How to express breast milk. When to express breast milk. Why expressing breast milk by hand is better than using a breast pump

Every nursing mother may need to manually express milk in various unforeseen situations. In what cases is this skill useful, and how to properly express breast milk with your hands?

Why and when is pumping necessary?

Ideally, the newborn will be latched on for the first time. mother's breast still in the delivery room. Then mother and baby are together in the room, and feeding occurs on demand. At home, the baby continues to suckle exactly as much as he wants, and milk is produced required amount. And so labor-intensive process, like pumping, turns out to be completely unnecessary.

But life is most often far from ideal. And unforeseen circumstances happen at the most inopportune moment. And breastfeeding is a long process. The child really needs mother's milk at least up to 6 months, and preferably up to a year. A lot can happen during this time. So any woman who is about to become a mother needs to have an idea about pumping methods.

To begin with, we invite everyone to watch a couple of videos that detail situations when pumping may be necessary.

There are quite a lot of such situations:

Mom goes to work. Yes, of course, it’s good when a small child’s mother takes care of him. But not every family can afford to live only on dad’s salary. Sometimes being away from work for too long can be disastrous for a mom's career. Her one similar option is the student mom. But they also want to feed the baby with breast milk for as long as possible. In this case, it is advisable to prepare a milk bank in advance. After feeding your baby, express the milk and freeze it for future use. After going back to work or school, you can continue to express excess milk and leave it to feed your baby throughout the day. Mom can express milk at work.

The woman got sick. She needs to take medications for some time that are not compatible with breastfeeding. Or even the mother needs to stay in the hospital for some time. In this case, a milk bank will be very helpful, if, of course, the mother has formed one just in case. And in order for lactation to continue, you need to pump throughout the entire period of illness. Even if this milk will have to be thrown out, but after the mother’s recovery, the baby will be able to suckle from the mother again.

During the period of lactation, the breasts become too full. In this case, it may be difficult for the child to take it. Or the baby has enough food in one breast, and the other is bursting with unclaimed milk. In this case, you can express a little until relief occurs.

At the very beginning of breastfeeding, you can express milk directly into the baby's mouth to encourage him to latch on to the breast.

There is clearly not enough milk. At the same time, the baby is weak, and his efforts are not enough to properly develop the breasts. Expressing, which is used between latching the baby to the breast, can help.

Lactostasis. In this case, you need to express completely, and then give the breast to the baby so that he can finish sucking what the mother was unable to express.

The baby was born premature or with some other problems and is separated from the mother. A woman will have to pump her breasts to establish lactation and provide milk to the baby, and then switch to full breastfeeding.

Manual expression and breast pump

Many mothers have a question about the need to express by hand. After all, there is now a wide selection of breast pumps available. You can choose a model to suit every taste and budget. Yes, indeed, using a breast pump is often justified. And if the situation is such that the mother will pump regularly long time, then it's worth purchasing. But if we're talking about For a short period, it is quite possible to get by with manual expression. In addition, there are emergency situations when you need to express quickly, but there is no breast pump.

Hand expression technique

The most important thing to understand is that the breast is not a balloon from which milk can simply be squeezed out. The lactation process is controlled by hormones. And not only the baby sucks milk, but the breast itself, under the influence of oxytocin, gives it to the baby. This hormone is produced during contact between a mother and her child. It is enough for a baby to simply cry for his mother’s milk to flow. Skin-to-skin contact has a very good effect on the development of lactation. A calm, rested woman who enjoys motherhood will most likely release enough oxytocin and breastfeeding will be fine.

But if at natural feeding The release of oxytocin occurs on its own, so when expressing it must be stimulated. To do this, you need to relax, drink any warm drink, apply a warm wet wipe, do a gentle breast massage. If the woman is at home, then you can put the child next to you. Sometimes even a photograph of her son or daughter helps a mother when pumping at work. If a woman is not alone at home, then you can ask relatives to massage the upper back.

The photo shows how to properly express breast milk by hand. Fingers are placed on the edge of the areola. In this case, the thumb is above the nipple, and the index finger is below it.

You can even feel that under your fingers there is a transition from one tissue to another. First you need to gently and lightly press, and then gently roll your fingers towards the nipple. Until oxytocin begins to be released, milk may not be released. But, after some time, breast stimulation will do its job, and milk will begin to be released. Proper pumping technique does not cause pain.

As soon as the milk has stopped actively flowing, the fingers must be moved to a different position. It’s better to move on to pumping the other breast. Alternate pumping is more effective than completely emptying one breast first and then the other. You can use different schemes: 3 minutes after 3 or 5+5, 4+4, 3+3.2+2.1+1. A woman needs to try to find the most convenient scheme for her.

One of the basics of latching is proper grip. The baby must take into his mouth not only the nipple itself, but also the areola. The same goes for pumping. Trying to squeeze something out of the nipple is almost useless. This technique only works for those women whose milk flows on its own.

