Manual expression of breast milk - how to do it right? Expression of breast milk

During the period of breastfeeding, the phenomenon is quite frequent. Not always the mother has the opportunity to feed the baby on time, for example, because of work. Sometimes a woman will have a long treatment that is incompatible with breastfeeding, and it is better to stock up on breast milk so as not to transfer the baby to formula. There can be many reasons. In order to express milk, it is not necessary to buy expensive devices, just hands and the right technique are enough. How to express breast milk with your hands? What mistakes should you try to avoid?

Why pumping is needed

In Soviet times, pediatricians insisted that after each feeding, the breasts should be additionally decanted, as they say, “to dry”. It was believed that this procedure helps to achieve the optimal level of lactation and is the prevention of milk stagnation. Modern experts categorically do not share this point of view and allow expressing breast milk only in cases where it is really necessary.

The need for pumping occurs in the following cases:

When lactation exceeds consumption (too much milk, the baby does not have time to eat, breastfeeding is completed, the mother is working).
As a prevention of mastitis (done with discomfort, seals, pain in the chest).
Maintenance of lactation during the period of refusal of breastfeeding (mother's illness, ineffective breast sucking by a child with prematurity).
When it is necessary to make food supplies for the child (a vacation without a child is coming, the mother is often absent from work or school).

If there is no discomfort in the chest, then there is no need to additionally express after feeding: this can lead to stagnation. The pumping procedure should only take place when it is necessary for the mother or baby. If you are unsure about this, it is best to contact a lactation consultant.

Advantages and disadvantages of manual pumping over hardware

Manual pumping has a number of significant advantages:

Availability. You do not need to purchase additional expensive devices.
Physiological.
Manual pumping increases lactation.
You can express milk by hand at any time and under any circumstances.
Proper technique ensures a painless process.
It is impossible to injure the mammary gland with your hands while observing the rules of pumping.

There are also disadvantages:

The process is quite long (at least 20-30 minutes).
It takes experience and constant practice to master the correct technique.

Due to the obvious advantages, most mothers prefer manual expression of milk. Breastfeeding consultants agree with them and consider the manual method of pumping to be the most correct and physiological milk production outside of breastfeeding.

How to manually express breast milk

Expressing milk with your hands is a rather laborious process, but the most physiological. Grandmothers and mothers did not have modern devices at hand that help to express their breasts, but they successfully coped with this task if the need arose.

A gentle massage of the mammary glands often helps. You need to do it in circular motions for 10-15 minutes. It is not worth putting in too much effort. Movements should be soft and smooth

Preparing for hand pumping

It is not always possible to express the breast the first time, especially if there is no experience in this matter. To make the milk flow easier, you need to cause a rush. You can use the following methods:

Wash your chest with warm water. A warm compress from a towel or shower will do.
Drink a cup of warm tea or water 10-15 minutes before pumping.
You can well cause a flush if you lean forward and shake your chest a little.
Psychological impact: think about the child, imagine him nearby, how he sucks milk.
You can use physical contact with the baby, for example, just lie down next to him.
Many moms find it helpful to relax with soothing music or nature sounds that can be turned on through headphones.
The most effective way is to give one breast to the baby so that he sucks, and the second to express. The tide will be in both mammary glands at the same time, and it will not be difficult to get milk.

Important: If there are lumps in the chest, then the massage must be done very carefully. Do not try to break or crush them. This is very dangerous for a woman's health! There shouldn't be any pain.

The technique of softening the areola of the nipple will help prepare the breast for pumping. This method will greatly help a young mother in the first time after childbirth. Thanks to this technique, the nipple is formed, the breast softens, and it becomes easier for the baby to suck, and for the mother to express milk if necessary.

Fold the three middle fingers of both hands near the nipple, forming a kind of "window".
Press your fingers towards the chest and hold in this position for about 10 seconds.
Put your fingers vertically and press again, holding for 10 seconds.
Repeat all the manipulations a few more times.

30 to 60 seconds of this massage will help make the areola soft.

Manual expression of breast milk

After the breast is well prepared, you can proceed to the pumping itself. Step-by-step instruction:

The thumb should be placed at the top of the areola, and the index finger at the bottom.
Make a movement with your fingers towards the chest, lightly pinching the areola between your fingers.
Squeeze the areola tighter.
Move your fingers forward.

The correct position of the fingers on the areola of the nipple is shown by green arrows, the red ones are incorrect.

