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Expressing breast milk guide: When to start?
Expressing breast milk guide: When to start?
- To express breast milk by hand, wash your hands, and then use your palm to cup your breast, placing the thumb above the nipple. Massage your breasts to stimulate the flow, and compress and release your nipple to express. Make sure you’ve got a sterile container to collect your expressed milk.
- To express milk using a manual pump, ensure the horn you’re using is the correct size for your nipples and creates a seal for proper efficiency. Then use the handle to express at the pace that’s most comfortable for you.
- To express milk using an electric pump, ensure the horn you’re using is the correct size for your nipples and creates a seal for proper efficiency. Then select your desired mode to stimulate the flow and express your breast milk.
Parents can express breast milk in a variety of ways, by hand, with a manual breast pump, or using an electric breast pump.
No matter which type of pump you choose, they all work in pretty much the same way. They express milk from your breast by mimicking the action of your little one suckling around your nipple and areola.
Electric breast pumps express breast milk in a cycle of around 50 to 90 sucks per minute, just like a baby! If you opt for a manual hand-held pump, you’re in control and the pace of expression will be down to you. As you express your breast milk, it’s then collected in the pump’s container and can be transferred to a sterile bottle, pouch, or bag to be stored for use later.
It can be tricky to know how and when to start expressing milk, so let’s run through some advice and top tips for pumping success.
Can I start expressing breast milk while pregnant?
During pregnancy, you can hand express milk known as colostrum and store it in the freezer in oral syringes to give to your baby once they arrive.
You should never use a breast pump during pregnancy and always discuss hand expression during pregnancy with your midwife or health care provider first. They can help you decide if it’s right for you and your baby and help you get started safely.
Before you start expressing breast milk
You can choose to express breast milk with a breast pump or by hand. Whichever method you choose, there’s a few things you can do to help make it easier:
- Find a quiet and comfortable place and think about what else will help you feel relaxed. Maybe some calming music will help?
- Keep everything you need close to hand – a sterilised breast pump and container, a drink, snack, your phone, the TV remote, and something to help you focus on your baby if they’re not there with you (perhaps a photo, video or even their blanket).
- Make sure you’ve washed your hands and then get comfortable.
- You’re trying to emulate the sensation of your baby nuzzling as they feed, so if you’re expressing by hand, gently massaging your breast, including the nipple area, can help to kick start your breastfeeding hormones.
Expressing breast milk via a pump?
If you’re using a breast pump for expressing, there’s a few extra steps you’ll need to consider before starting:
- Clean and sterilise all parts of your breast pump before each use.
- Assemble the pump according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Store expressed breast milk in a sterile container. Using pre-sterilised pouches is a great idea as you can express directly into them and then just pop them in the fridge or freezer – no decanting, no mess, and no waste!
How to express breast milk
Find our clear instructions for expressing breast milk, whether by hand or pump.
How to hand express breast milk
Hand expressing breast milk means that you can encourage milk to flow from a particular part of your breast. This can help if one of your milk ducts is blocked.
To express breast milk by hand:
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water.
- Use the palm of your hand to cup your breast, with your thumb positioned above the nipple.
- Compress and then release your nipple. Do this until your breast milk starts flowing.
- Continue until the milk flow stops on the breast and then repeat the cycle on the other breast.
- Once you’ve completed the cycle on both breasts, remember to store your breast milk in a sterile container.
How to express breast milk with a pump
- When you’re expressing breast milk, start by making sure your breast is fully in the horn of the breast pump. You need to create a seal to get things working efficiently.
- If you’re using an electric pump, begin slowly at first while ensuring that the pump is in the correct position and feels comfortable. You should be able to see the breast milk flowing into the attached bottle. If you can’t, it’s worth trying to adjust the pump to get a better seal on your breast.
- While you’re expressing, use one hand to massage your breast from the armpits towards the nipple.
- Be sure to express until the milk flow stops on each breast. How long this will take can vary for every mum, and even from one day to the next. Don’t worry if you only get a little milk through, everyone is different, and it’ll get easier.
- If you’re having problems expressing breast milk, you might like to try something called breast compressions while you’re expressing. It’ll help to stimulate additional let-downs and thoroughly drain your milk ducts.
- After expressing milk from one breast, repeat the cycle on the other.
Top tips for expressing milk
Choose a comfortable place and position to express
It could take a while to get a good amount of breast milk from your pump, especially if you’re just starting. So, grab a snack and a glass of water as hydration is important, and find a comfortable spot, pop on an episode of your favourite TV show or podcast, and relax! Pumping shouldn’t hurt. If it does, you can try adjusting the size and/or position of your pump’s horn/flange.
