Exclusive Expressers

[Barb Glare]

Hi,
I know it can seem frustrating and confusing when our babies seem to reject us, and seem to not know what to do. I have had many, many cases where a baby has never attached to the breast, or hasn't attached for a long time, but then learns over time to breastfeed. Quiet perseverance seems to be the key to success. Offer the breast frequently, but never make it a fight. Have lots of skin to skin contact, keep your milk supply high. Be prepared for one step forward and two steps back. You may have to go over the same ground seemingly time and time again. Eg, they may refuse to feed with a nipple shield, but yet a couple of weeks later mums are surprised to find they are happy to use a nipple shield. I think our culture is to help mothers just accept that their baby "doesn't want the breast" and just move on - but I don't think that's the way it is. Babies are designed to breastfeed - but when they refuse, something is keeping from them from doing that. If you can work out what is happening, you can often find the key that fits in the lock. From personal experience, my dd spent her first 10mnths in an orphanage before she became part of our family. She learnt to breastfeed when she was 22 mnths old. but, I have a lady, who is now a dear friend who expressed and bottlefed until her baby was about 9 weeks old - then she learnt to attach, first with shields, then straight to the breast. She fed til she was 16mnths. Only 2 brief case histories - there are many more and then maybe there are BB'ers out there who will write in about their experience.

[Janine1511]

Hello

I've been expressing exclusively for nearly a week now due to breast issues which i'm still trying to sort out, and am not sure how much longer i'll need to be expressing for. Just popping in to see if you have any tips and tricks for making expressing easier and perhaps increasing my supply whilst i'm doing it?

At the moment i'm expressing twice between feeds and she takes 125ml each feed, plus occasionally she's still hungry and has a little more as well. I just can't seem to get enough of a supply up to have a few bottles in the fridge. I have 2 bottles in there at any given time, but would really like to build up a bit more of a stash as I worry about cutting it too fine and running out. I'm expressing every hour and normally get about 50 - 60ml each time. Does this mean that if I left it 2 hours I would have double built up or does it not work like that?

Any tips on getting more out? Once the flow stops after let down, I usually give my breasts a bits of a massage towards the nipple and get a bit more out. I'd just love to be able to sit down and get a whole bottle (or two!) at once.

Don't know how you ladies do it, it's hard work!

Thanks
Janine

[Fleur]

Hi Janine... I remember reading your other thread, I was going to post but never got back there

As for increasing supply... pump often, empty the breast...that's pretty much it... I often find if I let the pump run for say 5 minutes after they have finished I will get a second let down. Also I think if you let it run it stimulates the nipple & that helps increase production also.

I massage before, during, after - whenever, it definitely helps. Also a warm washer is supposed to help although I haven't tried that.

I think you are better off at least to start with to express often, rather than wait longer & hope for double. You might have more after 2 hours, but it probably won't be double, at least that's how it is for me. I certainly have a lot more after 6 hours than 3! but definitely not double.

I guess if I were in your situation I would try pumping every 2 hours or so for a few days - I think it takes a week to increase supply? not too sure, hopefully MR or Barb will pop in & tell us

I increased my supply by 100ml per day, per week by being fanatical about pumping every three hours, and letting them empty & then still running the pump for a bit. No guarantees that will work but it's the best advice I can offer

The other thing is your pump - not sure what pump you are using? but they can make a huge difference (so I am told) so if you were planning to do this long term you might want to look at a double electric pump, just to make it a bit easier again.

Hope it sorts itself for you soon keep us posted!

Little miss is calling, I'll be back later

[Janine1511]

I forgot to thank you for your advice Jasp I'm still hanging in there, just. My supply was great, I had 7 back up bottles at one point! But I don't know what happened, I was expressing every 3 hours and I've just stopped making enough. I now have to try to get enough for the next feed and am only just scraping it in. We had a couple of days where I had to go out for the day and I took a couple of bottles and wasn't able to express to I think that's where I came undone.