Improper nipple grip will cause the milk to go deeper into the breast and it will be almost impossible to express it.

All manipulations must be done smoothly, without jerking the chest and without rushing. Fingers should not slide on the mammary gland. You need to make sure that the position of the fingers does not change. You can not pull too hard on the nipple. This can damage the milk ducts.

If the milk does not go right away, do not despair. Perhaps, by making several movements described above, it will be possible to express the breast. At first, milk flows out in drops and only then beats with a confident stream. You don't have to leave things halfway. It takes time to express.

If the milk has ceased to be expressed, then you can do the same points, only place your fingers not horizontally, but vertically.

If after such a manipulation milk is not released, then you can repeat or try to cause another flush.

Vertical grip pumping technique

Warm bottle method

There are times when it's hard to get out. This often happens with congestive and inflammatory processes in the chest. A tight nipple and pain prevent you from expressing milk in the usual way, then you can use the "Warm bottle" method. The gist is this:

You need to take a glass bottle with a neck of about 4 cm or a little more.
The bottle heats up well in hot water.
The neck before the procedure must be cooled by applying ice or simply dipping in cold water.
The areola of the nipple is lubricated with oil or petroleum jelly and placed in the neck of the bottle.
Under the influence of heat, the nipple is drawn into the bottle, and the milk begins to stand out with a confident stream. After relief, the bottle can be removed.

There are a few rules that must be followed, and then pumping and storing milk will not be a problem:

A bottle or other container for milk must be prepared in advance so as not to lose precious drops when starting to express into a napkin.
Mommy's hands should be thoroughly washed with soap.
There shouldn't be any pain! If pumping hurts, then the technique is wrong, and you need to contact a consultant on breastfeeding or study more carefully the material on this topic on the Internet or in specialized literature.
It is necessary to express one breast for at least 5-6 minutes, and then proceed to the second. After decanting the second breast, you need to go back to the first.
To get full-fledged milk, you need to express for a long time (about 30 minutes). Only after such work can you be sure that both fore and hind milk have got into the container.
If your hands are tired, you can change them. No need to turn pumping into a workout.
It is necessary to carry out the pumping procedure every few hours, simulating the application of the baby to the breast. So breastfeeding will be successfully preserved, and the amount of the resulting product will be sufficient to feed the baby.
If a mother is pumping during drug treatment just to keep breastfeeding, then such a product is unusable and must be discarded.
Do not trust other people to express your breasts. Only the woman herself, focusing on her feelings, will be able to do everything right and achieve excellent results.
The expressed milk product must be stored properly (up to 8 hours at room temperature, two days in the refrigerator, up to a year in the freezer).
Proper packaging is important - these are special containers and bags for freezing. They are airtight and equipped with a measuring scale, which is very convenient for storage and subsequent use.
Each bottle of expressed product must be signed, indicating the date and time of the expression procedure. This will help to avoid feeding the baby with expired milk.

Milk can be distinguished by its color. The picture clearly shows the difference.

The foremilk is less satisfying, while the hindmilk is more nutritious and thick. The combination of both liquids results in a perfectly balanced complete product.

Hands are the perfect natural “breast pump”. With the right technique and a competent approach, nothing more will be needed to keep breastfeeding or provide the baby with healthy nutrition, even in mother's absence. How to express breasts in a hardware way,.

Expressing breast milk is one of the most important skills for every breastfeeding mom. It is necessary in different cases: due to swelling of the mother's breast, the need to feed the baby, during the period of lactation. Milk production depends on both the mother and the baby. However, not everyone is able to establish feeding quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to properly prepare for this process. How to properly express breast milk, we will tell in this article. The health of the woman and the usefulness of the diet of the baby depend on the correct pumping technique.

When to Express Milk

There are several situations when feeding is not possible without pumping:

premature birth. A baby who was born prematurely does not yet have a breast sucking reflex. Such children do not know how to suck, but they really need breastfeeding, their life and health may depend on it. Unlike purchased mixtures, mother's 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 babies are born with an underdeveloped sucking reflex. They suckle their breasts very slowly and for a long time, as a result they do not eat up. Most often, this lasts only the first week after birth, and then the child gets used to daily efforts. But if this continues further, it is worth excluding the possibility of serious diseases in the baby by contacting the doctor. In any case, you can not stop feeding, just learn how to properly express breast milk and start feeding your baby from a bottle.
Bad lactation. When there is very little milk coming, all means of producing it are good. Knowing how to express breast milk with your hands, you can increase its flow. Constant pumping enhances lactation, although it makes it unstable for the child's regimen.
During treatment. Many medicines are prohibited for nursing mothers due to their penetration into milk, which can harm the health of the baby. But it happens that their counterparts do not cope with the treatment. In order not to stop breastfeeding, milk is expressed before taking medication and frozen to feed the baby for the period of treatment. Regular pumping allows you not to stop breastfeeding during treatment. The breast continues to produce milk, albeit not for the baby.

