Feeding FAQ: 0-8 weeks – Breast Feeding

Express milk from day one?

My first baby is due soon and I’m looking forward to using your routines. Should I begin expressing milk from day one?

Expressing milk serves two purposes: it provides extra milk for when your baby goes through growth spurts at three weeks and six weeks. During the growth spurts you simply express less milk, automatically ensuring there is extra for your baby. Secondly, following my plan on p.52 of The New Contented Little Baby Book will tell you when to express in order to increase your milk supply, should it run low.

After the birth you should follow the advice of your midwife and health visitor regarding feeding. But I personally recommend that a baby should be fed three hourly at least during the early days if excessive night-time waking is to be avoided. These times are three hours from the beginning of the feed to the beginning of the next feed. If you find that your baby needs feeding long before the three hours, he may need to be offered both breasts at each feed. I also advise that if a baby is hungry long before the times I recommend it is common sense to feed him, but also advisable to get to the root of the problem as to why he is not taking a full feed at the times recommended on the routines.

To determine whether you have a low milk supply you should look at how much your weight your baby is putting on each week, and whether he is happy and content most of the time. If your baby is over one month and low milk supply is already a problem then the plan for increasing your milk supply should see a big improvement within six days. For babies under one month, if you follow the expressing times laid out in the routine, it should be enough to increase your milk supply.

On page 108/109 I explain how to steer your baby towards a routine. Obviously you must assume that after the birth when your baby cries he is probably hungry and feed him. Once the milk is in, usually between 5 and 7 days after birth, and he is managing to go three hours from a feed to the beginning of the next feed and is gaining weight, you will find that you can make a start on the routine for week one. The routine includes expressing times, beginning at week one. Remember to eat well, rest when you can and accept help when it’s offered, as exhaustion is a big contributor to low milk supply. Good luck with your new baby.