Hi Im wondering can somebody help me. Im expressing all my milk as I had terrible latching on problems.I express 2-3 times a day and was advised by my health nurse to express 10 minutes on one breast then ten on the other,then maybe 6 minutes on each breast and then maybe 4 minutes,all the while decreasing the time until I get to 1 minute on each. She said this stimulates the breast but also ensures I get proper amounts of foremilk and hindmilk. Therefore each expression can take up to 40 minutes. However sometimes I will get ten minutes on each breast and my daughter will wake or ill have to stop and I'm worried I won't have expressed enough hind milk. My milk looks very watery too and I'm worried it will upset my daughters tummy.any advise would be greatly appreciated and sorry my message is very long :)

How old is your daughter? Is she also receiving formula supplementation? Is she at the breast for some feeds? How much are you able to express at each session? What type of pump are you using? Are you able to store any or are you using it as you pump?

You may find it helps to express right after some feeds. This way she is likely to have gone back to sleep or is at least content for a stretch of time. After a few days, your body will adjust to the demand and start to produce more at those expected times of the day. Early morning works well for many women as prolactin levels, the hormone associated with milk production, tends to be higher during the night.
If she uses formula for some feeds, you can choose a couple of those times to express as well if you wanted to.

You don't have to be quite so regimented in your timing if it tends to be inconvenient. Express for a period on one side, see how much you are expressing, then switch to the other side for awhile. Once you are only getting drops out, switch to the other side. While a breast will never be completely empty, pumping until you feel like it is empty will ensure proper milk removal. This in turn will help with continued supply and insure you are getting the hind milk as well.

Hi thanks for replying to my post. My daughter is 6 weeks old and I am mixing breast and formula together as I cannot express enough. I am not putting her on the breast and I normally get 8-9 ounces each expression,I use a hand pump as I found the electric too slow. Im just concerned as I have heard you can get an imbalance and this can cause upset tummies in babies.

An imbalance is most likely to occur when feeds, or pumping sessions, are too short. Pumping long enough, to where you start having just drops, can assure you that you are bringing the hindmilk to the forefront. The most noticeable sign of a possible imbalance is green stools that may be sort of frothy.

If switching back and forth works for you, that is fine, again as long as you are getting to where the breast may feel softer and you are no longer getting much out. You could also pump one side at one session, and the other at the next, and so on. Eight or nine ounces at a session is a good amount.

Again, if you pump some after she has eaten, you will likely have some more uninterrupted time to complete a pumping session. This may ease some of your concerns about not getting enough hindmilk.

Keep up the good work!

Hi thanks for answering my question,I feel so much better now. I have been pumping till there are only a few drops and I'm not so regimented as well on my time so its taking me a lot less longer to pump. I now know to keep an eye out for green stools also so I'm one happy mum. Thanks again for the peace of mind :)