and cause freezer burn, and there is some question of the chemicals leeching into milk. If you do use them, pre-freeze the EBM in ice cube trays first. Otherwise you can buy breastmilk storage bags or cups from good pharmacies or pharmacy warehouses.

I used to store in 40 - 60 ml lots to reduce the wastage, but you can do it however it works best for you.

Heaven - you sound much more positive in your posts i hope the feeding is still going well! I used to freeze my milk in different sizes. I would put about 80-100ml in a bottle (avent cup/breast milk bag) and then freeze some in ice cubes. this way I had an entire feed in the bottle but if she was still hungry you could defrost a couple of ice cubes to add to it.

I'm glad you guys are doing so much better! :)
I just used to use the covered ice cube trays too. They are cheaper now - used to be only Tupperware ones that had lids! I've seen trays that are marketed as breastmilk freezing trays, and they freeze the milk in 'sticks' of about 40-50ml.

Heaven I am so, so happy to hear things are better with you. You sound like a pro expresser already.

Don't forget your baby sometimes wants your breast for comfort rather than food, so sometimes she won't take EBM because she's actually not hungry (and if she sucked herself to sleep like you mentioned, I would say she was just wanting mummy's bb's to go to sleep). I thought DD didn't like the bottle, until I used it one day when I KNEW she was hungry and she took it like a pro.

Its hard to tell sometimes if they're hungry or tired, but whichever it is your right BB can do all the hard work for a while. I hope the left nipple heals really quickly!

You're doing so well!

Oh...I ordered some of the freezer containers for breast milk from the ABA website. They freeze them in 50ml sticks...But they're a bit expensive, so I would probably just buy a box of freezer bags from the chemist that are designed for breastmilk...

Good luck with it all!

Thanks everyone! Still expressing on the left. Nipple is looking a million times better though, almost all closed up so it won't be much longer now! The right boob is going crazy, lol. Because she's feeding off it heaps it's huge!! I'm going to have one huge one and one normal one :rofl:

I got the freezer bags from the chemist and I'm having about 150ml left over each day that she hasn't used that I'm freezing. So I will have quite a little stock pile, lol.

She has been unsettled the last couple of days and wants the boob all the time!! For example this morning she fed pretty much non stop for 2 hrs!! Then she had an hr break and wanted some more!! But she isn't sucking hard the whole time, lots of comfort sucking. Is she getting lazy on the breast now because she has to work harder than at the bottle and that's why it's taking so long to feed?? :( I don't give her the bottle very much anyway. Maybe once or twice a day she will just be still hungry after feeding for AGES and I will give her some. She didn't have it at all through the night.

From what I remember my kids all went through a growth spurt at around 3 weeks, then another at 6 weeks. Probably why she wants so much.

Plus the comfort as well. She's probably not sucking all the time coz she's not hungry all the time. You are a dummy as well, so its probably all about comfort :)

Things sound so much better & less stressful for you now! & don't worry, the left one will catch up once she's back on it too.

Hehehe...I am imagining one giant bb.

Maybe she is trying to build up your supply, since you are mainly feeding from one side. My DD did this at about the same age and had a big growth spurt.

At this stage, just run with it. you are giving your baby everything she needs and doing a fabulous job of it!

I'm so glad the left nipple looks better. It won't be long until you will be back to feeding both sides. In the meantime, enjoy your giant bb...lol.

Heaven - yep both my kids have done this at various stages and it's best just to go with it and it and they get better much quicker than if you try and ignore it. Pleased to hear the nipple is healing up well!

Also - when you do put her back on the left, take really good care that the right one that has been doing all the work doesn't get over-full and blocked. You may actually have to express the right one for a day or two (just until it's comfy, not until it's empty).
I'm very glad things are looking better.

Tee hee, I was lopsided for a good few months, SJ! LOL, it is funny, but they do even out again.
Don't know about your bottle dilemma, sorry. But it sounds like she has a great apetite and is doing really well at demanding her feeds, so I would be surprised if you found it hard to get rid of the bottle once your nipple's all better, KWIM?
The unsettled thing could just be that she's a little baby and sometimes they are just cranky. She's still so little and everything is very new and different and stimulating to her. The comfort of your breast would be very appealing to her. Keep up the fantastic work, mate!

OMG I did it!! I did it!! I just fed her off the left side and it didn't hurt!! It was perfect. She attached perfectly first go. Fed for about 15mins then came off burped then back on perfectly for another 15 mins!! I can't believe it. I'm so happy right now. I hope it wasn't a fluke and that it stays this easy. I was so nervous and sweaty trying to get her on, lol. But it actually hurts more on the right side which is a bit tender atm from all the extra attention lol.

Thankyou so much everyone for all your support. I don't think I would have made it through this if it wasn't for all of you, it was so painful before!! No more expressing at night :crossfingers: I can hopefully get more sleep! Let's hope I'm over the worst of it now and there's no more problems, I really hope so.

Heaven what a wonderful post to read! You made me go all teary! i'm so pleased things are working out so well for you, I knew you could do it!

HOORAY!!!! I am SO happy to hear your good news!!!

We all think you are amazing for hanging in there. You're one tough cookie! Well done!!!!!!!!!

Oh Sara, that's fantastic. I am so, so happy for you. You are doing such a fantastic job hun and you have just got through the hardest part. Well done! I hope you are really proud of yourself - you are a breastfeeding success story!

That's awesome darl!!

:happyforyou:

:happyforyou:

I'm sooooo excited & happy for you!!!!!!!!
I'm so proud of you!!!!!!!
Your amazing!!!!!!!!
YAY!!!!!!!!!