Firstly well done on wanting to continue breastfeeding your baby while you are returning to work. Expressing milk is a bit of extra work that’s for sure, but once you get into the routine it will just be normal. The thing with expressing is that you have to continue doing it as if you were breastfeeding. So on the days and weekends before you start work, you should breastfeed your daughter and note down the times that you do it.  (you probably can tell anyway!). Then when you are at work, you will need to try and express at those same times, which will keep your milk supply up. It’s a great idea to continue to feed at breast in morning and night, and then you still get special cuddles. As for a recommendation, I would more highly recommend the Medela Swing Breast Pump or theAvent Uno.  These are both comparable pumps (well Avent has a few extras like the storage bag etc) but the key for me comes down to the service and availabilty of spare parts. Medela have a full technical team in Auckland, so if something did go wrong with your pump, it would be covered under warranty. The Avent pumps are under warranty too, but they don’t have a service department. And spare parts (like tube, or valves etc) are quick to get. Not that that happens very often, but just something to think about. The Swing is also a bit quieter than the Uno, which is something to be aware of if you are pumping at work. You’ll have to find somewhere with a closed door. You can store your breast pump in a normal backpack, or one of those chilly bags that guys carry their beer in is really good. With some icepacks to keep your milk if you don’t put it in the fridge at work. I would also recommend that in preparation, you start your baby off on a bottle with the Chu Chu teat. This works the SAME as a nipple, baby has to push down and suck to get the milk out. I know a lot of babies get really fussy and wont drink from a teat when you are starting out, and that adds to all the stress. So do try the Chu Chu first, – I love it and I had the worlds fussiest baby but as soon I got these ones he took it.!! These ones fit narrow neck bottles, and are compatible with Medela. You will also need some bottles to store the milk in, when you express it. Medela have the 150ml or 250ml size, but the 250 ml is actually better value for money. As you can still use this when your baby is older and drinking larger volumes. The 150ml only has a limted span due to the smaller size. You will also need a brush to clean the bottles. And a steriliser for the parts, bottles, and teats. You can boil them in a saucepan, or use those sterilisation tablets too (but I tend to think the tablets leave a heavy chemical taste). Breastmates are happy to help you so please let us know if you have any more questions.  Frances McInnes is the owner of Breastmates Maternity Store. Breastmates have gorgeous maternity products as well as tips and advice for parents.
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Expressing breast milk with a pump is a very strange experience and it does take a while to get used to it.  Different models of breast pumps make different noises, some are quieter than others. Don’t be surprised if you don’t get a lot of milk when you first start expressing.  For your first attempt a volume of 20mL would be a good effort. It does take time to build up your milk supply, especially if you are breastfeeding baby and also using a breast pump for extra milk storage. Some mothers will evenutally be able to express  150 mLs in about 10 minutes, but some mothers find they can never get more than 50mLs.  It just depends on your milk let down, and how relaxed you can feel.  The type of breast pump that you use, does not generally affect the quantity, it just affects the time taken. The volume of milk that you express also depends on when you fed baby. If you express after just feeding baby, then you wont get much milk as baby would have drunk it all. But then the following day, your breasts would increase supply to cover the amount that baby drank yesterday + the small volume that you expressed yesterday. So it does take a few days for the supply to increase. I would suggest that you do it slowly, and at the same time each day. Your breasts will just “think” that your baby is drinking a lot of milk at that time each day and will produce milk depending on the demand.  You need to drink lots of water too. Expressing milk in the morning usually gives a better volume result, as at the end of the day you are tired and this can affect supply. If you are away from baby, you will need to express milk at the same times that you would usually feed baby, to maintain your supply.   The amount of milk that you express in this case will be larger (compared to just after a feed as described above).  The actual volume will depend on the age of your baby, and how much milk they are normally drinking from you.  You should use the breast pump until your breast feel empty.  Don’t set a specific volume to obtain, because your baby might not actually be drinking that much from you anyway. I always suggest that you store the milk in little Milk Storage Bags.  I would suggest that you put the milk straight into the freezer (unless you need to use it straight away).  Yes you can combine frozen milk from subsequent days together to mix up one feed. If your baby does not drink the full bottle – you must discard the contents. Make sure all equipment is washed in hot soapy water, and sterilised. We have more tips on expressing breast milk at our website Breastmates Frances McInnes is the owner of Breastmates Maternity Store. Breastmates have gorgeous maternity products as well as tips and advice for parents. http://www.breastmates.co.nzHouston Apartment