Expressing breastmilk

 

What does expressing breast milk mean?

Expressing is simply a way of taking milk from your breast without your baby suckling. You can express breast milk:

• by hand
• with a manual pump
• with an electric pump

Once you've expressed your milk, you can store it in the fridge or freezer and offer it to your baby in a paladai, katori or bottle later.

Why should I express milk?

Expressing breast milk has many benefits:

• Whether you're just out for a few hours, or have gone to work, your baby can still have the benefits of breastmilk. This can be done even when she is cared for by someone else.
• You may choose to express breastmilk if you don't want to nurse your baby in public but wish to feed her breastmilk.
• It is also useful in cases of multiple births and you are unable to breastfeed more than one baby at a time.
• If you gave birth prematurely, your baby may have trouble latching on to your breast. You can help her by expressing your nutritious breastmilk.
• It is great way to increase your overall milk supply.
• It can help to relieve engorged breasts.
• It can help to prolong breastfeeding by keeping up your milk supply. If you are unable to breastfeed for some time because, for example, your nipples are sore or you're taking medication that can be harmful to your baby.

How do I express breastmilk?

Expressing by hand is the cheapest way to do it, because you don't need to buy equipment. It does take a bit of getting used to. The trick is to put pressure on the milk ducts behind your nipple, rather than squeezing the nipple itself. It's a useful knack to have and can help you to relieve your breasts if they're too full. Find out more about expressing by hand.

You may find it easier to use a manual or electric pump. To use an electric pump, you put a suction cup over your breast, turn the machine on, and let it do the work. It'll extract your milk, depositing it in an attached container. Manual pumps also use a suction cup, but you'll have to repeatedly squeeze a handle to extract your milk.

It takes anywhere between 15 minutes and 45 minutes to pump both your breasts. Don't use time to guide you, though. Just pump for as long as your milk is flowing well. Change breasts when the flow slows down, and pump each breast twice. Good breast pumps try to mimic the sucking action of your baby, stimulating your milk to come in (letdown reflex). Expressing shouldn't be painful.

Knowing which breast pump is right for you depends on:

• how often you plan to use a pump
• how much time you can spare for feeding

If you only need to express the odd feed, expressing by hand or using a cheaper manual pump may do. But if you work full-time and have to pump during a busy day, you might want to choose an ultrafast hospital-grade electric pump. These are expensive to buy, so find out if you can test or hire one first to try it out.

How do I use a breast pump to express milk?

If you're using a breast pump, try these tips:

• Sit comfortably with your back straight.
• Support your breast from underneath. Place your fingers flat on your ribs with your first finger between your breast and your ribs.
• Ease your nipple into the funnel. Make sure your nipple is in the centre of the funnel.
• Keep the funnel close enough to maintain a seal with your skin, without forcing it onto your breast.
• Be patient. It often takes a minute or two for your milk to flow well.
• Pump until the milk flow slows down, and then switch to the second breast. When the flow slows on the second breast, go back to the first. Finally, finish on the second when the flow slows for the second time.
• If you are pumping both breasts at the same time (double pumping), turn the pump off for 30 seconds or so when the flow slows. Then turn it back on and carry on until it slows again. Using a double pump can be tricky at first - you only have two hands! But keep practising and it will get easier.

If you are not producing as much milk as you would like, read our tips on increasing the amount of breastmilk you express.

How do I store breastmilk?

It is best to put breastmilk in plastic feeding bottles with secure tops to seal in freshness. You can also use plastic bags made especially for storing milk, or disposable baby bottle liners. Remember to write the date on the bottle or bag before putting it in the fridge or freezer. It'll make it easy for you to work out in which order to use batches.

To keep your milk safe in the fridge, you need to know how cold your fridge is. If your fridge doesn't have a built-in thermometer, you can buy one from a chemist shop. Also, don't store too much breast milk if you have frequent power cuts and no provision for back-up electricity. Fluctuations in temperature can spoil your precious breastmilk.

Freshly expressed milk can be stored for:

• up to five days in the main part of a fridge, at 4 degrees C or lower
• up to two weeks in the freezer compartment of a fridge
• up to six months in a freezer, at minus 18 degrees C or lower

If you plan to store expressed breastmilk for fewer than five days, keeping it in the fridge is the best way to maintain all its goodness.

As well as a breast pump and containers for milk storage, you may need a portable ice box to carry expressed milk home from work. Read our article about work and breastfeeding to find out more.

How do I thaw frozen expressed breastmilk?

Freezing milk destroys some of its antibodies. Antibodies are chemicals our bodies make to fight infections. So it's best not to freeze any that you plan to use within the time limits. Frozen breastmilk is still healthier for your baby than formula milk.

You can thaw frozen milk in any of the following ways:

• place the bottle or bag in a bowl of warm water
• place the sealed bottle or bag under a tap with running warm water
• defrost it in the fridge overnight

It's tempting to speed up the thawing or warming process, especially when you're busy. But using a microwave or gas stove to do the job will kill the nutrients in your breastmilk. Once the milk is thawed, use it straight away. Throw away partially drunk portions of milk. The milk will have mixed with your baby's saliva and may not be hygienic for her next time.