How does normalization of lactation occur?

The 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, it is impossible to call milk produced in the mother’s breast, but for a newborn it is already good nutrition. Only after two or three days the breast is filled with milk. The child is not able to immediately suck out such large portions, so it is necessary to express breast milk. When and how much milk needs to be expressed, it is easy to determine by the baby's appetite. If you do not express milk from both breasts in a timely manner, this can lead to serious health problems.

Periodic pumping during this period will normalize lactation. It is impossible to squeeze out all the milk from the breast at once, as soon as it ceases to be hard to the touch, pumping must be stopped. The flow of milk will gradually adjust to the feeding of the baby, and pumping may no longer be required.

Preparing to Express Milk

Proper expression of breast milk is especially difficult for those women who have 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 is good to warm up the chest, go to the shower, and then attach a warm towel to the chest.
If the baby is not around, think about him with your eyes closed.
Lightly massage the chest with your hands.

This completes the preparation for pumping. The most important thing is not to be nervous and not to worry. Before expressing breast milk with your hands, you need to tune in to a good result. Then everything will happen naturally easily. A more serious procedure should be carried out in the presence of lactostasis. With it, stagnation appears in the chest, which must be removed with a special massage and rubbing.

Hand expressing milk

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

Grasp the areola with your fingers, the big one should be at the top, and the rest at the bottom. The fingers should be clenched 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 circumference of the areola for more aggressive pumping. But you can not let go of the skin or go beyond the areola area.
At first, the milk will drip, but then it will pour in streams.

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.

Manual pumping rules

So that this process does not cause pain or discomfort, it is worth considering some rules for expressing breast milk:

During pumping, do not massage the breast, put pressure on it or squeeze it. Painful sensations that cause discomfort will only reduce milk production.
Fingers should be continuously on the areola. You can not tear them from the chest and re-compress the skin.
The fingers should move continuously around the circumference. Thus, all milk ducts will be worked out as much as possible.
The breast needs to be changed every 5-7 minutes.
You can not pull the nipple, such actions can lead to dryness, wounds and cracks.
Expression of the breast should be painless, if there are discomfort, then the technique is broken.
A woman should be in a comfortable position, maximum relaxation contributes to good lactation.
Before the first procedure of expressing milk, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Pros and cons of hand expressing milk

Like any procedure, expressing breast milk manually has a list of advantages and disadvantages. Of the advantages of this method can be noted:

There are no contraindications for breastfeeding.
It does not require any investment.
A woman can regulate the entire process of feeding the baby herself, without getting up even from the bed.
Absence of any injury.
Manual pumping does not cause pain, as it happens when using a breast pump.
Skin contact promotes good lactation.
You can stimulate the mammary glands well only with your own hands.
There are no side effects of hand pumping.

There are also a few downsides:

Long time to express breast milk.
A woman must carefully prepare and strictly observe the pumping technique.
Not everyone manages to evenly empty their breasts, this causes stagnation of milk.

Expression with a breast pump

Breast pumps are the constant helpers of every nursing mother. They allow you to express milk quickly and safely. There are a huge number of their variations, divided by cost, manufacturer and mode 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 electrical. To decide on a 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 commonly referred to as manual breast pumps. They are suitable for those women who rarely express milk, for example, when lactation is normalized immediately after childbirth or during short separations from the baby. Mechanical devices are divided into several types, divided by the mode of action.

Pump action. This model of breast pump is the easiest to use. It consists of a funnel and a pear-shaped rubber pump. Pumping of this type of breast occurs when the pump is squeezed with hands. The vacuum created inside the device provokes the secretion of milk.

Syringe. The device itself looks like a syringe. The breast pump includes two cylinders: internal and external. The inner one is applied to the chest, and the outer one needs to make translational movements.

