Exclusive Expressers

[Fleur]

Belfie you ABSOLUTELY should feel proud, what an amazing thing you have done!

You have expressed for longer than a lot of people BF (me included with my first 2 children) and it IS harder work (benefits aside).

I've read your other thread... FWIW I totally understand you wanting to continue. And I think that it's YOU that has done it so far... it's up to YOU when to stop.


AFM... it seems I have waaaaay too much milk.. I was so proud thinking I had done a great job & now I've been told to reduce my supply, the hospital LC says I am at risk of mastitis & can't extend the time between pumps until my supply drops.

Have had a couple of bad nights sleep ...oh I hate getting up to pump

[Larne80]

Hi everyone! I have a 5 week old DD Chloe and after many attempts have come to the conclusion that she isn't going to bf, so am now feeding her ebm via bottle full time. im so glad to see that there are others in the same situation as i am....any tips on how to make this situation easier and less stressful would be greatly appreciated! Im new to all this (including motherhood!)

How long have you been expressing? 5 weeks

How long do you plan to do it for/ or have done it for? my aim is 3-6mths or however long I can keep going and remain sane!

How many times a day do you express? 6 times...am hoping to cut it down but im not sure how to!

Do you enjoy it? i love the fact that i can still give my baby breastmilk and that DH can help with some of the feeds, but im struggling with how time consuming expressing is and how hard it is to do when your out.

Do you have other kids? No, this is our first!

If you feel comfortable sharing- Why you are expressing? Chloe has had attachment problems since we had her and now she has become used to having the bottle. we have tried to get her onto the breast (have been to lactation clinics, physios and had private lactation nurse) but the best we can achieve is a weak attachment with a nipple shield...a very messy experience and Chloe was hysterical!

What type of expressing method do you use? I am using a hired Medela pump, bought two kits so i can dual express... im looking at purchasing a mini electric medela for when im out and about.

How much milk in a day? 900 - 1100mls

Best expressing tip? to try and do it before chloe wakes up, that way i can give her milk without having to worry about heating it (saving myself a step in the process), and it is a lot less stressful expressing without a screaming child!

[Fleur]

Hi Larne, nice to have you here


Your experience (what I have read so far) sounds very similar to ours. Arlea has become so used to the bottle that I really don't think she will ever BF. A lot of the LCs we have seen told me 6 weeks was the 'magic mark' where a lot of babies all of a sudden got it together. But atm the best we can manage is a bit of a go on the shield, and she isn't happy even then , she wriggles & sqirms the whole way through & I am convinced she just doesn't want to work for it. Why should she? If she carries on enough she gets the bottle
So I am glad to have someone else to share this experience with! there really aren't very many of us, are there? adn Belfie is nearly done
I haven't been doing this very long but the best thing by far so far was cutting holes in my old bra to convert it hands free pumping, woot! I eat a lot of meals while pumping & even being able to use the tv remote or read a magazine is great. If I keep this up I might invest in a 'real' pumping bra.

Setof3 - will be interested to see what the swimming lessons are like, I am thinking about them for Arlea...

[Larne80]

Hi all!

jasp- it is so nice to hear that there are others in the same situation.
I was getting really down about Chloe not taking (especially as 3 of my friends just had babies and theirs went straight on the breast with no problem!), and as of late i have been doubting whether i have tried hard enough to get her to bf! i just don't know what else to do...when i try, Chloe wriggles around and just screams, if i do finally get her on to the shield it is a constant struggle to keep her on, she cries through it and we both end up drenched in milk as her attachment is so poor! like you, i end up grabing a bottle to calm her down...it is a very unpleasant experience for all involved!
i think i just need to accept that she is going to be a ebm bottle feed baby and set ourselves up properley to make it easier for myself.
jasp, i hope that all is going well for you and your little girl, she is a cutie! i keep an eye out for your posts!

a few questions for everyone...i am trying to set myself up so this process is a litlle bit easier, i have a hired medela lactina, am looking at buying a medela swing (for travelling and going out), have bought an avent bottle warmer...is there anything else anyone can think of that i may need?

also, can anyone recommend good feeding bottles that dont leak everywhere? dont care how much they cost!

thanks, its great to get input from others who have been there!

[ezymay]

Hi LArne, what a great job you are doing and you too Jasp. I finished up EEing a few months ago now but to answer your questions. I found something that was super handy was a "fridge-to-go" like a lunch box with an ice brick in it. It was invaluable for carting EBM around as you could put even room temp milk in it and it would keep it cold. Also I bought a portable bottle warmer for out and about. One from Dex products from toys r us!! So handy.
As for bottles we used Avent and Tommy Tippee clsoer to nature but now TT have BPA free ones so we are using those.

