Hand expressing breastmilk

Who needs to be able to hand express? Everyone!

All women should be shown how to hand express to relieve discomfort and engorgement irrespective of intention to feed. It can help develop confidence in the body’s ability to produce milk and help women feel relaxed about touching their breasts.

Why else? to help the baby attach when the breasts are very full to bring milk to the nipple to encourage a reluctant baby to feed to produce milk for the baby if the mother is going to be apart from the baby to keep up the milk supply if the mother is going to be apart from her baby to produce milk for the baby if he can’t go to the breast (cups, syringes)

to improve the milk supply if there is too much milk for the baby’s needs to demonstrate how milk is ejected from the breasts for women who are having trouble latching their baby on

Hand expressing is always available and always free, nothing to buy, store, wash, sterilise, or break down!

Antenatal teaching is ideal

Initiating the let-down reflex is key to all expressing. Hand expressing may be easier as more natural can hold or feed baby on the other side look at pictures of baby massage breasts warm room warm drink warm bath or shower deep breathing/relaxation massage