So i'm frantically trying to increase my supply again. Last night I could only get 110mls for her feed that was due, so afterwards when she was still hungry I put her on the breast, instant excrutiating pain again and all my negative thoughts towards BFing came flooding back. She had 10mins on each side but didn't seem to be getting any milk and started screaming for more. That's when I cracked it and gave her 50mls formula. She happily sucked it down and went to sleep but I felt like I'd failed. So through her usual big night sleep i've been expressing every 2 hours and I think maybe it's increased a little but can't be sure. I have her next EBM bottle ready and 30mls towards the one after.

Mum says she'll pick me up some Fenugreek today to see if that helps, has anyone used this and has it worked? I'll try anything, but it says a posssible side effect is extra wind in bub. Has anyone found this to be true?

[Fleur]

Hmmm, haven't used fenugreek but I hear it can help. Also raspberry leaf tea, I haven't tried it to increase supply but I took it while PG & I actually quite like it , it's nice with a bit of honey.
You can get a script for motilium from the Dr, again I haven't used it but it's something to try... what else... there is a recipe for lactation cookies somewhere here, I think they are supposed to help too.
Rest & drink plenty of water & try to relax when you're expressing, a bit hard i know when you are worrying about supply!
But maybe if you look at it like - anything she gets from you is good - even if you do have to top her up - you can only do what you can, kwim?

All I can say to you is good on you for sticking it out this long, and if you are determined to keep going then do it! whether it be breastfeeding or you end up expressing, either way it WILL all get easier.

Whatever you end up doing, you have given her a great start & should be proud.

AFM...I have found expressing has just become part of our life now, after pumping every 3 hours like clockwork for weeks I have started extending it out to every 4-6 hours & 6-8 overnight, although I'm trying not to go 8 hrs too often!

My younger sister had her baby 2 weeks ago and is expressing exclusively after having some trouble BFing. TBH I do think they are problems that might have disappeared given a bit of time - long feeds etc - but bub is still getting BM & she is much happier expressing, & that's what matters. She is only using a manual pump but it is very efficient, TommeeTippee I think & she does 5 min each side which gives her enough per feed.
And I knew my Aunt expressed - due to breast refusal - for my cousin (who is now 7) but not for how long - found out it was 18mths - so we now are a family of expressers, lol.

How is everyone else doing?

[Janine1511]

Thanks Jasp... I have RLT left over from when I was pregnant, will give that a go too! Might chat to my GP about Motilium next time i'm there too. *sigh* I hope I can get supply up, i'm just stressing out about it all the time!

[Fleur]

you're doing great hun, keep us posted how things are going.

Just imagine if we were in my Grandma's day...she had problems BFing too, & she had to boil goats milk or some such thing!
She told me once but I can't remember... I will ask her next time I see her.

[Fleur]

Double post

[Janine1511]

you're doing great hun, keep us posted how things are going.

Just imagine if we were in my Grandma's day...she had problems BFing too, & she had to boil goats milk or some such thing!
She told me once but I can't remember... I will ask her next time I see her.

lol... really? I guess they didn't have the trusty ol' breast pump back then Thanks for your support as well, it's nice to know I'm not the only supposedly "crazy" one expressing!

[belfie]

lol... really? I guess they didn't have the trusty ol' breast pump back then Thanks for your support as well, it's nice to know I'm not the only supposedly "crazy" one expressing!

Definitely not the only crazy one! I've just finished up - officially 12.5 months in the end!
I second what Jasp said re RLT. I always found that RLT did heaps more for me than fenugreek, but I didn't notice him getting windy from fenugreek either. As for that horrible feeling of getting behind, oh it's nasty isn't it. You can do it hun, it only takes a day or two of frequent expressing and before you know it, you'll be right back up there again.

Jasp - great to hear you're going well, sounds like you're really in the routine which is awesome.

AFM, I'm surprisingly thrilled to have weaned (took a surprising amount of effort) and have only really been sure that I'm finished over the last few days. It's wonderful being able to eat nuts & eggs again that's for sure! I've just washed my pumping bra today so it can go into storage! Quite a change from being used 5-6 times a day with barely a break to wash! Oh and we're still using the freezer supply of EBM so he's still getting some still (mebbe 1/4 EBM to 3/4 cows milk)- it'll probably last another month at the rate we're using it (pretty slow).

