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when is the best time to express to start gettin a stock of EBM?
he feeds 3hrs during the day except in the arvo it gets down to 1/2 to hr apart and 2.5hrs of a night. it would be good to have a some EBM for the full on feeding in the arvo as by the end of it i feel like there is nothing left for him.
he takes 1 side at a time.
I used to express after giving a bottle. It seemed to be the most logical thing for me as it was the time that Bub needed a feed anyway, so my body was kinda in a routine for her.
In the early morning when your supply is at it's most. (After his first feed though!) I used to try to express at the same time I fed DS, tricky but doable! I got alot more milk when I did it that way.
I always found the best time to express was after the first morning feed, but as he is feeding round the clock at the moment you may find it easier to wait a month or so until his feeding settles down. If not then as he is feeding one side at a time could you try expressing off one side as you feed off the other? It is difficult to get the knack of this but it really helps with what EBM you get as your let down reflex is already happening.
The cluster feeding in the evening is very normal, it is as much about comfort as it is nutrition. It is also helping place the next days order for breastmilk, so if you can hold off giving him EBM at this time it will be better for your supply in the long term. If you do give him EBM you may find that he still wants to feed off you after half an hour or so, so don't be surprised if this happens.
thanks for the advice guys,