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

Electric breast pumps

These models also create a vacuum in the nipple area, but their power is not manual force, but a motor powered by batteries or mains. To begin the pumping process, a woman just needs to attach the breast pump to her breast and press the button. Electric devices greatly simplify the extraction of milk, do not cause discomfort, and also do not require a lot of time for the procedure. How much to express breast milk, the woman decides for herself, thanks to the adjustment of the device modes. The breast after expressing with the help of such a breast pump becomes soft, and the flow of milk flows in a trickle. This is a good sign of a successful pumping.

Breast milk storage

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 adversely affect the health of the baby. Spoiled breast milk develops bacteria and pathogens. To prevent this from happening, milk must be expressed and stored in a hygienic manner. At room temperature, milk is stored for no more than 3 hours. Storage of breast milk after pumping 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 freezer bag or container.

Where to store breast milk

Having decided on how to properly express breast milk, you should find a suitable storage for it. When choosing a container for milk, it is worth considering the shelf life, as well as its required amount. Recommended storage containers:

Simple baby bottles are suitable for single feeding.
Electric breast pumps have special containers for storing milk. They put a nipple on them and immediately start 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 lids, can be sterilized at home, but such containers cannot be stored in the freezer. Glass under the influence of sub-zero temperatures bursts.
Industrial production packages. They have a place for marking and the date of pumping. These bags are very easy to freeze.

How to freeze breast milk

Freezing breast milk is a real lifesaver 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 milk supplies in the freezer. Let it cool well before freezing. This can be done either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. It is not worth pouring milk from one container to another, even if sterilization is observed.

The freeze 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 bags must be labeled with pumping dates. You also need to indicate the date of freezing. These storage rules are very important, since milk cannot be stored longer than the allotted time.

How to heat milk from the refrigerator

Before you feed your baby with milk from the refrigerator, it must be warmed up in a special bottle warmer. It can also be done in a water bath or warmed up under hot tap water. Before warming 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 the microwave, oven or under boiling water. These methods can only destroy all the beneficial substances of breast milk. Such food will not only not benefit the baby, but can also worsen his health. You can not re-freeze milk, it is better to throw away the leftovers that have not been used in food.

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

What do doctors say about whether it is necessary to express breast milk, in what situations and how to do it correctly? What to do if milk does not appear when pressing on the chest or there is very little of it? Consider several common situations and recommendations that are given to mothers in certain cases.

1. Breast engorgement after childbirth. Between the second and sixth day after the birth of a child, a woman receives real, mature milk. Immediately after childbirth, there is only colostrum, which is not enough. It does not cause discomfort. Breast milk usually comes in at once a lot. More than what a child needs and can suck. In another way, this condition is called hyperlactation. How to properly express breast milk in this case is usually told and shown by nurses from the children's department of the maternity hospital or directly by obstetrician-gynecologists. In how to express breast milk manually, there is a main rule - do not injure the nipples. That is, during the pumping process, hands should not be kept on the areola of the nipple, but further, moving milk from the posterior lobes of the mammary gland to the exit.
A breast pump can also be used if it is not too painful. But it should be remembered that getting rid of the stagnation of milk in the breast is possible only if the breast is not completely expressed. And before feeding the baby, not after.

2. Taking antibiotics and other potent drugs. If you need to stop breastfeeding for the duration of treatment, but you do not want to lose lactation, you must support it by pumping. The frequency and technique of expressing breast milk correctly with your hands or with a breast pump must be observed. You need to pump at least 6 times a day. Every 3 hours. Moreover, in this case, it is required to express milk to the last drop so that its amount does not decrease by the beginning of feeding the child. It is also desirable to express at night. At least 1 time. After all, it is at night that the hormone of lactation, prolactin, is produced. Women who feed children at night always have more milk than those who take a long night break.
Care must be taken to ensure that there is no engorgement of the chest. In this case, the storage of milk and its further use is impossible, since the woman took drugs that are not compatible with breastfeeding.
The doctor will tell you how long you need to refrain from feeding the child after stopping the drug. This will depend on the rate at which the drug is eliminated from the body. This may take from several hours to several days. Frequent pumping will not speed up this process. The rate of excretion of the drug can also be found in its instructions.

3. If mom needs to go away. Proper manual expression and storage of breast milk is also a science. In order for milk to stand out well, to be easily expressed, it is necessary to provoke the release of the hormone oxytocin. Its release will lead to the expansion of the ducts, the milk will begin to flow out of the breast itself. This happens with the natural feeding of the baby. Therefore, experienced women express their breasts right during feeding. That is, they are fed with one breast, and the other is expressed with a breast pump, hands, or even just substitute a container into which the nipple is lowered. The latter method is ideal for women with hyperlactation, when a lot of milk leaks.