It is advisable for the mother to express herself. But it’s nice if an experienced person shows her how it’s done. An inexperienced relative or friend can damage the delicate breast tissue.

Expression frequency

At complete absence When your baby is feeding, you need to pump every three hours, day and night. IN as a last resort, if you are very tired, you can take a night break of 6 hours, i.e. skip one pumping session. But it is important that it is at night, and not in the morning. In order to increase the amount of milk, you need to pump even more often for a while: every hour to an hour and a half, with a night break of 3 hours.

Manual expression can help a mother in many unexpected situations. Every nursing mother should have this skill, just in case.

These days, the promotion of long-term breastfeeding has reached its peak. This is not surprising and only carries with it positive points. Mother's milk is all that a baby needs to proper development and growth, for his health and the health of his mother.

Expressing breast milk: when to express

But in the life of any woman who breastfeeds at least a little, a situation may arise when it is impossible to put the baby to the breast, when for some reason you have to skip feeding. Most often, this is separation (if the mother needs to leave, if the mother works, and one of the relatives or a nanny remains with the baby) or, what is much worse, the mother’s illness.

Proper storage of expressed breast milk

With the first situation, everything is more or less clear - you can express the milk remaining in the breast after feedings (fortunately, modern convenient breast pumps from Avent, Medela, Chicco allow you to do this easily and quickly). This milk can be cooled in the refrigerator, and then the required portions can be heated to body temperature ( optimal temperature to offer the baby food or drink). Chilled milk can be stored in the main chamber of the refrigerator at a temperature of 4-6 degrees for a day or two. Particular attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the devices that you will use when pumping - this is very important! The situation is much more complicated when it comes to the mother’s health (especially if she needs a course of antibiotics) or a long separation between mother and baby (for example, when a working mother who is breastfeeding her baby is forced to go on a business trip).
In these and others similar situations there is a need to create “reserves” of milk. Chilled milk is not stored for a long time, so it must be frozen in order to be used later to feed the baby. Undoubtedly, frozen and then melted milk is not exactly the same as fresh milk from the mother's breast. Moreover, it has to be given from a bottle, which many children do not like and do not recognize (especially those who have been breastfed on demand for a long time). This, of course, can be dealt with by offering the baby to drink from a spoon, cup or sippy cup; Children aged about one year can be offered a straw.

Freezing breast milk

According to experts - and this is no secret to anyone - frozen milk loses some of its anti-infective properties. Based on this, some pediatricians recommend switching the child to formula for a while. But introducing formula is a somewhat lengthy process, and it cannot be introduced into a child’s diet at once and in the required volume. In addition, the mixture is still an artificially created product, and only as close as possible to the composition of human milk. Whereas mother's milk is the product that the baby “knows” well, which the infant’s body is accustomed to receiving, and which ideally meets the demands and needs specific child. From this point of view, it is better to feed the baby with milk that has been expressed and frozen, rather than looking for some other options. When expressing, freezing, storing and further use breast milk You should follow a few simple rules.

Clean pumping

Sterile breast pump and bottles, clean hands and the mother’s breasts - without this, expressing and storing milk makes no sense. The desire for cleanliness should be laid down almost at the level of instincts, because we ourselves always wash our hands before preparing food or going to dinner. So even when expressing with a breast pump, do not forget elementary rules hygiene.

Shelf life of breast milk

Deep-frozen milk, which is stored at back wall in the freezer (at a temperature of minus 18-20 degrees) is suitable for feeding the baby for 2-3 months from the moment of freezing.

How to freeze breast milk

How to freeze. It is better to freeze milk by first cooling it (in the main chamber of the refrigerator). It is best to use ice molds for freezing - the “cubes” are almost identical (usually 15-20 ml in volume depending on the shape), they can easily fit even into a small bottle neck and thaw quickly. A convenient and practical solution to this issue was found by Avent, which produces special kits for expressing, freezing, storing milk and its subsequent use for feeding a child. This set includes a breast pump, sterile disposable milk bags, a bag holder and pacifiers. Under no circumstances should you add freshly expressed milk to already cooled or, especially, frozen milk.
You should not add frozen milk to already thawed or, especially, heated milk. It is better to melt milk in the main chamber of the refrigerator (gradual thawing, but it takes time). You can melt the milk in a water bath. You can also heat thawed milk in a water bath or a special heating device. baby food. In this case, one should take into account the fact that overheating the milk will further reduce its anti-infective properties.

There is no exact data on changes in the properties of milk after defrosting and heating it in a microwave oven. However, it is not recommended to heat milk in the microwave, primarily due to the risk of “hot drops” in the milk that can burn the baby. The experience of expressing, freezing and then using breast milk is just as important as feeding itself. After all, sometimes it is “milk reserves” that help preserve and even extend natural feeding. Whatever it is, mother's milk will always remain so. After all, for a child, especially in the first months of life, breast milk is both food and health ( essential vitamins, minerals, antibodies that help strengthen the immune system), and comfort, and the closest and warmest contact with the mother. Nature has not created anything better than mother's milk. And it’s unlikely to create one anymore.

