Technique for decanting breast milk with hands algorithm. How to express breast milk easily and painlessly

One of the useful and necessary skills when breastfeeding is to express milk. It will be necessary for stagnation and engorgement of the breast, if it is necessary to supplement the child in your absence, as well as when stimulating lactation.

Naturally, it is more convenient and faster to express milk from the breast with a breast pump, but if the situation requires, and this device is not at hand or pumping is only occasionally required, you need to know how to express milk with your hands.

In fact, the technique of expressing breast milk is not difficult, and any nursing mother can perfectly master it.

Expression of breast milk

Previously, when there were recommendations on regimen feeding, after all feedings, women were additionally recommended to express breast milk. Due to the fact that the child ate by the hour, he could not suck out enough milk, and the mother could have stagnation.

But today you still need to know how to properly express milk with your hands, as there are situations when this may be required. Proper hand pumping is essential for:

strong breast filling
engorgement, soreness and difficulty attaching the child
lactostasis (blockage of the milk duct with a seal)
prematurity and weakness, diseases of the child if it is necessary to supplement or feed with expressed milk
maternal diseases associated with the use of medications incompatible with breastfeeding
the absence of the mother during the period of several feedings, so that the child can be fed with breast milk.

How to express milk correctly?

When expressing milk with your hands, there are certain rules that do not require special efforts of the mother, and which help in mastering the skills of how to express milk with your hands.

First of all, this will be taught in the maternity hospital, at least a day after childbirth, to stimulate lactation and colostrum separation.

You should not repeat the manual pumping procedure more than three times a day, and after nine in the evening, you should not pump at all - just apply the baby.

It is necessary to express milk manually a couple of hours before feeding, and the procedure is carried out until a feeling of pronounced relief, but not to the last drop.

At the same time, all movements must be accurate and delicate so as not to injure the breast tissue.

You can seek help from a lactation consultant or watch online videos on how to manually express breast milk. It usually takes quite a bit of training to get everything right and fast.

How to express milk

Often women ask how to express milk with your hands? In fact, the pumping procedure is quite simple.

To make pumping easier, take a hot shower or apply a warm towel to your chest.

After these steps, you need to slightly stretch your chest with light circular movements, rolling it between your palms. Then you need to take the breast behind the areola and nipple in such a way that the hand forms the letter "C", while the thumb is above the areola, the rest of the fingers are under the nipple area.

With rolling movements, you need to gently squeeze your fingers in the direction of the nipple, while you need to press on the areola, and not on the nipple. There is no milk in the nipple and this can cause soreness.

The decanting of the mammary glands is carried out for each lobe, at first very little milk is released, gradually its amount increases.

As you empty each lobe, move on to the next to evenly empty your chest.

How to express breast milk in the presence of stagnation? Everything is done in exactly the same way, but you should not press hard on the area of \u200b\u200bdensification, you need to express milk with smooth rolling movements of your fingers, as if driving milk to the nipple.

It is worth remembering that when decanting milk with your hands, the stagnation may not immediately clear up and this is not dangerous, the ducts are gradually emptied and the seal will come off.

This method of expressing the breast is accessible to everyone and simple, it does not require material costs, but it requires skill.

Rules for expressing and storing breast milk

Milk is expressed only with clean, dry hands into a sterile container with a wide neck. It will be inconvenient to collect milk in a narrow opening.

Pumping is done slowly and gently, without causing pain, and you should not express your chest to the last drop.

The collected milk can be fed to the baby right there or put in the refrigerator.

Milk completely retains its properties at room temperature for 6-8 hours, in a refrigerator for up to a day or more, and when frozen, it can be stored for up to several months.

If you yourself are having a hard time deciding how to properly express milk from your breast, a lactation consultant can show and tell you this.

Under some conditions, practical help on how to properly express your breasts may also be needed. This is especially true for lactostasis and incipient mastitis, when active decanting of the breast and normalization of milk outflow prevents inflammation.

Expressing breast milk by hand is a useful skill that every nursing mother needs. When mastered, it can solve many problems with breastfeeding.

