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Breast milk is the best food you can give your baby, especially in the first six months of life. There are many reasons why new parents might choose to feed expressed milk to their baby rather than feeding directly from the breast. Providing your expressed milk to your baby can be done using a breast pump or you can also express milk by hand.
Learning how to express milk can be helpful during the early days with your baby to help boost your supply. It also lets you have another way of giving your milk to your baby should you need to.
Expressing milk by hand
For some new parents, expressing milk by hand can help encourage the milk ejection reflex, also known as “letdown.” This might be especially beneficial for new parents with sore nipples or who are struggling to breast feed.
To express milk by hand, first create a “C” shape with your thumb and fingers. Place them no more than 1.5 inches away from your nipple, and press back toward your chest. Compress your breast between your fingers and thumb, moving them slightly towards your nipple without lifting them from your breast. Release without moving your hand from your breast. Keep your hand in the same position until you don’t have any more milk coming out. Then, move your hand to another area of your breast so that you compress all of your milk ducts. Releasing and repeating rhythmically helps mimic the action of a baby breastfeeding. Work on one breast for 5 to 10 minutes, then switch to the other.
Keep in mind that you may not get much milk the first few times you hand express. With practice, you’ll get more. Hand expression should feel comfortable. If it is painful, adjust what you’re doing until it feels ok.
Using a breast pump
You can choose to express breast milk by hand or pump breast milk to provide the same nutrition to your baby even if you’re not with them. There are many reasons you might start using a breast pump. Pumps can help you boost milk production. Pumping also helps prevent breast engorgement and discomfort while keeping up your milk supply. This is a good way to provide your breastmilk to your baby even if another person bottle feeds them, or if they need to spend time in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Pumping usually takes 10 to 20 minutes. You should plan to pump or breastfeed your baby at least every 3 to 4 hours. Before you start, be sure to find a clean, comfortable, private place to pump. If you’re at work, this could be an empty conference room or office with a door. Your area should have electrical outlets if you’re using an electric breast pump.
Try to find a clean place to pump.
Types of breast pumps
There are a few different types of breast pumps to choose from.
Battery-operated pumps are usually rechargeable and can be handy if you don’t have an electrical outlet nearby. Battery-operated pumps are lightweight and portable, but they usually cost more than other types of pumps. Many newer models pump from both breasts at the same time.
Electric pumps are the best way to ensure you have a good milk supply. These pumps may be used on both breasts at the same time. They also usually hold up well if you’re planning to have more children. Kaiser Permanente can help you rent an electric breast pump from one of our clinics or local Health Education Centers. If you’re interested, ask a member of your care team about renting a pump.
Manual pumps are also a good option for those who don’t need to pump often. They are used on one breast at a time, and you do have to use both hands to manually express milk. This method is usually more time consuming.
Cleaning your pump
Regardless of the type of pump used, it’s important to keep all components of the pump clean. Before every use, be sure to wash your hands, inspect and assemble your pump kit, and clean the dials, power switch, and countertop with disinfecting wipes.
After each use, you can clean the pump parts by hand or in a dishwasher if they’re dishwasher safe. If you’re cleaning by hand, use a special wash basin for your baby’s feeding items — don’t put any parts directly in your sink.
Using soap and water, scrub each part with a clean brush that you only use for this purpose. Rinse all items by holding them under water, then allow them to air dry. Also, clean the basin and the bottle brush after every use.
It’s a good idea to sanitize your pump’s parts at least once a day. If the parts are dishwasher safe, wash them on the “sanitize” setting. This provides extra germ removal and can be important for babies who were premature, have a weakened immune system, or are less than three months old. Be sure to check the manufacture recommendations regarding sterilization for your particular pump. Some pumps require extremely cold temperatures to sterilize.
When you’re finished cleaning the pump, store all dry parts in a clean, protected container or area. You should make sure the items are totally dry before storing them, since even a little moisture can lead to germs and mold.
Storing breast milk
Once you’ve pumped, you should store breast milk in plastic bottles or bags that are designed to refrigerate or freeze it. Store only small quantities of milk in one container — 2 to 4 ounces per container is ideal.
Label each container with the date you pumped the milk and use the oldest stored milk first. Do not add any fresh milk to already frozen milk.
Each container of milk should be cooled in your refrigerator, then placed into your freezer. You can store breastmilk in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and in the freezer for 6 to 12 months.
Serving stored breast milk
Before feeding your baby, you need to warm the milk back up again. You can place the milk container in a bowl of warm tap water, or you can hold it under warm running water. Commercial bottle warmers can also heat your breastmilk to a safe temperature for your baby.
Never microwave stored breast milk. Also, don’t refreeze it, and be sure to throw away whatever milk your baby doesn’t drink. Always use clean bottles and nipples when feeding your baby.