How to pump properly to increase lactation

Young mothers often hear advice that expressing milk is an integral part of breastfeeding. However, this statement is erroneous.

When feeding on demand, when the baby correctly grasps the mother's breast and the mother produces as much milk as the baby needs for daily consumption, pumping is not a necessary procedure.

When to pump

But there are a number of situations when it is simply impossible to do without pumping. For example, if the mother has more milk than the baby can consume. In this case, the remaining milk may stagnate and lead to painful sensations. Or vice versa, if there is not enough milk, that is, lactation is reduced, then pumping can stimulate its increase. Expression is also necessary when the mother needs to leave temporarily or she can no longer come to maternity leave. And if the mother has lactostasis, mastitis, or hardened and cracked nipples, then pumping is necessary for medicinal purposes.

Let's talk about how to pump correctly. As a rule, expressing is done using hands or a breast pump. Before starting the procedure, it is recommended to take warm shower. In order to open the milk ducts, you need to make a warm compress (a piece of cotton cloth is moistened with warm water and applied to the breast) and massage. The massage is done like this: one hand supports the breast from below, and the fingers of the other in a circular motion massage her. If lumps are found in the chest, then the massage should be the most intense in these places. You need to stretch both breasts, after which you can start pumping.

Technique for expressing breast milk

To express, you will need a sterile container and clean hands. Place your thumb and index finger on the outer contour of the areola. Use gentle rhythmic movements to press on the areola. Having emptied one area of the breast from milk, you should move to the adjacent one. Repeating the compressions, you need to move clockwise until the entire chest is emptied. These steps should be applied to both breasts. When expressing, do not directly squeeze the nipple, as this can lead to microtrauma. As a rule, even in the maternity hospital, the midwife should familiarize the young mother with the pumping procedure. If this does not happen, then necessary information can be obtained from a consultant breastfeeding.

Today there is a large assortment mechanical and electric breast pumps. Some mothers think that this is very important and necessary equipment. But there will definitely be those who prefer manual expression. It should be noted that with the help of such a technical device you can express only the front part of the breast. The remaining milk is expressed by hand.

Expressed breast milk can be stored for 10 to 14 hours at room temperature(19-20°C), a day at a temperature of 15°C, about 2 days in the refrigerator (6°C), up to 7 days in the freezer.

The healing properties of breast milk

Every woman knows how important breast milk is in the life of every baby. It contains everything necessary elements For normal height baby. But what about milk? healing properties many people don’t even realize it.

I was still in the maternity hospital. I just gave birth to my first daughter, Katyushka, and I developed cracks on my nipples. It was very painful. But I didn’t know how to treat it. The cream didn't help. She would have endured it if the doctor hadn’t come in and asked, “Do you already have milk?” So what are you waiting for? Treat with your milk." And left. I tried it. After each feeding, I left a drop of milk on the nipple. Until it dried out. And literally the next day almost everything went away. And there was no trace left of the cracks.

Breast milk will also help your baby if he has a runny nose. Place a couple of drops of milk in each nostril and observe. The child will breathe better. And the runny nose will go away quickly.

If a child’s eyes become sour, you can use special drops, you can rinse with tea, or you can rinse with breast milk. When feeding, drop a couple of drops on the eye. And the eye will soon stop turning sour.

That's exactly what we did. And when I saw that the child was getting better right before my eyes, I began to appreciate breastfeeding and understand how important it is for my child and how much it gives him.

How to properly express breast milk video

Expressing breast milk is one of the most important skills for every breastfeeding mother. It may be necessary in different cases: due to swelling of the mother’s breasts, the need to feed the baby during the period of establishing lactation. Milk production depends on both mother and baby. However, not everyone is able to establish feeding quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to properly prepare for this process. We will tell you how to express breast milk correctly in this article. From correct technique pumping depends on the woman’s health and the adequacy of the baby’s diet.

When to Express Milk

There are several situations when feeding is impossible without pumping:

Premature birth. The baby who was born ahead of schedule, the breast sucking reflex has not yet developed. Such children do not know how to suck, but they really need breastfeeding, their life and health may depend on it. Unlike store-bought formulas, breast milk contains the maximum amount of nutrients that accelerate the development of the baby. Therefore, pumping in this case is considered the only correct option.
Weak sucking reflex. Many children are born with an underdeveloped sucking reflex. They suckle very slowly and for a long time, as a result they do not get enough to eat. Most often, this lasts only the first week after birth, and then the child gets used to daily efforts. But if this continues, you should rule out the possibility of serious illnesses in your baby by consulting a doctor. In any case, you cannot stop feeding, you just need to learn how to express breast milk correctly and start bottle feeding your baby.
Poor lactation. When very little milk comes in, all means to produce it are good. Knowing how to express breast milk by hand can help increase your milk supply. Constant pumping enhances lactation, although it makes it unstable for the baby’s regimen.
During treatment. Many medications are prohibited for nursing mothers because they pass into milk, which can harm the baby's health. But it happens that their analogues do not cope with treatment. In order to continue breastfeeding, milk is expressed before taking medications and frozen for feeding the baby during the treatment period. Regular pumping allows you not to stop breastfeeding during treatment. The breast continues to produce milk, although not for the baby.