And of course the one most valuable piece of pumping gear is a hands free pumping bra. I would never have pumped for so long without one!!

Good luck!

[Larne80]

Thanks for your suggestions ezymay...wil have to look into that bra, sounds very handy!
I have also seen a bottle warmer that plugs into the cigarette lighter in the car (playgro brand)...is that similar to the one that your talking about?

Just wanted to say congratulations on expressing for so long ...it feels like a very long road ahead, hope i can hold in there! Sometimes it is so frustrating when all my friends can just feed their babies straight away & in public...i have to heat food, feed, then settle and then express (and find somewhere private to do it!), but i shouldn't complain, i have a healthy baby who is rapidly gaining weight (250gms a week at the moment!).

Thanks again for the suggestions!

[Fleur]

Is it bad to give them room temp milk? I have got into this habit in a round-about way... I started taking the last bottle I expressed at night upstairs with us when we went to bed, & giving it to her at room temp (one benefit of EBM being that you don't need to refrigerate it immediately - gotta take the good where you can!) - anyway she took it fine, then we started doing the same through the day when we went out - now she pretty much has room temp bottles all the time. Milk from the fridge gets warmed before she has it but she rarely has it.
Anyway it makes this all a bit easier, not having to worry about heating it, I just hope it's ok for her, can't see why not?

Larne I feel guilty too for not trying harder to BF.
When I talk to people I say we are still trying but the truth is, I haven't tried today, I had one half-hearted attempt yesterday, I avoided the LCs phonecall today... I think I will call her tomorrow & come clean about how I am feeling. I'm think I'm kind of hanging on to the idea of BFing because once I give it up, that's it, kwim?I fed my last child for 14mths & didn't expect any problems this time.I am like you trying to egt to grips with the idea that it probably won't happen.
It just so stressful for us both, trying to BF. The LCs said not to let it become a battle - try to BF & then when she got cranky give her the bottle...well that is every time, within a couple of minutes!

I definitely think the pumping bra is the best thing to make it easier. Mine isn't even a proper one but it has been the BEST thing I have done so far.

As for bottles.. I don't know, it could be the teats? We are using the Pigeon bottles atm (they are supposed to help in our BFing attempts) but when my first 2 kids went on the bottle I just used cheap bottles, good teats.

We have to go to DD1 dance comp Friday night, it is about an hour & half drive, she has to be there 2 -3 hours efore she goes on - it is going to be an absolute mission., I bought a car adaptor today, now have to hunt up a thermos to rinse in...


Can I ask, those of you who have ben there done that... when & how did you start spacing your pumps? Like, at how many weeks, and how far apart?

[setof3]

Jasp - When I was expressing I would give my DD room temp. EBM straight after expressing and it was never a problem. My midwife said it was fine. She only said once the EBM had been warmed and then went to room temp, it should not be re-heated.

Once you start to express more at each express time, you can gradually extend the time between expresses. Instead of expressing every 3 hours, I would extend for 15 minutes for a few days, then 30 minutes and so on, until I got to my desired express amount which was every 5 hours.

Hope that helps.

[Fleur]

Thanks setof3, that is very helpful to know.
That is kind of what I am doing - atm I am going anywhere from 3 to 4 hours but aiming for 3 1/2. usually if it's 4 hours it's because something has held me up! It's very hard when we have to go somewhere at a certain time, I end up adjusting my pumping times to fit in... I have to go out at 12, so I'll pump at 11:30, then I work backwards from there.

Had 6 week check yesterday... even though Arlea is not drinking to her 'quota' she has gained 600g in 2 weeks (although that was clothed so take a bit off, still a good gain )

[Larne80]

Jasp- congratulations on Arleas weight gain...thats fantastic!

I had to laugh at your response about feeling guilty...i also had been avoiding my LC's call and had been telling people i was still trying, but in actual fact haven't tried for most of this week. I fessed up to my LC and she actually was quite good, we both agreed that Chloe just isn't attaching and doesn't look like she will so to settle with expressing as that way my princess is still getting the good stuff and i am not stressed out trying to feed her! Like you said, every meal was becoming a screaming match and its too stressful, i wanna enjoy having a baby, not sit there crying all the time (which according to my DH, was starting to be a norm in our house!).

will keep popping in to see how everything is going!