When feeding the baby on demand, lactation stabilizes quite quickly, and milk comes in depending on the needs of the baby. And then pumping is simply not required.

Hyperlactation

How to manually? Some mothers still try to strain milk after feeding, even if the baby eats on demand. Most often, they quickly give up this exhausting task and start generating surpluses. Hyperlactation appears: the mammary glands begin to produce a product for twins or for a very voracious baby.

How often should you express breast milk

Most often, more milk arrives than required, and its excess should be "removed". During the arrival of milk, it is impossible to express everything without a trace, because substances that signal the formation of excess milk appear in the breast only a day later. If you express all the milk earlier than in a day, then the same amount is formed. If milk is coming actively, then the mother should breastfeed the baby as many times as he asks. You can express excess only when the child does not want to suck, and the mother has painful sensations in her chest.

How to express properly In this case, you can drain a little, so that a feeling of relief appears. After childbirth in the first twenty days, you should act similarly. Most women, after the birth of a baby, already in the first month organize themselves to stabilize in a natural way, periodic bursts of milk disappear, and the breast becomes soft.

Separate stay

How to properly express breast milk? Basically, mothers have breast problems after the birth of the baby, when the child is brought according to the regimen, and he does not always want to suckle. In such cases, mothers need to give the baby both breasts during feeding in order to better stimulate lactation. When kept separately, the baby is supplemented from the nipple, so he may not grasp the breast correctly, and the mammary glands are poorly emptied. after the baby is born? In the first days before the arrival of milk, each feeding can be considered a pumping. But if the baby did not suck during feeding or sucked sluggishly, the mother must definitely drain both breasts. If after the birth of the baby after 3-4 days the milk does not arrive, the addition of two additional pumping will be required.

breast engorgement

In such cases, the self-managed mother-baby mode does not work, so it is necessary to limit fluid intake per day to 3-4 glasses. At the same time, you need to express both breasts twice a day. If after a day the condition does not improve, then once a day, both breasts should be drained completely.

Difficulties with feeding

After being kept separately at home, a baby who is accustomed to the regimen may have difficulty attaching to the breast. How to properly express breast milk? Mom will have to learn how to properly attach, control and teach the baby to suck well. In such situations, it is better to switch the baby to feeding on demand. From pumping gradually refuse, reducing their number and volume of expressed milk.

Expressing breast milk is one of the most important skills for every breastfeeding mom. It is necessary in different cases: due to swelling of the mother's breast, the need to feed the baby, during the period of lactation. Milk production depends on both the mother and the baby. However, not everyone is able to establish feeding quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to properly prepare for this process. How to properly express breast milk, we will tell in this article. The health of the woman and the usefulness of the diet of the baby depend on the correct pumping technique.

When to Express Milk

There are several situations when feeding is not possible without pumping:

premature birth. A baby who was born prematurely does not yet have a breast sucking reflex. Such children do not know how to suck, but they really need breastfeeding, their life and health may depend on it. Unlike purchased mixtures, mother's milk contains the maximum amount of nutrients that accelerate the development of the baby. Therefore, pumping in this case is considered the only correct option.
Weak sucking reflex. Many babies are born with an underdeveloped sucking reflex. They suckle their breasts very slowly and for a long time, as a result they do not eat up. Most often, this lasts only the first week after birth, and then the child gets used to daily efforts. But if this continues further, it is worth excluding the possibility of serious diseases in the baby by contacting the doctor. In any case, you can not stop feeding, just learn how to properly express breast milk and start feeding your baby from a bottle.
Bad lactation. When there is very little milk coming, all means of producing it are good. Knowing how to express breast milk with your hands, you can increase its flow. Constant pumping enhances lactation, although it makes it unstable for the child's regimen.
During treatment. Many medicines are prohibited for nursing mothers due to their penetration into milk, which can harm the health of the baby. But it happens that their counterparts do not cope with the treatment. In order not to stop breastfeeding, milk is expressed before taking medication and frozen to feed the baby for the period of treatment. Regular pumping allows you not to stop breastfeeding during treatment. The breast continues to produce milk, albeit not for the baby.

