Expressing milk

1. Practice definitely makes perfect when using a breast pump. It seems strange at first, but once you get to grips with the pump you’ll be able to express quickly and easily.
2. Ensure you have time, privacy and are not in a rush for expressing. Your let down reflex depends on it! Try gently massaging your breasts for a few minutes first, warm wet flannels on your breasts will help even more at first. It can also help to have your baby nearby, or at least a photo or item belonging to him or her. It’s true that a lot of expressing is in the mind!
3. Sterilise your pump before you start if you are planning on giving this milk to your baby later. Store in a sterile container, clearly labelled with the date and amount, in the back of the fridge for 24 hours, or freezer for 3 months.
4. Many mums I work with find that if they express once every morning after feeding their baby, they have a store of milk to use when they wish. For example, if baby’s dad would like to give a feed, or another family member or babysitter? Maybe you would like to give your baby a bottle when out and about sometimes rather than breastfeed. You can be much more flexible if you have this option.
5. To defrost breast milk for use later the same day, sit the container in the fridge and allow to defrost slowly – to use within 24 hours. For use immediately, stand the container in a container of warm water or for convenience use a Bottle and Babyfood Warmer. The new one from Philips AVENT has technology which calculates how long to defrost and heat up the milk to the correct temperature to feed to your baby. Once milk has been warmed it should be used within an hour or thrown away. Never keep for a later feed.
6. If you are fully breastfeeding, but know you will want your baby to take a bottle at some point in the first year (say if you are going back to work) don’t leave it too late to get your baby used to a bottle. By 4 months old many babies refuse to take one at all. My usual advice to mums is to introduce a regular bottle of expressed milk by about 8 weeks - just a few times a week. Then there won’t be battles when you need your baby to take it.
7. When expressing milk, use your pump to make the most of your body’s physiology. Try quick, gentle compressions of the handle for the first minute or two (or three), to stimulate your ‘let-down’. Once the milk starts to flow, slow down and compress the handle more firmly, as much as feels comfortable. When the flow stops (5-15 mins usually), swap sides and repeat. Come back to the first breast and see if you can stimulate another let down. Repeat on second side. (This is an example, and applies if you are trying to fully express both breasts. We are all different so try different things and go along with what works best for you).