19 Tips for Expressing in the Early Weeks

Understanding how your body work and making sure your expressing takes into account of your body and your baby's feeding schedule will ensure that both you and your newborn child reap the entire benefits of using a breastpump.

Tip 1: Milk Production

If you want to start expressing early, be aware that two things influence milk production:

• milk removal which expressing can take care of (though not as efficiently as baby);
• nipple stimulation, which only the baby can provide.

Therefore exclusive expressing in the early weeks is not ideal, although it may be the only option for a few women. If you are expressing in the early weeks, be sure to put the baby to the breast as often as you can as well.

Tip 2: Feeding Schedule

Whenever possible, express according to your baby's feeding schedule: usually every two to three hour. For example, if you are going out for the evening, express before you leave and when you return. When you know that you need to leave at 7.30, plan your evening to express at 7.00 and be ready to leave at 7.30.

Tip 3: Expressing Once a Day

If only expressing once a day, try expressing when your milk supply is the greatest, commonly in the morning. Some women find expressing from one breast while feeding on the other maximises the efficiency of expressing as the baby stimulates the letdown. Or try expressing after you have fed the baby. Note that working women often find that their milk supply seems to diminish toward the end of the week and is higher at the beginning when they've had a week end to take it easy.; Knowing this may help you plan your schedule and accept your body's ability to yield milk.

Tip 4: Eating and Drinking while Expressing

You may feel thirsty or hungry while breastfeeding or expressing, so drink to your thirst and eat to your appetite. Keep a glass of water nearby.

Tip 5: Making More Milk

To make more milk, express more frequently rather than expressing for longer periods of time. Expressing takes practice. At first you may get no more than an ounce at a time, but as you increase the frequency of pumping, you will increase your milk yield. The amount of milk expressed does not reflect how much milk you have available, as your breastfeeding baby is much more efficient than the best of breastpumps.

Tip 6: Double Pumping

For most women, double pumping yields more milk. Prolactin levels are higher in the blood when you express both breasts simultaneously. Good quality electric pumps are the best and easiest way to double pump, but some manual pumps can be used with one hand, in which case you could double pump manually with two pumps.

Tip 7: Problems Expressing

If expressing is not going well, try massaging your breasts before expressing or lay a warm flannel on your breasts for a minute or two. If it is still not going well, you may want to try another breastpump, preferably one that is a notch or two up he scale in quality from the one you are using. Hire a hospital-grade breastpump and try it for a week or two. You may be surprised at the difference! Cheap is not best when it comes to breastpumps.

Tip 8: Things to Do While Expressing

While some women need a quiet place, free from distractions to focus and be totally relaxed to express, other women prefer a distraction or they like to feel that time is going by faster rather than having to focus on the task at hand. Talk on the phone, surf the web, watch TV or listen to music.

Tip 9: Getting Milk Flowing

Having a photo of the baby or something that makes you think of your baby may help get the milk flowing.

Tip 10: Wear a Two Piece Outfit

Wear two piece outfits while expressing, this will make it easier for you to gain access to your breasts without having to completely undress.

Tip 11: Lean Forward

Lean forward while you are expressing to avoid milk from dripping on your clothes.

Tip 12: Hands Free Expressing

Use an Express Yourself Bra, if you want to express-hands free. For more information, visit www.expressyourselfbras.co.uk.

Tip 13: Expressing for Storage

When expressing to store your milk, express directly into freezer bags. Medela makes milk storage bags, which attach directly onto their breastpumps. Put them straight into the freezer, which can keep milk for up to one year (see Milk Storage Guidelines)<<<>>>. Write the date on each bag and use the oldest milk first from the freezer to ensure your milk never goes out of date.

Tip 14: Expressing Quantity

When expressing in the early days, note that a new baby's quantity of milk intake may only be about 2 ounces for a feed. Therefore, store milk in the freezer in smaller quantities while the baby is tiny and gradually increase as you see that your baby is drinking more milk.

Tip 15: Bottle Feeding

Do not offer baby your bottle until breastfeeding is well established: usually two weeks at the earliest is a good guideline. If you intend to want to bottle feed your baby at any stage, it is a good idea to offer your baby a bottle at least by 5-6 weeks and then continue to offer him a bottle every day or so to keep him happy going from breast to bottle. Some women find that their baby won't ever take a bottle from them or even when they are in the same room as the baby.

Tip 16: Damaged Nipples

If your nipples are damaged by breastfeeding in the first few days of feeding, expressing may help or hinder their healing. Sometimes, expressing gives the nipples a chance to heal more comfortably than feeding, while other times it can cause more damage. If your nipples are still sore after a couple of days, contact a breastfeeding counsellor, as the baby may need help to attach properly. If expressing is not comfortable, try changing the intensity setting on the breastpump.

Tip 17: Producing More Milk

If you want to stock-pile milk in your freezer early on, you can "trick" your body into making more milk than your baby needs by expressing every day at regular times in addition to feeding your baby. This will tell your body to make more milk--enough for you to feed your baby and to store for later use. Remember the milk your breasts make for a six week old baby is different from the milk you make when he is twelve weeks old, so you may find the volumes he needs vary.

Tip 18: Expressing Routine

Getting into a routine is key to making expressing work. An example may be to express every morning at 8.30 while the baby sleeps or a partner looks after the baby. Again, expressing just after lunch when the baby sleeps may be another chance to stock-pile milk. As the baby grows and drops feeds, instead of you dropping that feed altogether, express that feed and store it. For example, when your baby begins to go to sleep at 7.00 p.m. and doesn't wake up for an 11.00 p.m. feed, express the 11.00 p.m. feed and store it.

Tip 19: Multitasking while Expressing

Multitasking while expressing is key to making milk production efficient in a busy lifestyle. Expressing while having a bath (be mindful if you are using electric breastpumps near water) or doing other routine, sit-down jobs, such as writing letters, paying bills, or making phone calls may be efficient. An Express Yourself Bra can make all of this easier as you can be hands-free.