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I had a hard time pumping consistantly until after I went back to work. For me it seemed like everytime I'd go to pump my son would start crying to eat again. Then if I did it inbetween barely anything would come out. You might have better luck if your daugther only eats every 3 hours or so. Even if you don't get that much out at first it will tell your b___sts to start producing more milk and you'll be able to start putting some away. I was never one to freeze milk. I only like to keep it in the fridge for 48 hours but I think it'll stay longer. Everytime I look this up I find a different amount of time. If you really don't want to supplement with formula, I would highly suggest freezing. As for trying her out on the bottle I would do it asap. You need to get her used to something other than your b___st. I've heard a lot of babies not taking a bottle if you wait too long.

I'm not sure about the when to pump question since you're b___stfeeding AND pumping, but you should pump BOTH b___sts, about 10-15 minutes each, even if nothing is coming out b/c it tells your body to make more next time. I think it's good in the frige for only 24-48 hours, but it's good in the freezer for 6 months. Sorry I can't be of more help!

I started hand pumping and my baby is only 5 days old. We've supplemented her with two bottle so far with b___stmilk and she took right to them. I plan to rent a pump soon so I can start storing milk for when I go back to work too. I was relieved to see her take the bottle right away and when the bottle ran out I put her on my b___st and she just went right on eating.

it's only good in the freezer for three months if you have a double door, frost free model that keeps food solid. if you have a deep freezer then it is good for 6 months. in the fridge i wouldn't keep it there longer than 48 hrs. pump after every feeding. first off if you do this, you will get a lot of the hind milk, which is good for your baby...second, if your daughter at that age only eats for 15 minutes you should have some to pump and you will be nice and full for the next feeding. it takes a little while for you to get used to pumping milk, and you may not get as much at first, but eventually you will have much come out as you become more comfortable with this strange device extracting milk. i would start her on bottles asap b/c i too heard of babies rejecting the bottle if you wait too long. good luck.

Thank you all for your advice. I did pump this morning, and although it was strange at first, it wasn't that bad. It also made her next feeding a lot more pleasent since I wasn't over loaded with milk. I pumped until they were pretty much dry and then put it in the fridge. I might try to give it to her later today, if not I'll put it in the freezer. How warm does the milk need to be?? I know it comes out at body temperature, but how do I know when it's right??

Look in the b___stpump directions for storage times. There should be a little chart. I cut it out and put it on the fridge. Milk should be about room temp. Not hot, not cold.

Put the bottle in some warm water and let it sit there for maybe 15-20 minutes to get it to the same temp. That's what the nurse at the NICU does. To S: I read that milk in a fridge/freezer is only good for 2-3 months also, but the nurses at my hospital said that it lasts for 6 months. I guess it depends on who you ask? Anyway, you probably won't be keeping b___stmilk in the freezer that long anyway.