Proper breastfeeding does not require the skill of expressing milk from the breast. Breastfeeding of the baby is based on the supply-demand principle. But situations arise when expressing milk is necessary for a number of reasons. Therefore, learning this is necessary and important for any young mother.
It is not necessary to express milk from the breast for no reason, because the baby receives as much milk from it as he needs. Expressing is needed if mom has too much milk (risk of mastitis) or she went to work and decided to leave milk in jars. If the child requires more food, but the mother does not have enough, then this procedure will help to establish lactation. Weak and premature babies cannot suckle at the breast, so pumping is helpful here too.
You can express milk manually or with a special device called a breast pump. Some mothers are more comfortable and much faster to express everything with their hands. But in stores there are automatic breast pumps that you just need to put on your breast and wait for the bottle to fill.
Before you decide to express milk yourself, you need to prepare.
Sip a warm cup of tea 10 minutes before pumping and relax. You can wash your breasts with warm water or attach a towel soaked in warm water to it. Massage your breasts with your hands in a circular motion. The massage stimulates the production of oxytocin, a hormone that produces milk. Do everything gently and slowly. Psychology is a good method for milk flow. To do this, you need to think about your baby, feel his smell, remember his voice. Baby stuff in the room will also remind you of him.
It's even easier when the child is around. You can give him one breast, and at this time express milk into a container from the other. A child is the best stimulant for hot flashes.
Before expressing yourself, wash your hands, use a clean jar or milk bottle. Sit back and relax.
Then, grab your chest with your palm so that your thumb is above the areola and the rest is below. Use your thumb to lightly press down on the breast, directing the milk into the nipple. Help with the lower part of your hand, slightly lifting and pressing on the chest. The whole procedure is aimed at directing milk from different lobes of the breast to the nipple with sliding movements of the hand. If done correctly, you will see milk pouring into the bottle in a trickle. Move your palm all over the chest around the areola until the milk just starts dripping. After that, move to the other chest.
If it hurts while expressing, then you are pressing hard with your finger on your chest. Try not to rub the skin with your fingertips, but gently guide it by pressing. If your hand is tired, change your chest, and then return to the first one again. You should not express only the upper milk, it has less calories. If milk flow is weak, try pushing other lobes before changing breasts.
It takes time to learn how to express milk correctly, but you shouldn't back down. Having gained experience, it will turn out much faster.
If you find it difficult to manually express milk or simply do not have time for this, you can use a breast pump. There is a large selection of this device in pharmacies and children's stores. You can choose what suits you financially. Any type of this device has detailed instructions on how to express milk.
But there are general requirements for all breast pumps. This is that before using them for the first time, you need to wash them well and sterilize the parts that come into contact with the breast. When using a breast pump, a woman should not be hurt or uncomfortable. The chest should not strain, pull or burn. After using the device, it must be washed with soap and rinsed with boiling water. The bottle in which the milk is collected must be stored in the refrigerator. And remember, if you have cracked nipples, then using a breast pump is prohibited.
You can store expressed milk at room temperature, but no more than 6-8 hours. In the refrigerator, it will last up to 2-3 days. Breast milk can also be frozen and stored in this form for several weeks.