How does lactation normalize?

Establishment of lactation awaits every woman who has given birth. Therefore, knowledge of the technique of expressing breast milk is necessary. In the first minutes after the birth of a child, what is produced in the mother’s chest cannot be called milk, but for a newborn it is already good nutrition. Only after two or three days the breasts fill with milk. The baby is not able to immediately suck such large portions, so it is necessary to express breast milk. When and how much milk you need to express is easy to determine based on your baby’s appetite. If you do not express milk from both breasts in a timely manner, this can lead to serious problems with health.

Periodic pumping during this period will normalize lactation. You cannot squeeze all the milk out of your breasts at once; as soon as they are no longer hard to the touch, you need to stop expressing. The flow of milk will gradually adjust to the baby's feeding, and pumping may no longer be necessary.

Preparing to Express Milk

Correctly expressing breast milk is especially difficult for women who are having their first child. But with proper preparation, the process will be as comfortable as possible. Where to start:

15 minutes before pumping you need to drink hot relaxing tea.
It’s good to warm up your chest, take a shower, and then apply a warm towel to your chest.
If the baby is not nearby, think about him with your eyes closed.
Lightly massage your breasts with your hands.

This is where the preparation for pumping ends. The most important thing is not to be nervous or worry. Before expressing breast milk with your hands, you need to tune in good result. Then everything will happen naturally easily. A more serious procedure should be carried out in the presence of lactostasis. It causes congestion in the chest that needs to be removed. special massage and rubbing.

Expressing milk by hand

When manually expressing breast milk, it is worth remembering hygiene. Before starting the procedure, hands must be thoroughly washed and utensils sterilized. To express, you will need a container with a wide base, such as a deep plate or cup. The container must be placed at chest level to make pumping as comfortable as possible. Next you need to adhere to the following technique:

Grasp the areola with your fingers, the thumb should be at the top and the rest at the bottom. The fingers should be pressed towards the ribs and resemble the letter C.
Next, you need to roll your fingers towards the nipple. Movements should be slow, but rhythmic and confident.
You can move your fingers around the areola for more active pumping. But you should not let go of the skin or go beyond the areola area.
The milk will drip at first, but then flow out in trickles.

Pumping one breast takes about 15 minutes. However, at first it can take up to half an hour. After several procedures, the technique will improve and the process will be significantly reduced.

Rules for manual expression

To prevent this process from causing pain or discomfort, it is worth considering some rules for expressing breast milk:

While pumping, do not massage your breasts, put pressure on them or squeeze them. Painful sensations that cause discomfort will only reduce milk production.
Fingers should remain continuously on the areola. You cannot tear them off your chest and squeeze the skin again.
The fingers should continuously move around the circle. This way all the milk ducts will be worked out as much as possible.
The breasts must be changed every 5-7 minutes.
Do not pull on the nipple; such actions can lead to dryness, wounds and cracks.
Expressing your breasts should be painless if discomfort, which means the technique is broken.
The woman should be in a comfortable position; maximum relaxation promotes good lactation.
Before expressing milk for the first time, you should consult a doctor.

Pros and cons of manually expressing milk

Like any procedure, expressing breast milk manually has a list of advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of this method include:

There are no contraindications for breastfeeding.
It does not require investment of funds.
A woman can regulate the entire process of feeding her baby herself, without even getting out of bed.
Absence of any injuries.
Manual expression does not cause painful sensations, as happens when using a breast pump.
Skin contact promotes good lactation.
You can stimulate the mammary glands well only with your own hands.
Side effects manual expression are missing.

There are also several disadvantages:

Prolonged periods of expressing breast milk.
A woman must carefully prepare and strictly follow the pumping technique.
Not everyone manages to empty their breasts evenly, which causes milk stagnation.

Expressing with a breast pump

Breast pumps are the constant helpers of every nursing mother. They make it possible to express milk quickly and safely. There are a huge number of their variations, divided by cost, manufacturer and method of action. Knowing the advantages of each model, a woman can choose the most comfortable device for herself.

Breast pumps are divided into two large groups: mechanical and electric. To decide on the model, you need to know how these two types of devices work. By following the instructions, you can learn how to work with any of them correctly.

Mechanical breast pumps

These devices are most often called manual breast pumps. They are suitable for those women who rarely express milk, for example, when normalizing lactation immediately after childbirth or during short separations from the baby. Mechanical devices are divided into several types, divided according to their mode of action.

