Breast-feeding: expressing milk
Bottles of your own expressed milk can be given to your baby when you are ill, extremely tired, or are leaving the baby with someone else.
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Expressed milk can be kept in sterile containers in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours, or frozen and kept in the freezer for up to six months. This will enable your partner or child-minder to feed your baby with your milk. Also, because breasts produce milk in response to demand, you may need to express milk in order to keep your supply going - if your baby is premature and can't yet breast-feed, for example.
Milk can be expressed by hand or with a breast pump. Electric pumps are more expensive but easier to use than the manual versions. They imitate a baby's natural sucking cycle more closely and are best if you need to express often. Even if you use a pump, it is worth learning the technique of hand expressing in case you need it. Before you start, get a bowl, a funnel and a container that can be sealed, and sterilize all of them, either in a sterilizing solution or with boiling water. Make sure your hands are clean.
Hand expressing is nearly always a bit difficult in the first six weeks as the breasts have not reached full production, but do persevere. The best time to express milk is in the morning, when you'll have the most milk, although when your baby drops the night feed you may find the evening the best time. You'll be able to express 30-60ml (1-2floz) without too much trouble.
The more relaxed you are, the easier it will be to express your milk. If the milk won't start to flow, place a warm flannel over your breasts to open the ducts, or try expressing in the bath. If you have to lean over a low surface, expressing may give you backache, so make sure you are comfortable and that the container is at a convenient height.
Expressing tips
- Expressing milk should never hurt. If it does you're not doing it correctly; stop immediately.
- Every piece of equipment and all containers should be sterile; your hands must be clean.
- If you're worried about your baby not going back to breast-feeding having got used to the bottle, try giving the expressed milk from a cup, with a spoon. They should both be sterilized.
- Milk must be stored correctly otherwise it will go off and make your baby ill. As soon as you've collected your milk put it into the refrigerator until it is needed; it will keep for 48 hours. You can also freeze the milk for up to six months; the expressed milk should be put into sterile plastic containers that can be sealed. Don't use glass - it might crack.
New Babycare
Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley
Text copyright © 2009 Miriam Stoppard
Posted 30.06.2010
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