How does normalization of lactation occur?

The establishment of lactation awaits every woman who has given birth. Therefore, knowledge of the technique of expressing breast milk is necessary. In the first minutes after the birth of a child, it is impossible to call milk produced in the mother’s breast, but for a newborn it is already good nutrition. Only after two or three days the breast is filled with milk. The child is not able to immediately suck out such large portions, so it is necessary to express breast milk. When and how much milk needs to be expressed, it is easy to determine by the baby's appetite. If you do not express milk from both breasts in a timely manner, this can lead to serious health problems.

Periodic pumping during this period will normalize lactation. It is impossible to squeeze out all the milk from the breast at once, as soon as it ceases to be hard to the touch, pumping must be stopped. The flow of milk will gradually adjust to the feeding of the baby, and pumping may no longer be required.

Preparing to Express Milk

Proper expression of breast milk is especially difficult for those women who have their first child. But with proper preparation, the process will be as comfortable as possible. Where to start:

15 minutes before pumping, you need to drink hot relaxing tea.
It is good to warm up the chest, go to the shower, and then attach a warm towel to the chest.
If the baby is not around, think about him with your eyes closed.
Lightly massage the chest with your hands.

This completes the preparation for pumping. The most important thing is not to be nervous and not to worry. Before expressing breast milk with your hands, you need to tune in to a good result. Then everything will happen naturally easily. A more serious procedure should be carried out in the presence of lactostasis. With it, stagnation appears in the chest, which must be removed with a special massage and rubbing.

Hand expressing milk

When hand expressing breast milk, it is worth remembering hygiene. Before starting the procedure, hands must be thoroughly washed and dishes sterilized. For pumping, you will need a container with a wide base, such as a deep plate or cup. The container must be placed at chest level for pumping to be as comfortable as possible. Next, you need to adhere to the following technique:

Grasp the areola with your fingers, the big one should be at the top, and the rest at the bottom. The fingers should be clenched towards the ribs and resemble the letter C.
Next, you need to roll your fingers towards the nipple. Movements should be slow, but rhythmic and confident.
You can move your fingers around the circumference of the areola for more aggressive pumping. But you can not let go of the skin or go beyond the areola area.
At first, the milk will drip, but then it will pour in streams.

Pumping one breast takes about 15 minutes. However, at first it can take up to half an hour. After several procedures, the technique will improve, and the process will be significantly reduced.

Manual pumping rules

So that this process does not cause pain or discomfort, it is worth considering some rules for expressing breast milk:

During pumping, do not massage the breast, put pressure on it or squeeze it. Painful sensations that cause discomfort will only reduce milk production.
Fingers should be continuously on the areola. You can not tear them from the chest and re-compress the skin.
The fingers should move continuously around the circumference. Thus, all milk ducts will be worked out as much as possible.
The breast needs to be changed every 5-7 minutes.
You can not pull the nipple, such actions can lead to dryness, wounds and cracks.
Expression of the breast should be painless, if there are discomfort, then the technique is broken.
A woman should be in a comfortable position, maximum relaxation contributes to good lactation.
Before the first procedure of expressing milk, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Pros and cons of hand expressing milk

Like any procedure, expressing breast milk manually has a list of advantages and disadvantages. Of the advantages of this method can be noted:

There are no contraindications for breastfeeding.
It does not require any investment.
A woman can regulate the entire process of feeding the baby herself, without getting up even from the bed.
Absence of any injury.
Manual pumping does not cause pain, as it happens when using a breast pump.
Skin contact promotes good lactation.
You can stimulate the mammary glands well only with your own hands.
There are no side effects of hand pumping.

There are also a few downsides:

Long time to express breast milk.
A woman must carefully prepare and strictly observe the pumping technique.
Not everyone manages to evenly empty their breasts, this causes stagnation of milk.

Expression with a breast pump

Breast pumps are the constant helpers of every nursing mother. They allow you to express milk quickly and safely. There are a huge number of their variations, divided by cost, manufacturer and mode of action. Knowing the advantages of each model, a woman can choose the most comfortable device for herself.