Pump-action. This breast pump model is the easiest to use. It consists of a funnel and a pear-shaped rubber pump. This type of breast pumping occurs by squeezing the pump with your hands. The vacuum created inside the device provokes the release of milk secretions.

Syringe. The device itself appearance resembles a syringe. The breast pump includes two cylinders: internal and external. The internal one is applied to the chest, and the external ones need to be made forward movements.

Piston. This machine contains a breast attachment, a milk cup and a lever. To empty the mammary glands, you need to apply a funnel to the areola and constantly press the lever. Of all mechanical models, piston breast pumps are considered the most comfortable. They do not provoke stagnation of milk and are very easy to manage.

Electric breast pumps

These models also create a vacuum in the nipple area, but their engine is not manual power, but a motor powered by batteries or mains. To start the pumping process, a woman just needs to place the breast pump on her breast and press the button. Electric devices greatly simplify the extraction of milk, do not cause discomfort, and also do not require large quantity time for the procedure. The woman decides how much breast milk to express herself by adjusting the device modes. After expressing with such a breast pump, the breast becomes soft and the flow milk is coming a trickle. This good sign Happy pumping.

Storing breast milk

Every woman should be aware of the rules for storing expressed milk. If they are neglected, milk will not only lose all its beneficial properties, but can also negatively affect the baby’s health. Bacteria and pathogenic microorganisms develop in spoiled breast milk. To prevent this from happening, milk must be expressed and stored following hygiene rules. At room temperature, milk can be stored for no more than 3 hours. Storing breast milk after expressing in the refrigerator should last no more than 4 days. If you express milk in reserve, you need to take care of the container in advance. Transfusions are highly discouraged, so you need to express directly into a bag or container for freezing.

How to store breast milk

Once you know how to properly express breast milk, you should find a suitable storage facility for it. When choosing a container for milk, you should take into account the shelf life, as well as the required quantity. Recommended storage containers:

Simple baby bottles are suitable for one-time feeding.
Electric breast pumps have special containers for storing milk. They put a pacifier on them and immediately begin feeding.
For storage of 2-3 days or more, use special plastic containers for breast milk. They are sterilized and suitable for storage in the freezer.
It is also convenient to keep milk in baby food jars. They, along with their lids, can be sterilized at home, but such containers cannot be stored in the freezer. Glass breaks when exposed to sub-zero temperatures.
Industrial production packages. They have space for labeling and the pumping date. These bags are very convenient to freeze.

How to freeze breast milk

Freezing breast milk is a real salvation for women. Lactation can stop at any time due to stress, lack of sleep, rest and many other reasons. Considering that frozen milk can be stored in the freezer for up to six months, every mother can prevent this unexpected loss by periodically replenishing the milk supply in the freezer. It should be cooled well before freezing. This can be done either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. You should not pour milk from one container to another, even if sterilization is observed.

The freezing mode must be turned on immediately after placing the container in the freezer. For this purpose, you will need to allocate a separate shelf where other products will not be stored. Milk cartons must be marked with pumping dates. You must also indicate the freezing date. These storage rules are very important, since milk cannot be stored longer than the allotted period.

How to warm milk from the refrigerator

Before feeding your baby milk from the refrigerator, it must be warmed up in a special bottle warmer. This can also be done in a water bath or heated under hot water from the tap. Before heating milk from the freezer, it must be brought to a liquid state in the refrigerator. Only when it has thawed can it be taken out and heated in the usual way.

Do not heat milk in a microwave, oven or under boiling water. These methods can only destroy everything useful material breast milk. Such food will not only not benefit the baby, but can also worsen his health. You cannot refreeze milk; it is better to throw away any leftovers that are not used for food.

How to breastfeed and express milk is explained in detail in the maternity hospital. But each woman and her child are separate, unique case. Therefore, it is worth getting a personal recommendation on feeding while at home, in a comfortable environment.

Currently, the Ministry of Health does not recommend expressing breast milk. It is believed that if you feed your baby on demand and only breastfeed, there is no need to pump. However, for a number of reasons, the pumping procedure is still necessary.

Why do you need to pump?

If we go back to the times of our parents, mothers and grandmothers will be happy to tell you that pumping is an indispensable process of breastfeeding. You can find out how much trouble a young mother will have if she refuses to pump.

Today, doctors do not recommend expressing breast milk except in a number of cases: prematurity, weak sucking reflex, taking incompatible breastfeeding medicines, flat nipple, congestion and lack of milk.

Pumping for your breasts

In the first time after the birth of a child, the mother produces slightly more milk than the baby needs. In common parlance, there is such a thing as “draining the breast.” In the first days after birth, milk comes in, thoracic ducts are not yet prepared, and the newborn eats very little, the mother may accumulate excess milk and if excess milk is not expressed, there is a high probability of developing lactostasis (milk stagnation). This can lead to mastitis - serious illness woman's breasts. The first symptoms of mastitis:

temperature rise to 38 o and above;
breast tenderness;
redness of all or part of the breast;
obstructed milk flow.

