How and when do I express?

I am planning on expressing for one feed per day (early a.m. feed if that helps). So far I have expressed a few times as a practice run and all seems to be going well.

But, if I replace DS's early morning BF with an EBM feed, won't I be very full and sore by the time DS's next feed comes around? If I have to express at the same time I would normally BF, that defies the point of expressing. Will my breasts eventually get used to going a longer time without feeding and make less milk for that period?

And, when is the best time to express for this feed? Should I do it an hour or so before his next feed, or is there a better time?

Then there's the question of feeding from a bottle - any tips to ensure DS will take the bottle? Is it likely to cause confusion having him go from breast to bottle to breast again? And, if he won't take the bottle, do I offer the breast instead?

Thanks in advance!;)

It sounds like you have hit the nail on the head. New mothers are often encouraged to express a feed for their partner to feed in a bottle to the baby. But the reality is that the mother has double the workload - first they have to get the milk out, and then some-one has to get it back in. Generally the mother lies in bed, stiff as a board -listening to evey sound, and then wakes up sore and engorged. It's just not worth it. Have baby sleep in your bed, or in arms reach. You feed and then your partner does any associated burping or settling. Overall everyone gets more sleep

Congratulations on your little arrival hun. The first few weeks can be so confusing - everything is so new!

3 weeks is still very early to be thinking about expressing. For the first 6 - 12 weeks your body is working out how much milk to make from the amount your little one is drinking. Also, you are still finding your feet with breastfeeding and figuring out life with a baby, and your little one is still establishing sucking. If a baby is feeding well from the breast and there is no urgent need for EBM, many mums find that adding expressing into mix already is just too difficult. It's more work, it can mean that it takes longer for your supply to settle down, and if the EBM is fed in a bottle, it can interfere with breastfeeding. That's not to say that you can't do it, and if you really want to, and you can manage it, that's great and good on you. But I wonder if at this stage it's going to add a complication without a benefit.

As you have mentioned in your post, expressing to avoid doing one of the night feeds just isn't going to work well at this early stage. In the first 6 - 12 weeks, you really can't miss a feed without feeling full and uncomfortable. Mums find that they still need to express at that time anyway so it doesn't give them any more rest - in fact usually less because it takes longer to warm the EBM and feed it that way then to breastfeed so you might as well have just fed - especially if you feed lying down and can rest at the same time! In a few weeks, your supply will settle down and you will find it easier to miss a feed and still sleep (although by then the feeding patterns well might have changed to and you might not need the break!!).

I can imagine that you are feeling very tired at the moment and the thought of extra sleep must be very appealing. As I have mentioned, babies do tend to start sleeping more after the early weeks, so it won't always be so bad. In the meantime, some mums like to co-sleep so that they can get more rest, and often even sleep while feeding. There are a few guidelines for safe co-sleeping such as ensuring that the baby is not near a pillow or doona, or anywhere they can get trapped. Breastfeeding mums naturally cradle the baby between their curled up legs at the bottom, and their arm at the top and this nicely protects the baby from these dangers. If this is an option that might work for your family, it might help you to get through this tiring time better. Are you also able to get some sleep during the day?

As i have mentioned, later on your supply will settle down and at this time you might like to start expressing at this time. There is no "right time" to express, but many mums find that they are able to get more milk in less time in the early hours of the morning, or after the first feed of the new day. Generally half an hour or so after a feed works as a good time for many mums, and the clever ones even manage to express from one side while feeding from the other (I never quite had enough hands myself LOL!). The EBM will keep in the fridge for 3 - 5 days (put it in the back where it's coldest), and can be frozen for up to 6 months in a normal two door fridge-freezer.

After the first 6 weeks or so, many babies will transfer between breast and bottle without too many problems. Some mums do find that their babies either won't take bottles at all, or that their baby stops breastfeeding well after getting used to a bottle. If you want to avoid the risk of confusion, or if the baby refuses the bottle, you can feed the EBM in a cup - just hold it up to his mouth and let him drink it. All babies can drink from a cup. If you do use a bottle, it helps to mimic breastfeeding as much as you can, by using the slowest flowing teat, holding the baby more upright so that the milk doesn't pour out too much, and taking frequent breaks.

All the best hun - soon it will all fall into place and you will be feeling confident enough to help other new mums with information!

Thanks heaps for your prompt replies. It all seemed like a good idea at the time, but the more I thought about it, the more the logistics got in the way and it all started to seem like more trouble than it was worth! I thought there might be a trick to it, but maybe I will wait a while longer and see how things go.
DH is happy to do the nappy change/burping/settling and I am feeding in bed, so we will keep going with that for a while longer.

Whether it lets you get more sleep depends on how many feeds you get out of one express. I had to express when my DS was tiny because he would fall asleep too easily while breastfeeding. For us, 1 express = 2 feeds in the early days, so I could express and go to bed for 4 or 5 hours sleep. Does your bub take both sides in a feed now? If so, then I think the others are correct, and it will be more fiddle than it's worth! But if he's a one-side-only man then it may work.

If you want to try, the first thing to do is express just a little bit (50 ml or so) and see if he and DH get the hang of the bottle. Get the slowest teat you can find, and stop and start the bottle feeding so it's more like a boob. Don't jump in at the deep end and express all you've got only to find that he won't take the bottle!

good luck!

Hi Kmn. B takes two sides for most feeds and it took me 4 attempts to get (what I imagine to be) one feed's worth. And the day after expressing, I was extra full and extra sore! So I have put the idea on hold for now.