Breast pumps are divided into two large groups: mechanical and electrical. To decide on a model, you need to know how these two types of devices work. By following the instructions, you can learn how to work with any of them correctly.

Mechanical breast pumps

These devices are most commonly referred to as manual breast pumps. They are suitable for those women who rarely express milk, for example, when lactation is normalized immediately after childbirth or during short separations from the baby. Mechanical devices are divided into several types, divided by the mode of action.

Pump action. This model of breast pump is the easiest to use. It consists of a funnel and a pear-shaped rubber pump. Pumping of this type of breast occurs when the pump is squeezed with hands. The vacuum created inside the device provokes the secretion of milk.

Syringe. The device itself looks like a syringe. The breast pump includes two cylinders: internal and external. The inner one is applied to the chest, and the outer one needs to make translational movements.

Piston. This machine contains a breast attachment, a milk bowl and a lever. To empty the mammary glands, you need to attach a funnel to the areola and constantly press the lever. Of all mechanical models, it is piston breast pumps that are considered the most comfortable. They do not provoke milk stagnation and are very easy to manage.

Electric breast pumps

These models also create a vacuum in the nipple area, but their power is not manual force, but a motor powered by batteries or mains. To begin the pumping process, a woman just needs to attach the breast pump to her breast and press the button. Electric devices greatly simplify the extraction of milk, do not cause discomfort, and also do not require a lot of time for the procedure. How much to express breast milk, the woman decides for herself, thanks to the adjustment of the device modes. The breast after expressing with the help of such a breast pump becomes soft, and the flow of milk flows in a trickle. This is a good sign of a successful pumping.

Breast milk storage

Every woman should be aware of the rules for storing expressed milk. If they are neglected, milk will not only lose all its beneficial properties, but can also adversely affect the health of the baby. Spoiled breast milk develops bacteria and pathogens. To prevent this from happening, milk must be expressed and stored in a hygienic manner. At room temperature, milk is stored for no more than 3 hours. Storage of breast milk after pumping in the refrigerator should last no more than 4 days. If you express milk in reserve, you need to take care of the container in advance. Transfusions are highly discouraged, so you need to express directly into a freezer bag or container.

Where to store breast milk

Having decided on how to properly express breast milk, you should find a suitable storage for it. When choosing a container for milk, it is worth considering the shelf life, as well as its required amount. Recommended storage containers:

Simple baby bottles are suitable for single feeding.
Electric breast pumps have special containers for storing milk. They put a nipple on them and immediately start feeding.
For storage of 2-3 days or more, use special plastic containers for breast milk. They are sterilized and suitable for storage in the freezer.
It is also convenient to keep milk in baby food jars. They, along with lids, can be sterilized at home, but such containers cannot be stored in the freezer. Glass under the influence of sub-zero temperatures bursts.
Industrial production packages. They have a place for marking and the date of pumping. These bags are very easy to freeze.

How to freeze breast milk

Freezing breast milk is a real lifesaver for women. Lactation can stop at any time due to stress, lack of sleep, rest, and many other reasons. Considering that frozen milk can be stored in the freezer for up to six months, every mother can prevent this unexpected loss by periodically replenishing milk supplies in the freezer. Let it cool well before freezing. This can be done either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. It is not worth pouring milk from one container to another, even if sterilization is observed.

The freeze mode must be turned on immediately after placing the container in the freezer. For this purpose, you will need to allocate a separate shelf where other products will not be stored. Milk bags must be labeled with pumping dates. You also need to indicate the date of freezing. These storage rules are very important, since milk cannot be stored longer than the allotted time.

How to heat milk from the refrigerator

Before you feed your baby with milk from the refrigerator, it must be warmed up in a special bottle warmer. It can also be done in a water bath or warmed up under hot tap water. Before warming milk from the freezer, it must be brought to a liquid state in the refrigerator. Only when it has thawed can it be taken out and heated in the usual way.

