advice for a new mum on EBM

[Miss E]

. I have also tried nipple Shields Avent brand and they kept slipping off and also hurt does anyone know any better brands?
?

I found the medella ones to be the best (and I tried pretty much every brand out there) because they were the biggest and let bubs suck more of the areola in iykwim? I also found that if I hand expressed a few drops onto the outside rim of the shield before starting, it would stay in place because the little bit of moisture would hold it there iykwim? Also, bubs can smell the milk so is keen to attach rather than wondering what on earth this plastic thing you're trying to put in there mouth is. HTH

[CeCe]

Hi Blondie,

My DS is 4.5months old. For most of that time I've been exclusively expressing. He wasn't interested in feeding at birth, had a few health issues, tongue tie, attachment issues, a LC consultant who took days to return my call etc and it was really doing my head in and I think I was close to getting PND as I really wanted to BF. However DS needed nourishment and I was getting enough through expressing to provide him with his requirements, though I was constantly stressed about this. In the early days he occassionally had formula top-ups if I didn't have enough but for the last 3 months I'd say he's been exclusively fed on EBM. I did take maxilon and then Fenugeek to help with supply.

I still feel envious of those who 'direct' BF, but at the same time I'm proud I've been able to do this and have stuck at it when it really does take dedication and time especially in the early days. I would say now it's getting easier as I can skip a session here and there and still have enough milk for DS. Initially I was expressing from both breasts after every feed considering if he was direct BF I'd be emptying my breasts anyway. I still do both breasts each time but I am now able to skip the odd session and still have enough for my DS's daily feeds. My only thing is I only have a single pump and it is very time consuming for me. I'm thinking of getting a double pump so it's quicker - perhaps my Christmas present to myself and my DS.

At the top of the area you posted this thread is a sticky called "Exclusive Expressers". It has a lot more information from those who have 'been there and done that'. It may be worth a read to help guide you in your decision.

Good luck. I still wish I'd been successful in attaching and 'direct' BF but with DS it seems it wasn't meant to be, so for me this is second best.

[MumtoA]

Hey chicky,

Glad to hear you are feeling better about everything. I wont comment on anything 'direct' bf wise as i don't know. I think i very much had the same prob (small, flat nipples) and every time we tried - with or without the LC - she would just scream her head off, i would end up in tears and it was just a very very stressful situation...

anywayssss you were asking how you may go about it if you choose to exclusively express. Basically i made sure i was always a feed ahead. So i would express every time DD wanted a feed. I hired an electric pump from the chemist and luckily i already had the attachments, however i think to buy a double pack will set you back about $80 - 120. The hire was $20pw but if you can afford to buy one i would (however there pretty expensive!!!). So pretty much i would feed her, burp her, put her back to bed (if night or if during the day do whatever was next) then express. Like i said previously i would express for 10 min and completely drain both breasts at every express. At first this was pretty tedious as she was feeding every 3 hours but as her feeds spread out to 4/5 hourly i would express at whatever interval she was feeding as i figured that this was when she would have drained my breast anyways. I don't know if this was 'right' as no one ever told me what to do i just did what i thought was right. Whenever we went out i would take the machine with me (it came in a carry bag) and just borrow a spare room wherever we were to have a quick pump. If we were going out i just made sure i expressed before hand and then as soon as i got home - it's not like we ever went out for big late nights at that time!!! Most the time i always had enough EBM for her, however from about 6 weeks i gave her one full formula feed a day as by the end of the day i didn't have enough milk for her bedtime feed - she is a BIG girl though and was taking a lot by this time.

Not sure if this was the info that you were looking for but i hope it helps in some way.

xo

[Blondie]

Thanks heaps for the info everyone. Didn't have a great day today. Aidan was sooky and I tried him on the breast and we both ended up cranky and upset. So, I called the LC and got some more tips...tried them and still no luck I rang hubby crying and he came home from work to help. I honestly think that I cannot continue Bf'ing and am now going to express only. I'm not too happy but I got to do what's best without totally giving up on it.

Thanks everyone for your info! I really appreciate it hearing your experiences and how you coped with exclusively expressing. It seems like a huge effort bit from what you all tell me, its very much worth it

[MummaSue]

Hey Blondie,

I went through the same as you hun, the first month was hell for me and DD. I had holes in my nipples and when I went to see my GP she told me to stop breast feeding. I told her that wasn't an option for me so we worked out a plan. I expressed from the sorest side and breast fed from the least painful side. It worked for us and by 4 weeks I was able to fully breast feed. I am so glad that I stuck with it, as painful and emotionally trying it was on us all.