expressing breastmilk for 6 month old. when should i do it for most success?
if i do it after a feed theres hardly anything. if i do it before a feed then i need my milk for my baby.
i'm starting to have a nanny a couple of days aweek and want to have some expressed milk but dont know when to express for most success.
I don't know if this is the *correct* way to do it but I feed DS off one breast for the first few feeds of the day until the other feels really full then express off that one. It's the only way I can get a useful amount. He's 11 months old now but this is the way I've always done it and it works well for me. What pump do you have? When DS was born I used an Avent manual which only got milk out if my bbs were about to explode...I now have a Medela Swing electric and it works sooo much better, even if they don't feel that full I can still get a reasonable amount out.
Hope that's helpful :)
Start adding in an extra "feed" when you feed the pump rather than the baby. If you do it at a similar time each day then very quickly your supply will catch up.
You don't need a huge stash - as you will have to express when you are away from bub or you will explode. So if you get a couple of day worth you should find that you can keep up.
I agree that perhaps it might be worth while renting a medela swing or lactina from a chemist. they're the ones they have in the hospital and they are GREAT. I think the other suggestions are good too, or you could express after a feed (nothing much will come at first), but it will eventually build up your supply so you will have too much for baby and you can then store the left over. how often does your baby feed? perhaps you could move him/her to more frequent feeds for a little while. this too will get your supply up. ???
To build a stock, I've always expressed on the opposite while feedings bubs on the other. Helps with letdown and I get more this way.