But most women still need to learn to pump. And if everything is clear with a breast pump, by the way, it is more convenient to express milk with a breast pump that imitates the sucking of a child, then with manual equipment it is more difficult. It is important, when trying to push milk to the exit, not to stimulate the nipple, there is no milk in it, but the area above the areola. A few smooth, non-painful movements will release oxytocin, and milk will begin to be expressed many times faster. As long as there is no release of oxytocin, you will not be able to express a lot of milk. You can provoke the release of oxytocin by thinking or looking at your baby, taking him in your arms, leaning him naked against you and inhaling his scent. Lots of ways.
Plentiful warm or even hot drinking also contributes to easy pumping. Or a warm compress on the chest. You can replace it with a towel soaked in warm water. If you need frequent or even constant bottle feedings, you need to express both breasts at a time. This is the prevention of stagnation and reduced lactation. Breastfeeding experts advise frequent pumping, albeit not for long periods.

4. How to increase the amount of milk. Expressing milk to increase lactation in most cases is an outdated recommendation. It takes place only if the child and mother are separated. Then, in order to preserve milk and its quantity, you need to express more often and more, to the last drop.

If the baby is on the chest, then it will be enough to transfer him to feeding on demand, not by the clock. And also do not allow to suck on a pacifier and drink from a bottle. The more the child sucks, the higher the level of prolactin will be, the more often there will be emissions of the hormone oxytocin. As a result of all this milk will be more, the child will be satiated and gain weight well.

And remember, even if you express very little milk, this does not mean that there is not enough of it in your chest either. Let her be soft, almost not rude. And “control pumping” is a relic of Soviet medicine.

5. If lactostasis occurs. On the topic of how to express breast milk with your hands with lactostasis, there are many educational videos. Information can also be obtained from lactation consultants, other experienced mothers and doctors. It is more effective to express the breast under a stream of warm water or after a warm compress. Just keep in mind that if the inflammatory process has begun, it is not recommended to overheat the chest, as this will provoke its spread. Yes, and expressing breast milk with your hands with mastitis is not enough to cure. You need to take antibiotics.

It is very effective for lactostasis and uncomplicated mastitis to often feed the child in a position in which the affected area of \u200b\u200bthe mammary gland is especially well emptied. The child's nose should "look" towards this area.

6. Lactase deficiency. With this pathology, women are advised to express the so-called anterior breast milk, so that the child receives during feeding mainly hind milk, rich in fats, and not carbohydrates. That is, a woman is recommended to express milk before feeding, but not much, so as not to provoke hyperlactation in herself.

Pumping is a useful technique in some situations. But only if it is used wisely.

Video techniques on how to massage the breasts and express breast milk with your hands:

There are many ways to breastfeed your baby. Someone puts the baby on every call and spends with him around the clock. Someone immediately after childbirth goes to work, but the baby is still fed with breast milk. Pumping will help to give the child milk in the absence of the mother. Pumping skills will be useful to any woman: after all, there are a lot of situations when this needs to be done.

Why Express Milk

Expression of milk is the emptying of the mammary glands without the participation of the child. The reasons for pumping can vary. For example:

It is necessary to express in the first days after childbirth. Someone in order to "disperse" lactation, someone - to get rid of excess milk.
Medical indications. For example, mothers after childbirth need to take drugs that are incompatible with feeding. Or the baby was born too weak and cannot suckle milk itself.
If the mother needs to leave for a while, the milk is expressed so that the nanny or relative feeds the baby with the usual food.
Pumping helps to minimize the consequences of mother's "sins". In particular, many women pump after eating unhealthy foods or drinks. This milk is recycled. The breast has to be freed from milk even after fluorography or chest X-ray.
If the baby was in intensive care after childbirth, the mother will have to express milk for a long time. Firstly, to maintain lactation, and secondly, to feed the child with this milk.
This procedure is useful during the treatment of stagnation, lactostasis, and also during the "folding" of lactation, after the completion of feeding.
Mothers of twins and especially triplets are forced to express themselves in order to at least sometimes take a break from feeding.
You can express breast milk not only for your child, but also for someone else. Donor milk can be sold or donated to those who need it.

