Expressing milk is the process of removing milk from the breast using a manual, electric or hand-operated pump. You may want to express your milk in the following situations:
- Your breasts are uncomfortably full
- If you are going back to work or will be away from your baby for a while, you should stock up so that your baby can be fed with your milk during that period
- Your baby is not getting enough nutrition (for example, because your baby was born with a cleft lip or cleft palate)
- Your baby was born early and you want to have your milk reserve ready by the time he or she starts to suckle
- Ensuring continuity of milk if you take medication
- To increase milk production after breastfeeding
Some mothers express some colostrum (the first milk rich in carbohydrates, protein and antibodies) in the last trimester of pregnancy and store it in the freezer in case they or the baby develop nutritional problems immediately after birth.
If you express immediately after birth, you can store the colostrum at 32°C for up to 12 hours. However, you will find that you can express very little milk during this period, for example a teaspoonful at a time. Three to five days after your baby is born, your breasts will start to produce “mature milk” and the amount of milk you produce will start to increase.
If your baby cannot take the breast, it is important to start expressing milk as early as possible and to express as often as you breastfeed your baby (8 or 12 times in 24 hours in the early days).
Milking is a learned skill
Milking is a skill that needs to be learned. So don’t be discouraged if you don’t milk fast enough at first.
A breast pump works by creating and releasing a vacuum to extract milk from the breast. A little preparation before hand can be useful.
Since increased stress and a drop in body temperature can reduce the efficiency of the expressing process, you can try applying a warm compress or giving a breast massage to relax your breasts. Looking at a photo of your baby or smelling a piece of clothing that has your baby’s scent will also help. Early morning is a good time to express milk, as milk reserves are abundant immediately after breastfeeding. Of course, you can express milk as often as you like at any time. It is also possible to express while your baby is sucking on one breast. This will create a twin baby effect in your body and will contribute to an increase in your milk production.