Pumping and expressing milk

If you’re breastfeeding your baby you may be worried about what he’ll drink if you have to leave him with another caregiver.

Don’t panic – you’ll have the option of expressing milk from your breasts so it can be fed to your baby in a bottle. This means that you will be able to leave your baby for a longer period than just the few hours in between feeds: essential if you plan on going back to work in the early months with a new baby. It also gives your partner the opportunity to feed your baby, which could give you a break from night feeds once or twice a week. And if your baby is premature and too weak to nurse, he can still benefit from your breast milk if it’s expressed and fed to him via a tube.

How to express breast milk

It’s not recommended that you start expressing until you have established a good breastfeeding routine with your baby, usually by around six weeks after the birth. Once you’re ready to do so you can express by hand or using a breast pump. Aim to do this directly following a feed, in order to fully drain your breasts. You may find you have most milk in the morning.

• Expressing by hand This is a good option if you’re not going to be expressing milk frequently. Warm your breast by laying a heated damp washcloth over it, and gently massage it for a minute or two to stimulate your ‘let-down reflex’, which signals your milk ducts to release their milk. If you’re having difficulty, try thinking about your baby or looking at some pictures of her. Next, use your thumb and forefinger to gently squeeze your breast just above the areola (the area immediately surrounding your nipple). You should see milk appear on your nipples, which, if you lean forward and continue to squeeze, will squirt out so you can collect it in a clean bottle or container.

• Expressing with a breast pump These can be manual or power-operated – if you need to pump enough milk for your baby to have during the day while you’re at work, an electric pump that can rapidly drain both breasts at the same time is your best option. Your breast fits inside a cup or shield and the pump mechanism then mimics a baby’s suckling action to stimulate your milk to flow.

If you have any unanswered questions, use the feeding and food area of our chat page to get tips from other moms or our resident experts for all those baby related niggles.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

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