There are cases when a woman breastfeeds a child for many months or even years, but she is never given a chance to express. That is, this procedure is completely optional. But for so many moms, pumping helps regulate their milk supply and gives them some freedom to go to the movies, go shopping, or just visit a friend. These seemingly small things often affect the maintenance of lactation in general.

You can express with your hands, on your own or with outside help (nurse, doctor, husband). There are also special devices - breast pumps. They can be manual (at the end they have a special pear that needs to be squeezed and unclenched by hand) or electric. The electric breast pump does everything by itself. For expressed milk, sterile bottles or special containers are usually prepared.
Test jars are a great alternative to expensive milk containers: they are sterile and have a measuring scale

Preparation

The process of pumping takes time and energy. To make it as comfortable and safe as possible, you need to carefully prepare.
First you need to prepare containers for milk. Ideally, they should be sterile: use a sterilizer or just hold them over steam.
If the milk is not intended for the baby, you can express over the sink or over the table, laying a soft towel on it.

In order for milk to "flow" faster, you need to speed up its outflow. To do this, it is recommended to take a warm shower before pumping. You can massage your chest with water from the shower head, directing it towards you. The water should be warm and pleasant, and the jets should be soft. After that, you need to do a light massage:

One hand should be placed under the chest, the second - on the chest.
In circular motions, you need to “go through” the entire mammary gland from the ribs to the nipple area.
If seals are felt somewhere, you need to massage these places longer.

Hand movements should be soft so that the massage brings only pleasant sensations.

Hormones also affect the outflow of milk. To stimulate yourself, you can look at pictures of your baby or think about him. There is no need for embarrassment here: the sight of a beloved child is guaranteed to provoke the release of oxytocin.

In order not to experience discomfort, you need to take a comfortable position. You can turn off the light and sit in an easy chair, turn on pleasant music. From a medical point of view, the best position for pumping is sitting, leaning forward slightly.

How to properly express breast milk

Having prepared the containers and the chest, you can start pumping. Before starting, wash your hands with soap and water.

Place one hand under the chest to hold the mammary gland with it.
Place your other hand on your chest - thumb over the nipple, slightly above the areola. Index - under the areola. The fingers should form a C around the areola of the nipple.
Squeeze the index and thumb, slightly, as if directing the flow of milk outward. Movements should be rhythmic and smooth. Pumping shouldn't be painful.
The lower hand can be released and used to hold the milk collection container.
As soon as the flow of milk has decreased, you need to slightly change the place of pressure (position of the thumb). Thus, you need to go through the entire gland in a circle.
If lactation has already been established, it makes no sense to express to the last drop, because it simply will not be. Valuable liquid will be formed directly in the process of pumping. You need to stop when the flow of milk has significantly weakened, or the planned volume of milk has been collected.

The position of the fingers near the areola must be changed to free all the ducts

When using a breast pump, you need to do all the preparation, and then follow the instructions for the device. A comfortable posture and complete relaxation will help you survive pumping without injury to the nipples and nervous tension.

When decanting, it makes no sense to put pressure on the nipple - this can only injure it. It is necessary to influence the mammary gland itself.

How often should you pump

There is no general rule regarding the number of pumping per day. Everything is determined in a specific situation. Only some general recommendations can be described:

If the baby is full-term, was born healthy, took the breast quickly and sucks well, there is no need to express. Attaching a child on demand will be the best prevention of congestion.
If the child did not immediately take the breast in the first days, for some reason he was lethargic and drowsy, then he will need to be woken up for feeding. If, waking up, the baby actively sucks for less than 10 minutes, you will have to strain the milk for the same amount of time. Everything that has been expressed, it is advisable to give the child from a syringe or pipette. This will need to be done every couple of hours. At discharge, the pediatrician will give his recommendations.
If the baby was born too early and he was put in intensive care, mom will need to pump every 2-3 hours for 15 minutes, regardless of the amount of milk. This will allow you to maintain lactation by the time the baby is discharged.
If the breast is literally swollen from a large amount of milk, the breast will need to be emptied slightly before feeding, so that it is easier for the baby to take the nipple. If stagnation and overcrowding are of great concern, you can express completely 1 time per day. If lactostasis begins (a seal appears and the temperature rises) - 2-3 times a day, but not more often! The more often a woman expresses, the more milk will come - a vicious circle will turn out. It is best to do this little by little, until the discomfort is relieved.
If, for some reason, the mother is not near the baby, but wants to maintain lactation, she will need to express 7-8 times a day, of which at least once at night.

