How long does it take to 'refill' after expressing?

[Gingerbear]

I am trying to build up a supply of EBM for the freezer. I find it easiest first thing in the morning when boobs are full. I have been waking an hour before DS does to express - but is this enough time for them to 'refill'? My left breast has better let down for expressing than the right, so I have tended to favour that side. Should I let DS just feed from the left?

If I try to express between feeds during the day, I get barely 60mls and have to keep topping up the amount throughout the day, to get a bottle full which is a PITA.

Any advice please?

[determination]

ginger,

60mls is a good amount to express. Everyone is different when i comes to refilling, so a time really could not be given.

The best thing to do is express after each feed to give your breast extra stimulation and get milk (if theres any left). Least this way you will know that your LO is satisfied first. You supply should increase within a few days.

[tiktok]

Actually, everyone is not all that different when it comes to 're-filling' though one imagines that individual variations do still apply....nevertheless there is a mechanism which is common to every woman: the speedat which you refill is linked to the gaps between feeds/expressions, and the degree of breast-emptying. You can see an explanation of this at the wonderful kelly mom website

Lets say you wanted for some reason to maximise milk production - you would feed and then express immediately after every hour, 24 hours round the clock. This would ensure very quick, very through, refilling each time.

Most women don't need to do anything like this, of course - it's just to illustrate what would happen.

In your case, Gingerbear, the between feeds expressings of 60 ml are perfectly respectable. But if you find it more convenient and productive to express first thing, then go ahead! Just do what suits you, and express/feed mostly from whichever side suits you, and you can judge this by your experience.

My guess is your baby will be quite happy coming to the breast an hour later and feeding normally, and if he isn't, he'll just want to have three or four 'sides' to get his quota. But only you can judge what works best for you

[Gingerbear]

It was early when I posted that I got a little muddled - I meant express from the left and feed DS on the right!
I read Kellymom right after posting - and it dawned on me that I should express straight AFTER a feed to encourage a good supply. (it is a good site isn't it tiktok?)

OK. I feel happier now - if 60mls between feeds is a decent amount.

Thank you both for the reassurances.

Oh, and DS fed at 8am after I expressed at 6am - no complaints from him

[tiktok]

Ginger, if you fed your baby every three hours or so, and then expressed thoroughly between times, you'd get even more milk, because you would be shortening the gaps between feeds and speeding up production....but you don't need to do this, as all you are wanting to do is collect efficiently for storage.

Do what is most convenient for you!

[mears]

I often fed pretty soon after expressing with no problems. Remember the breast is never truly empty anyway. I never could get much milk out after a feed so always preferred to express whenever i felt a bit full in between feeds. I expressed because I went back to work part time and because I donated milk to a nearby SCBU. Sometimes I would have expressed not expecting DD to wake. Sometimes she did and I just fed her anyway. I always expressed form both breasts BTW.

[Gingerbear]

Thanks mears and again tiktok.
I will try expressing more straight after a feed - I just did that after DS fed at 11am - good amount from left, only a few drips from the right. I will have to check how long there is between his feeds and express in between - perhaps just from the right to try and increase production more on that side.

[mears]

Should have said ginbergear that I always expressed small amounts a few times a day, sometimes just 2oz at a time (which is 60ml). I never aimed to express a full feed. For the EBM for my own baby, I kept a bottle in the fridge. Once expressed milk was cold I would add it to the bottle until I had whatever amount I wanted eg 4oz or 6oz. I would do that over 48 hours.

For the SCBU milk, I expressed a larger amount and froze it immediately.

All the small amounts soon mount up.