[belfie]

Larne80 - I can totally relate about avoiding the LC's call! I remember feeling SO relieved when I decided to take a break for a day or so from trying to BF. And when my LC came back and agreed with me that it just wasn't working for us at that time, it was very validating - made me feel that I wasn't just wussing out - that actually both me and DS were getting soooo frustrated. Sometimes I look back and think I should have tried harder, but actually hearing what both you and Jasp have to say is just so familiar, it reminds me how bad the stress was. Not to mention the trying to BF, then bottle feeding, then expressing - it becomes so time consuming. As I always tell everyone, expressing for us was so much easier than BF'ing, and it sounds like it is so similar for you. And I know all about the envy of others who BF so easy! I had a gf here one day, answered the door whilst feeding bub in her sling...omg I was so jealous and admiring simultaneously!.
How, re your questions:
The handsfree bra is called Easy Expressions, and both Ezymay and I bought ours online. I've also seen a version which is a halter type top, but the Easy Expressions is like a boob tube with a zip up the front, so it's really handy to just put on over your normal bra. Like we've said, quite possible to cobble something together too -but gives you an idea.

Regarding out & about - how long do you want to hire? I bought a Medela Pump In Style (PS) after a few months of hiring a Medela Symphony. In retrospect I should have bought a pump earlier to save money. If you want to try pump as long as possible, you'll get the value from the PS, cos you can double pump (sorry can't remember if you're double pumping - but seriously, it makes SUCH a difference). The Medela Swing is only a single pump, so handy for out & about trips, but not designed for full-time use like EE's need. Only bummer is the $$$ for the PS (it ain't cheap)... but if you compare it to formula, honestly it saves you money in the long run.

jasp - I must admit, in terms of pumping schedule I didn't tend to go off times, but just off whatever I could manage. Sometimes I found it really stressful when he didn't settle when I expected, so suddenly it was a juggle to express. Plus my supply was always only just keeping up, so I just expressed whenever I could. I must admit though, I was never prepared to pump in the middle of the night if he was asleep - I always justified it by saying if he was asleep, I should be too! I'd go off how your boobies feel - pump when they're too full, but supply-wise, it sounds like you can definitely stretch things out a bit between pumps.

For bottles I mostly used Medela ones to go with the pump. I found Baby Bunting have them in 250ml which is great - I spent 6 months using the little ones 150ml mostly which was a bit of a PITA. Happy Baby bottles (larger size too) also fit the medela pumps, but I'm not sure they're BPA free, so sometimes I just pumped into them, then decanted. Re Avent, DS didn't do great with the Avent teats, so i stopped bothering with those.

Re room temp, yeah I don't think it matters. If they're used to room temp, all the better! When I've briefly tried FF (was gonna stop few months ago) it was so much fiddlier... EBM is kinda tougher/easier IYKWIM.... no mixing, not so precious re temp etc... I chuck mine in my bag to go out & if it's an hour or so, I'm not fussed. And actually I've got in the habit of smelling it - I can really tell by smell if it's old/not right. When it's fresh it has no smell at all (but kind of a lovely no smell lol).

Oh and Jasp - my DS put on STACKS of weight and most of the time was not drinking anywhere near the 'quota'. Someone else who used to EE once said that the quote for EBM is different (they need less than FF), but then I've had a paediatric dietician disagree with that, so I don't know. But I always just gave DS what he wanted and he stacked on the weight.

Oops long post, but you've all been talking about such interesting stuff
I'm starting to cut down my evening pump - just for comfort tonight... omg it's just such a bizarre thing. I think DH is convinced I'll never stop might need to prove him wrong.

[Fleur]

Thanks Belfie. I love long posts I have a tendency to them myself lol - but I love hearing what others have to say.

LC rang me again this afternoon. I tried to tell her how I am feeling... I don't think she's a very good listener.
But she's coming out Saturday morning anyway. I want her to see what Arlea is doing on the shield... see if she has any suggestons, cause I really can't see how we would get past this.

Oooh & re the FF / EBM - I have thought the same thing - DD1 & DS1 were mostly FF - it is so fiddly, they have to be heated, there's always washing, they have to be sterilised - I have thought, at least I don't have that to deal with - but then it only takes a minute to mix a bottle, not 15 to pump it and I wouldn't have to get up at night to mix a formula bottle if she was sleeping lol.

Maybe I could try sleeping longer & just see what happens....

DD1 's dance comp tomorrow night, will be our first big outing with the pump... got 2 thermos flasks today

[belfie]

LC rang me again this afternoon. I tried to tell her how I am feeling... I don't think she's a very good listener.
But she's coming out Saturday morning anyway. I want her to see what Arlea is doing on the shield... see if she has any suggestons, cause I really can't see how we would get past this.

Maybe I could try sleeping longer & just see what happens....

I think those are both great ideas. It's definitely worth getting her opinion about what is going on. I've heard of bubs taking a LONG time to get into the BF'ing swing... so don't rule it out entirely (trust me, you really want to avoid a year on the pump if you can!)... but when the stress is outweighing everything else, you need a solution that works for YOU!