The amount of milk that can be expressed at a time varies from woman to woman. It depends on the stage of lactation, time of day and many other factors that affect lactation "here and now". The average portion of milk in women with established lactation is 130 ml at a time, but you should not focus on this figure. Is there enough milk, look at the weight of the child.

Doing the procedure for the first time

For those who are inexperienced with pumping, it is best to do it under the supervision of a specialist. In maternity hospitals, midwives or nurses are required to help women in this matter. They will show you how to work with your hands and what is the best position to take.
The first pumping should be manual. This will be the softest way for still tender breasts. With this approach, it will be easier to understand your feelings and see exactly which movements help push the milk out of the ducts. It will be possible to "find" the appropriate speed and intensity of movements. If in the future a woman plans to use a breast pump, for the first time you should not set the device to high intensity.

Before the first pumping, it is advisable to watch the video instruction. This will help you make sure you are doing the right thing.

Breast preparation and pumping - video from the Union of Pediatricians of Russia

Storage and use

Expressed milk can be used immediately, stored in the refrigerator or frozen.
If for some reason a woman cannot feed the baby directly from the breast (for example, a painful fissure), she can express milk and give it to the baby in a bottle. Freshly expressed milk does not need to be warmed up in the summer, but if the apartment is cool and it has cooled down a lot during the pumping process, you can warm it up slightly.
Breast milk can be heated in two ways - in a special heater or in a water bath (when a bottle of milk is placed in a jar or saucepan with warm water).

Do not use the microwave to heat breast milk! Microwaves destroy the beneficial properties of this valuable liquid. In addition, this way you can easily overheat milk.

For those who like to express for the future (for the next few days or completely “in reserve”), a refrigerator or freezer will help to save milk. If one pumping session did not collect enough milk, you can mix portions from different pumpings. But you need to do this only with a chilled product! That is, both portions should stand in the refrigerator for some time, and only after that they can be poured into one storage container.

The shelf life of milk for healthy children and babies who are nursed in the hospital is different.

Table: product shelf life

To defrost breast milk, it is advisable to put it out of the freezer in advance in the refrigerator. If you need to feed your baby urgently, you can defrost the milk at room temperature. Breast milk thaws very quickly, so you do not need to warm it up with anything.
The stock of milk in the freezer is called a “bank”: the date of pumping must be written on each container

It is useful for any new mother to know how to properly express breast milk with her hands. Previously, even in the maternity hospital, they were taught to express after each feeding. The babies were fed on a schedule, so it was important to stimulate milk production. Today, doctors and consultants recommend feeding on demand. But in some cases, even now, additional manipulations cannot be dispensed with.

When is pumping necessary?

Nature has made sure that the composition of milk and its quantity are adjusted to the needs of a particular child. Regular application, especially at night, contributes to normal lactation. If everything is in order, then the baby will empty the chest. But sometimes it is difficult to do without pumping.

With a significant rush of milk after childbirth. Often it comes on the third day. At the same time, the sensations are not pleasant: a “stone” chest, which is painful to touch. Ideally, you need to constantly apply the baby, so two goals are achieved: the baby is saturated, and the mother feels relieved. But the newborn is still rather weak, he does not need much food, so he does not always cope. In addition, it is difficult for him to capture a richly filled chest.
To enhance lactation. Setting up this process is often not so easy. The mother's body needs time to determine the amount of milk that needs to be produced. But sometimes it turns out to be less than necessary, for example, if the baby does not grasp the breast correctly. Expressing breast milk helps to increase its production.
To maintain lactation. When a baby is not able to suckle on his own - as happens with premature babies - it is not necessary to stop breastfeeding. It is worth remembering its usefulness. If you express several times a day, including at night, then it is quite realistic to get a full daily portion. During the period of taking medications that are not compatible with feeding, you can carry out the procedure three times a day. This will support the production of milk for the period of treatment.
When mom has to leave. The smaller the child, the more often he eats. Often there is no way to leave it even for two hours. Milk keeps well in the refrigerator, so you can keep a supply of it for other things.
With lactostasis and blockage of the duct. If there is a stagnation of milk, then it is necessary to take action. If the child does not suck well on the affected breast, then it is necessary to express. Otherwise, serious consequences are possible, up to mastitis.