Anyway gotta run, happy pumping
Belfie

[Rach75]

hi girls my 2nd son was born on friday and due to attachment issues I am attempting to express, I hand expressed in hosp got home yesterday have both a manual medela and a mini electric both on loan from friends, was looking at hiring one but hubby has said if I am serious he would prefer I spend the $$ and buy one

so I have been looking as it looks like I will be fulltime expressing I know its hard but I can do it

so can any one recomend for me either the medala swing or has anyone used a Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pump

I like the idea of the ameda being a double pump but haven't heard of the brand yet I know of medala

so opinions please!!!!

[MantaRay]

Congratulations on your new DS hun. It sounds like you are having a rough time with the feeding though. Do you have an LC helping you with that?

If your DS hasn't been checked for tongue-tie, that might be an idea. It's surprisingly common but I had never even heard of it until my first DS had one. None of the midwives or paeds picked up on it - not even the hospital LC! A good LC will know what to look for though.

Another thing that works for many babies who are having trouble attaching is Baby Led Attachment. This is like the breast crawl at birth, but can be done for up to a few months after birth. It basically means that the baby attaches himself, rather than you trying to attach him, and many mums find this is the only way to get good attachment. There is some information here - Australian Breastfeeding Association - Baby-led attachment.

In terms of pumps, both those pumps are good - it's really a matter of what suits you best. One idea might be to hire from the ABA for a while first if there is a group near you. This way you can get free help from a counsellor at the same time, and if your attachment issues can be resolved you won't need to buy an electric pump.

Best of luck with it all hun. It sounds like you are coping with the expressing really well.

[Rach75]

thanks mantaray, one breast apparently has a lot of fibrous tissue surrounding the nipple..he did attach ok at 3hrs old but has been disinterested each time since

I live in a small country town the local ABA lady is a right royal cow and well no way in hell I would go near her for help unfortunatly

the hosp was great but at same time not much help nearest LC is 2 hrs away I looked into it before we had Luke, with Jack my milk didn't come into till day 10 I had nothing before that no colustrum nothing .. this time while in hosp I was able to hand express into a open ended syringe, and with the manual pump am getting about 30- 60ml my milk is definatly not fully in, judging by BB's

I have attempted to attach him before each feed but he is not interested what so ever, he roots around but wont attempt to attach

I am quite happy to express fulltime... in fact would prefer to express and bottle feed EBM, mayvbe that is my problem I am not comfortable ..

anyway going to give it a week with the 2 pumps I have if all is going well will purchase one or the other found them on a great sale.. so was mainly looking for opinions on one or the other...

[Fleur]

Hi Rachel, congrats on your new little guy

I have the Ameda Purely Yours, got it for $280 new on Ebay + $20 postage. RRP is about $330 so it wasn't a huge saving but I was finding they are not something a lot of places stock either, kwim?
They have a pretty good resale value too.
I had an advantage in that the hospital lent me that particular pump so I was able to see how it worked for me first.
Works well for me, it has variable speed & suction, I start out fast & light & then adjust it slowly to the higher settings. I can express 150ml per side in about 15 minutes if I do it properly.

One thing I strongly recommend if you are going to express fulltime is a pumping bra - I am pumping this atm as I type! - and mine is not a 'proper' pumping bra just an old one I have cut holes in. It's a lifesaver

HTH

ETA - the Ameda also have optional extras available - I think a few of the other brands do too? like a car adaptor - and it's pretty portable, light & easy to move around. Easy to clean too.

[Rach75]

thanks Jasp I have found it on sale for $250 with free shipping at the moment the medala is $239 on sale huge savings

I saw the breast pump bras they on sale as well $34 also saw a pump strap for $24 I think for extra $10 the bra would be better though

just need to know its going to work before I fork out the $$

[Fleur]

oooh bargain!

Well it's hard to say what will work for you until you try it iykwim. But speaking for myself, my Ameda does a great job

Pump bras are cheaper than I thought they would be too I wonder if they make them in really really big

[MantaRay]

I know people who have both and are happy with them so hopefully you will be too whichever one you choose. GL with the choice!

[Rach75]

Jasp I will PM the site with the bras they are down from $59 they go up to a 20 something they seemed to have the bigger ones in stock they are on clearance