Keep connected to your baby
Oxytocin (the hormone that triggers your let-down reflex) is produced when you watch, touch, smell and think of your baby. Keeping them close, practising skin-to-skin contact, or looking at photos of them if you’re away from home can all help when it comes to expressing breast milk.
Take it slow
If you’ve opted for an electric breast pump, you might see the highest setting and think that’s the best way to get a good amount of milk. But taking your time and getting into the correct position might be a better idea to express your milk effectively. You don’t want to feel rushed or stressed, so give yourself plenty of time!
Try a little massage
Lots of people find that they’re able to express more breast milk if they massage as they pump. You can buy special breast massagers or do it by hand!
Multitask by pumping both breasts at once (or pump while breastfeeding)
If you have a wearable or double pump, you can express from both boobs at once! And a single pump means that your baby can feed from one breast, while you catch let-down and express from the other.
Don’t forget to let your breasts rest
Breastfeeding and expressing breast milk is hard work, so it’s important to take care of yourself and remember to take regular breaks. We’ve gathered some tips to help you deal with painful nipples should you experience any pain while feeding.
Ask for help
Expressing breast milk isn’t plain sailing for everyone. Don’t be afraid to ask your midwife or health visitor for advice and support if you’re struggling.
Hand expression vs pumping: Pros and cons
When deciding whether to hand or pump express breast milk, we always recommend opting for the method that works for you. But here’s some pros and cons to both to help you make a decision:
Hand expression pros
- You don’t need any equipment
- It’s gentler on the breasts, with greater control
- Ideal for collecting small amounts (including colostrum)
- Helps relieve engorgement fast and effectively
Hand expression cons
- Can take some practice
- Slower and less efficient when collecting large amounts
- Can become tiring to the hands
Pump expression pros
- Quick and efficient when collecting a lot of milk
- Convenient when regularly expressing
- Hands-free options available
Pump expression cons
- Equipment requires cleaning and sterilising
- Can be noisy
- Can feel uncomfortable if you don’t use the right sized horn or insert
- May reduce skin-to-skin stimulation compared to hand expression
Remember, every time you express, you’re tricking your body into thinking that your baby has taken a feed! Even if you express and no milk comes out at all, you’re placing the order for milk to be made later.
- Want to store some milk in the fridge or freezer for later? Express in the morning as it’s the most productive time. This is because your milk-producing hormones have been doing their stuff at night.
- Wanting to let your partner do the night feed? If you’ve expressed in the evening, you can give your partner the milk ready for them to lead the feed. Better still, expressing at night means the milk will contain sleep-promoting hormones. Just remember to label the container with the time you expressed it, so you know that milk is especially for night-time feeds.
- Want to boost your breast milk supply? Express after each daytime feed to increase the order with the milkman!
- Feeling engorged and sore? Express little and often, whenever you need relief from discomfort and sore nipples.
If your baby was born prematurely, they’ll often still be able to take small feeds of breast milk. These first tastes should be given through a syringe and help coat their mouth with the immune-protecting components of breast milk.
If you need support with expressing milk for your premature baby, speak to your midwife or a healthcare professional.
Every breastfeeding journey is different, and the choice to continue or stop expressing breast milk at any stage is entirely up to you!
If you decide to stop, you might have mixed emotions during the process of weaning away from breastfeeding or using a breast pump. Really, there’s no right or wrong time or technique, just whenever feels best for you.
The amount of time that transitioning away from using a breast pump takes varies, but the process should be gradual to give you and your little one time to adjust. It’s a good idea to:
- Begin by reducing each pumping session by a few minutes at a time
- Gradually decrease the number of pumping sessions per day
- Slowly lengthen the amount of time between your pumping sessions.
If you’re unsure, it’s a good idea to speak to your doctor or a lactation consultant for advice.
You can preserve breast milk by either storing it in the fridge or freezer, depending on when you plan to use it.
As a guideline, you can pop it in the fridge in a sealed and sterilised container for 3 days at 5-10°C or 6 days at 0-4°C.
To keep it for longer, you can store it in the freezer at -18°C or lower for up to 6 months. Learn more about safely storing breast milk.
Yes, but you must cool the fresh expressed milk in the fridge before combining it with a previous batch to create a substantial meal for your baby.
While you can, babies are usually very good at displaying if they’re full. They’ll usually do this by turning away from the bottle, becoming fussy or slowly sucking. You should pace feed as milk flows easily from a bottle.
We hope we’ve given you all the information you need to confidently and comfortably expressing breast milk. Don’t forget, if you’re ever unsure or have a question, get in touch with your lactation consultant or a healthcare professional.