To prevent mastitis, a woman should monitor her breast condition. If a lump, redness or heaviness is detected in the breast, the first aid may be to completely empty the gland of milk. Although nowadays doctors recommend not expressing milk, but putting the baby to the breast more often. However, if there is an excess of milk, the frequency of breastfeeding will not solve the problem, and then pumping will still help. The most affordable and does not require additional investment is manual expression.

Video: does a woman need to pump in the first days after giving birth?

I gave birth to my first child in 2000. Back then, newborns were kept in separate rooms from their mothers, and babies were brought in only at set times for feeding. On the second day after giving birth, my temperature rose above 40 o. The doctor on duty suspected an infection of the female genital organs. What saved me was a call to my attending physician, who diagnosed milk stagnation. It turned out that on the first day I drank a lot of liquid at the time the milk arrived, and the children were brought in for feeding according to the schedule, this provoked stagnation. Thanks to the medical staff, in particular the nurses, who helped me manually pump my breasts all night. This was 17 years ago and then there was not so much available literature and pumping equipment. This incident taught me how to behave in the future. When the next two children were born, for the first two days I partially limited myself in fluid intake and after feeding I was sure to finish breastfeeding, so I did not have such a problem as stagnation.

Video: pumping for the breast

Pumping for milk

Pumping for milk is necessary to increase or maintain lactation.

It is believed that if the baby is attached to the breast on demand, after feeding he is full and satisfied, there is no need for additional pumping of milk. After all, nature gives as much mother’s milk as the baby needs.

However, to stimulate lactation there is no way to do without pumping. When a woman, at the end of feeding her baby, pumps out the remaining milk, this further stimulates his flow. To increase the amount of breast milk, if there is such a need, the mother can express up to 8 times a day. When lactation improves, you can stop expressing or use the expressed milk to create a milk bank. That is, freeze the excess and use it when the need arises.

Until 5 months of my Makarka, I had one “illness”: I had never pumped, I didn’t understand why it was necessary. And she was a fierce opponent of everyone who does this. Then I began to develop a new “disease”. I always felt like there wouldn't be enough milk. And I started pumping after every feeding like crazy. Day and night. And I froze this milk in liters. Then, you won’t believe it, my son drank it all at 10 months. It came in handy. And now that my son has teeth and is very active, it has become easier for me to pump and feed him expressed milk. Of course, he immediately weaned himself off the breast. But there’s nowhere to go without milk itself... The fact that milk works on the “supply and demand” principle is 100%. So I pumped 100 ml - exactly 100 ml arrived, expressed 150 ml - 150 ml arrived...

Maria Beloshapkina

If the mother is facing separation from the baby or for some reason cannot breastfeed at a certain moment. For example, taking medications prohibited during breastfeeding, then regular pumping will prevent the milk from going to waste. And upon the mother’s return or recovery, breastfeeding can be continued. There are other cases when pumping is necessary. For example,

Child, lazy sucker. In my situation, pumping became the solution. After feeding, the breasts were practically not empty; the child woke up hungry every 15 minutes. Since I ate little, little milk came in. After feeding with expressed milk, he began to sleep normally, I knew exactly how much he ate, whether he was full, and there was always enough milk. Only thanks to pumping was it possible to maintain lactation to this day (the child is almost a year old) and to calmly wean the child off the breast (he only latched on to it at night). Therefore, if there is evidence, the statement that there is no need to express is wrong

Natalia Frolova
razvitie-krohi.ru/kormlenie-grudyu.html

How to express milk by hand, pumping technique

Breastfeeding is very beneficial for both mother and baby. However, sometimes cases arise when pumping is indispensable. The most accessible and widespread is considered to be manual expression. To do this you need:

Prepare a container for milk. Dishes must be thoroughly washed and sterilized.
The woman selects a position that is comfortable for herself, sits straight so that her back does not hurt, otherwise her muscles will quickly get tired.
The chest is prepared. To do this, you can apply a warm towel to your breasts or take a shower, do a light breast massage, or simply bend down to let the milk flow.

Preparing the breast before feeding or pumping - massage

It is important to place your hands correctly: with one hand you support the breast from below, with the other you stroke it towards the nipple. Then they begin the pumping process itself: the thumb is placed on top of the breast, on the border of the areola, the index finger is placed below. The thumb and index finger rhythmically press on the breast to release milk, the other fingers support it. During the entire pumping process, your fingers gradually move around the circumference of the areola to express milk from all parts of the breast. Actions should be rhythmic, but should not cause pain. If pumping is painful, then the woman is doing something wrong.

It is also important during pumping to have a comfortable, quiet and cozy environment. To do this, for example, you can turn on quiet, calm music.

How long does it take to pump?

The time required to pump is purely individual. The main thing is that at the end of pumping, the breasts become soft, without compaction.

On average, a woman pumps one breast for 5-6 minutes. When the milk stops flowing, the woman moves on to the second breast. Basically, complete pumping takes 20–30 minutes, 10–15 minutes per breast.