I think more sleep definitely sounds like a plan (ok, so maybe I'm just projecting there...)

[Fleur]

Lol Belfie, with your snoring DH yes you could certainly be projecting!

Well, we had our first big trip out with the pump yesterday. It was fine. I timed things so I pumped just before we left, then I pumped in the car when we were there (one minor hiccup - I didn't turn the engine on & came within a whisker of flattening the battery ) rinsed in hot hot water tanks to the new thermos and then pumped again in the car on the way home.
Easy (kind of)
oh & I even went through the drive-thru at Maccas with the pump hooked up (I had my shirt over it, but still...)

We arrived home at 11:30 but Arlea didn't go to sleep until almost 2 am. Given that I had only 4 hours the night before... I am a zombie this morning.

Cancelled LC appt because I had forgotten about DS1 footy presentation this morning.
Skipped going back to bed for more sleep, instead got up, showered etc.
Pumped an hour early to get it in before we left when the team manger rang...to discuss details for the presentation...tomorrow

[Larne80]

Jasp....well done on your 1st big outing! , i think once that 1st one is out of the way it gets a lot easier!
How is it all going with Arlea? Any improvement on the bfing front?
We have pretty much called it quits now, have ordered our own medela freestyle pump, bought a bottle warmer and a car bottle warmer (as well as a thermos!) so we are all set up!

Chloe had her maternal health appointment today and has put on 300gms in 2 weeks , so things are stabilising, she was a big weight gainer at the start... 250 a week! (not that im complaining!), and the nurse said it would start to slow down a bit!.
She has also started sleeping through the night, anywhere between 6-8 hrs between feeds, so we're happy with that only problem is that the other nite i didn't get up to express and paid dearly the next morning for it...oouch!

I'm trying to cut down on my expresses, as im producing too much milk (again...no complaints there!) but am finding it difficult to factor in with her feeds....any advice would be greatly appreciated. am currently doing it 6 times a day..wanna get down to 4 (as advised by LC).

Hope everyone and their bubs are doing well!

[Fleur]

Larne glad to hear everything is going well. WTG on the weight gain!

No progress on the BF front here - I had a bit of a boohoo about it today. I think things will be much better for me when I can accept it & move on

I hear you about going overnight! I started leaving my o/night pumps 6 hours a couple of weeks ago. I don't let it go any longer than that though & can't see that I will ever be able to - it's just so uncomfortable, I can't sleep anyway!

I'm also looking forward to reducing the number of times I pump, but the LC has told me I have to reduce my supply first. She has told me to do this by still expressing every 3 hours but only until I get the last drop of milk out. Well I am doing this (although it's more like 3 1/2 hours) and my supply hasn't dropped, although it has stopped increasing (I was gaining about 150ml/day each week).
I'm a bit confused as I thought that frequency of pumps contributed to supply, so how doing it every 3hours will reduce it I don't know... also if I can go 6 hours overnight why not through the day? or at least 5 hours?
If I give up on BFing altogether I will pursue these questions further...

[Larne80]

hi all!
how is everyone and their bubs doing?

Chloe and i had our first outing to the shopping centre today where i had to express (usually its just at friends houses),and am quite happy with the parents rooms at Myers. I had my own both with a lockable door...much nicer than having to sit in a toilet cubicle!
Our shopping trip was very successful, including a few impulse buys for little miss chloe (can't resist a sale at pumpkin patch!).

Jasp, i am also confused about how to cut down on expressing and like you i go over nite so i have just started to extend my times and am now doing it every 4.5 hrs during the day. It seems to be working ok and i think my breasts are getting used to it as they don't hurt as much anymore.

Only a short post tonight as it is time for chloes feed...
hope everyone is doing well! Talk more soon!

[Fleur]

Not much to tell here... I have boo-hoo-ed over our BFing attempts in another thread, so won't go into it here.

I have finally started extending my pumps. I am going anywhere from 3-4 hours still depending on our day, but doing more 4 hourly now. I am also supposed to be reducing the amount I express at each time, but I really can't see the point. I don't think it's doing me any harm (unless it's making me tired?) I can still go 6 hrs overnight without getting too uncomfortable, although I can't sleep much past then. I have got into such a mindset of protecting my supply that I find it really hard to think about reducing it...& if there's no need...
I'm back at work 2-3 days a fortnight in a couple of weeks so I'll have to work out how I will do it there.

Everything else is good. Arlea is snack-sleeping through the day atm, making her a bit cranky in the evenings but nothing too dramatic.

Larne, how you doing?