Mechanical and manual pumping

You can decant both with the help of a special breast pump, and manually. Both methods have their pros and cons. The manual method is less traumatic, the intensity of compression, movements are selected individually. In addition, it does not require any costs and is available at any time, no need to carry the device with you.

The advantage of the mechanical method is the rapid production of a large volume of milk. It is practically indispensable when it is not possible to put the baby to the breast: the baby cannot suckle, the mother is often absent, for example, she works.

How to prepare for the procedure?

Why is expressing milk often difficult? It's about how the chest is arranged. It does not have a special tank where milk would be collected. It is evenly distributed along the channels. So physical strength is unlikely to help extract any acceptable amount. The child does not need to make significant efforts: under the influence of hormones, the breast itself gives up its contents, helping the baby. Milk flows by itself. It is important to start this process when pumping, that's when it will be successful.

Hands must be thoroughly washed and dried before handling the breast. In order for the milk to flow well, it is worth attaching a slightly heated towel, drinking a glass of warm drink, and rolling the nipple between your fingers. Since the mother is tuned in to the baby, contact with the child will also be stimulation. You can hold him in your arms, look at him, even just smell the clothes he wore.

Expressed breast milk may separate. It's not scary, you just need to shake the bottle before feeding. It will become uniform again.

A well-established method of mitigation by pressure. It is especially effective in cases where the chest is full, the areola is hard or swollen. With this method, the fingers are placed near the nipple, gently pressed and held for at least a minute, and preferably three. Then uniform stimulation of the nerves will trigger the milk ejection reflex, and it will be easier for fluids to pass through the expanded ducts.

How to express properly?

Knowing the rules for expressing breast milk, it is easier to achieve the desired result.

Manual procedure is carried out according to the following scheme.

Prepare a container by washing it and dousing it with boiling water. It is convenient if it is with a wide neck.
Take a comfortable posture.
The fingers are placed where the light skin passes into the areola. In this case, the thumb should be on top, and the index and middle fingers should be on the bottom.
Press the fingers on the chest towards you. It will probably have to be repeated more than once before milk appears.
Then you need to make a squeezing movement, holding the fold and pulling it away from you. The procedure must be painless.
The fingers must be moved gradually so that all segments are emptied.

It is important not to rub the chest, you can not knead it, massage it, squeeze it. There is no point in pressing the nipple. The fingers should touch gently. So that they do not slip off, it is necessary from time to time to wipe them and the breast from milk with a pre-prepared towel or diaper.

The procedure takes from 5 minutes for each breast. After the flow of milk decreases in one, you can move on to another. Then repeat. It will take about half an hour in total. There is no need to strive to express milk completely: this is impossible, since it always arrives.

Possible mistakes

In cases where you need to express breast milk, it is important not to make common mistakes.

Using the wrong technique that causes pain. If everything is done correctly, then there will be no unpleasant sensations.
Carrying out manipulations in an inclined position. It takes half an hour to express milk. During this time, the back will get tired due to the load on the muscles.
Squeezing the nipple. Milk is not in it, so such actions are meaningless. But you can provoke cracks in it.
Inaccurate movements. The chest should not be rubbed and kneaded. Intense actions can lead to tissue injury, inflammation, mastitis.
Expressing too much milk. If the goal is to alleviate engorgement, then the procedure should be carried out until you feel comfortable. Otherwise, in the future, milk production will increase.

Errors include refusal to pump if the first attempts were unsuccessful. Do not give up, the breast will gradually begin to react and give milk in the desired amount. Especially when the subtleties of the tides are studied, the right movements are selected and the appropriate mood is created.

Features of breast milk

Breast milk should not be expected to look like cow's milk. It comes in different textures: yellow and oily or translucent and bluish. In any case, it is able to meet the needs of the child at different ages. No matter how it looks, it will not be empty, unless, of course, the woman eats well.

Milk keeps well. It can be kept in the refrigerator for a day, during which time it will not have time to deteriorate. If you need to keep it for a longer period, then you should freeze it. Then it will be usable for several months.

Some manufacturers produce special containers for storing milk. Or any glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Often, jars of baby purees are used for this purpose. It is best to defrost in a water bath. Before giving food to the baby, you should make sure that the milk is not hot and not bitter.

During the establishment of lactation, it is useful to know how to express breast milk, because it can come in excess. In addition, the possession of this technique will allow a nursing mother to make a small supply in the freezer. Then an unexpected absence or the need to take medication will not be taken by surprise.