Also, the amount of time for pumping depends on the reasons causing the pumping process itself. If pumping is caused by the need to maintain lactation during the period of temporary separation of the mother from the child or the mother’s illness, then as much milk is expressed as is needed to feed the child and takes longer than when pumping occurs after feeding the child, when a certain amount of milk has already been drunk by the baby.

How often should you pump, pumping schedule

If pumping is caused by the need to maintain lactation during the period of temporary separation of the mother from the child or the mother’s illness, then pumping is performed according to the number of feedings of the baby, about 6 times a day. However, in the first weeks, especially when insufficient lactation, it is possible, even necessary, and more often. To increase lactation, you can express milk every hour during the day, and every three hours at night. This will increase lactation.

If pumping is done simultaneously with putting the baby to the breast, then it is recommended to pump no more than three times per day to avoid excessive lactation.

I have breasts with inverted nipples so I never got to experience the joys of breastfeeding. However, knowing about the great benefits of breast milk for babies, I fed children up to 1 year old with expressed milk. For the first three months, I expressed milk every three hours, from the fourth - every four hours, from the eighth month to a year - every six. With a second child fourth month I chose a more suitable schedule for myself and, if necessary, could slightly shift the pumping time without compromising lactation. I believe that when lactation has improved, every woman feels the time when it is necessary to express.

How much milk can you express at once?

The amount of milk that can be expressed at one time varies from woman to woman. Some have more milk, some have less. You need to proceed from the age and needs of the child. The baby becomes older every day, the number of feedings decreases, and the amount of milk consumed, on the contrary, increases. Therefore, the amount of expressed milk should be based on the baby’s needs.

Table: proportionality of breast milk consumed to the child’s age

Do not forget that all these indicators are conditional and depend on individual characteristics baby's body. The main thing is that after pumping, a woman’s breasts should become soft, without lumps, and the pumping process should not be painful.

Video: technique for expressing breast milk

Night pumping to increase lactation

If the mother does not produce enough milk to feed the baby, then a five-hour break at night cannot be taken. Otherwise, due to the lack of stimulation for the arrival of milk, the mother does not express or feed at night, and less and less milk will be produced. The breast will fill up in 3 hours, the milk has not been expressed, there is nowhere to add milk and it stops being produced. Therefore, to increase lactation, it is recommended not to take night breaks, but on the contrary, you need to express every three hours, then this will trigger the arrival of new milk and lactation will increase. When the feeding process is established, enough milk arrives to feed the baby, then you can take a night break.

For the first two months, I got up to express milk every three hours. Starting from the third month, when my son began to sleep for six hours in a row, and I had enough milk for feeding, I rested with him and did not express milk at night.

Storing and using expressed breast milk

Storing breast milk depends on how long it is used.

In the absence of a refrigerator, breast milk retains its properties and does not spoil for 10 hours to extend shelf life and avoid milk loss, for example in summer, when high temperature air, you can use a thermos cooled with ice or a cooler bag.

For more long-term storage, up to 8 days, expressed milk must be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0 to 8 degrees. This way we can preserve both the milk itself and the beneficial substances in it that are responsible for the formation of the child’s immunity and intelligence.

If you plan to store expressed breast milk for more than a week, then it must be frozen.

For freezing, you can use special bags that save the mother’s time, as they are already sterilized and easily sealed.

Special bags for long-term storage of breast milk

You can also store expressed breast milk in glass or plastic containers. The main thing is that the container is sterilized and tightly closed.

Glass and plastic containers for storing breast milk

Milk is frozen in small portions per feeding. Re-freezing is not allowed. It is also not recommended to mix fresh, just expressed, and frozen milk.

Freshly expressed breast milk is placed in the refrigerator to cool, and after cooling, it is transferred to the freezer. In a separate freezer, milk can be stored for six months. If the freezer is inside the refrigerator, then the milk can be stored for no more than two months. For as long as possible, up to 1 year, breast milk is stored in a separately closed chamber at low temperatures.

Before freezing milk, be sure to indicate the pumping date!

The procedure for feeding a baby frozen milk is similar to bottle feeding. Attention should be paid to the need to defrost breast milk in the refrigerator to avoid sharp changes temperature. Heat the milk in a water bath or under running water warm water up to a temperature of 36–37 o. To save useful properties breast milk, boiling it is not recommended. The number of feedings and the amount of milk corresponds to the age and weight of the child.

We must remember that the healthiest thing is fresh breast milk!

Should breast milk be pasteurized after expressing?

If after expressing milk will be stored outside the refrigerator at temperatures up to + 25 o C, it is recommended to pasteurize breast milk. Then it can be stored for 24 hours at a temperature of 15 o C, 10 hours at a temperature of 19–22 o C, 4–6 hours at a temperature of 25 o C.

To pasteurize, place a bottle of breast milk in boiling water for 10 minutes. Breast milk should not boil. You can also pasteurize at a water temperature of 65 ° C for 30 minutes.

Video: pasteurization of breast milk at home

Expressed milk separates and smells of soap - pathology or normal

Does freshly expressed breast milk have a sweet smell and taste, but after defrosting it starts to smell like soap? This question worries many mothers who express milk.

If this happens, the first thing you need to do is check that your expressed breast milk is being stored correctly. If the storage rules are followed, then the likely reason is that there is an excess of lipase enzyme in breast milk - an enzyme that breaks down fats. It is likely that lipase begins to quickly break down milk fat after expressing under the influence of oxygen.

Milk that has a soapy taste and smell can be used to feed a baby. However, with a distinct taste and smell, there is a possibility that the baby will refuse milk.

To avoid this and improve the taste of breast milk, you can use the following tips:

It is necessary to reduce the effect of oxygen on the fats of expressed milk. To do this, the container for storing breast milk should be closed as tightly as possible.
To prevent the breakdown of fats by lipase, immediate freezing of expressed milk in the freezer will help.
Gentle pasteurization will help - heating at a temperature of up to 56 o.

Another question that concerns mothers is that breast milk begins to separate after storage. This occurs due to the fact that when cooled, the speed of movement of fat molecules is less and they stick and are attracted to each other, forming cream on the surface of the milk. Therefore, consuming such milk is absolutely harmless; you just need to stir the milk when heating it, and the consistency of the milk will be restored.

Breast milk is the ideal food for a child in the first year of life, providing the baby with essential minerals and microelements in the right child quantity. With breast milk, the baby receives protective antibodies and develops immunity. Breastfed children suffer less from inflammation of the middle ear, acute respiratory viral infections, intestinal infections and allergies. Therefore, loving mothers try by any means to provide their child with breast milk, even if it is not breastfeeding, but expressed milk.

Manual expression of breast milk is the most common, accessible and cheapest method of expression. True, the process takes quite a lot of time, but it does not require any additional equipment or devices other than a sterile container for breast milk. If you express milk infrequently and breastfeed your baby exclusively, then hand expression is enough for you. Manual expression is especially suitable for breast engorgement and lactostasis. If you have to express milk regularly, it is preferable to use a breast pump - use hardware method pumping.

Technique for manually expressing breast milk

How to properly express breast milk by hand.

Wash your hands thoroughly and prepare a clean container (cup) for expressing with a wide neck, first washing and then sterilizing by boiling or pouring boiling water over it.
Find comfortable position(sitting or standing). Place the cup at chest level so you don't have to bend over. When the body is in an inclined position, the back muscles will become especially tired during pumping.
Supporting the breast from below with one hand, stroke the nipple with the other hand.
Place your thumb above the nipple on the border of the circumference, and your index finger below, opposite thumb. Use your remaining fingers to support your chest. In this case, the thumb and index fingers are located opposite each other, forming the letter “C”.
Press down lightly with your thumb and index fingers first on the chest towards chest, and then bring these two fingers together in the form of a ring, pressing on the area of the isola. When emptying your breasts, you should press on the lacteal sinuses under the areola. Sometimes during lactation the sinuses can be felt. They look like peas or beans. If you feel them, it may press on them.
Press and release, press and release. The procedure should not cause pain. If the procedure is still painful, then the pumping technique is incorrect. The milk may not appear at first, but after a few presses it begins to drip. It can flow in a stream if the oxytocin reflex is active.
Move your fingers around the circumference of the areola (press on the sides of the areola) to make sure that milk is expressed from all segments of the breast.
It is necessary to avoid rubbing the skin with your fingers and squeezing the chest. The finger movements should be more like rolling. You should not squeeze the nipple itself. You won't be able to express milk by pressing on your nipples. This is the same as if a child sucks only one nipple.
You should express one breast for at least 5-6 minutes until the milk flow slows down; then you should carry out the same procedure with the second; then both again. You can express each breast with one hand or change them if you are tired. Expressing milk properly takes 20 to 30 minutes, especially in the first few days when little milk is being produced. It is important not to try to express milk in less time.

Mistakes when expressing by hand

Pain when pumping. The pumping technique is correct if you do not feel pain in the mammary gland.

Pumping in an inclined position. During pumping (20-30 minutes) in an inclined position of the body, the load on the back muscles increases, which can cause back pain.

Expressing (squeezing) the nipple. There is no milk in the nipple itself. If the nipple rubs, you won’t be able to fully express milk, but cracks may occur if the breast is injured.

Knead and rub the mammary gland You can’t, it can cause inflammation. Pumping too vigorously can damage the internal breast tissue and cause mastitis.

When expressing to relieve engorgement Express just enough milk to feel comfortable. Expressing more milk may cause more milk to form.

Don't give up pumping at the first unsuccessful attempts, be patient. If you are expressing for the first time, consult with your doctor or lactation consultant first to show you how to express properly.