Do not heat milk in the microwave, oven or under boiling water. These methods can only destroy all the beneficial substances of breast milk. Such food will not only not benefit the baby, but can also worsen his health. You can not re-freeze milk, it is better to throw away the leftovers that have not been used in food.

How to breastfeed and express milk is explained in detail even in the hospital. But every woman and her child is a separate, unique case. Therefore, it is worth getting a personal recommendation on feeding while already at home, in a comfortable environment.

How to express breast milk with your hands and is it necessary to do it? This question worries mothers who are breastfeeding. If you feed the baby on demand, then he himself regulates the amount of milk produced (how much he drinks, so much he will arrive) and pumping is required only if necessary.

In what cases is pumping required?

The chest is abundantly filled with milk and becomes dense.
Taking medications that pass into breast milk and harm the baby, while the mother wants to maintain lactation and start feeding after stopping the medication.
Laktostasis.
Cracked nipples.
Mastitis.
To maintain lactation during the period of separation of the mother from the child.
If the baby is premature and has not yet developed a sucking reflex.
The baby refuses to take the breast and feeds only from the bottle.
We need to stock up on milk.

Benefits of manual pumping over breast pumps

Breast milk is expressed by hand or with a breast pump. Hand pumping has a number of advantages:

available;
physiologically;
increases lactation;
can be used in any conditions;
does not injure the mammary gland, subject to the technique;
painlessly.

Flaws:

need experience and practice;
the process takes at least 20 minutes.

A breast pump can quickly pump out a large amount of milk, but a high-quality device is expensive, the pumping process is painful (you need to get used to it), there is swelling of the nipple and areola, and the risk of bruising.

Rules for expressing breast milk

If you need to get rid of the feeling of fullness in the chest, then you need to express a little until you feel relief and soften the mammary gland.
To get full-fledged milk (front and back), decant for at least 20 minutes.
Do not stop the procedure if the milk began to stand out drop by drop. You have to wait and it will trickle again.
You can express milk from one breast while the baby suckles the other. This makes the process easier.
Manual pumping is carried out by alternating the mammary glands. After emptying the first, they take the second, and after 5 minutes they return to the first. This method produces more milk and does not skip the "back" fatty portion.
The procedure is carried out every 2-3 hours, which corresponds to the interval between attachments to the baby's chest.
You can not squeeze and stretch the nipple: the milk ducts are damaged.
It is contraindicated to slide your fingers over the skin and squeeze it.
Milk is expressed into a clean, boiled water or sterile dish, before that, hands are washed with soap and water.

How to prepare for pumping

The manual pumping procedure is carried out in a calm, relaxing environment. Before you start, you need to drink two glasses of water or warm tea, take a shower, massage your breasts, which helps to improve the flow of milk.

Massage is carried out with the fingertips, making circular movements of small amplitude. Starting from the armpit, gradually reaching the areola. Thus, they pass through the entire mammary gland with movements from top to bottom and in a spiral. Finish by stroking the breast towards the nipple, then move to the other mammary gland. Movements should be soft and delicate. Massage allows you to resume the flow of milk if it has stopped.

Psychological techniques help to get more milk and speed up the process:

mental representation of the streams of the river flowing into the sea;
physical contact with the child;
contemplating a photo of the baby while pumping or remembering him if the child is not around;
listening to relaxing music or sounds of nature (the sound of water, rain) through headphones.

Manual Expression: Technique

Every nursing mother should know how to properly express breast milk with her hands. This art is easy to master. Hands are the best breast pump. If you follow the technique, then the process of manual pumping will be easy and painless. Procedure steps:
Place your hand on your chest so that the thumb is on top, and the rest are below (clearly opposite the thumb), at a distance of 2-3 centimeters from the nipple.
Press simultaneously with your thumb and other fingers on the breast tissue in the direction of the chest, then with a rolling motion, turn your fingers forward to push the milk out of the milk ducts. If there is pain, then the technique is broken. Repeat these movements until the milk runs out, then move to the next section.
To effectively empty your chest, you can imagine it as a clock face. First, the fingers are located at 12 (big) and 6 (other fingers) hours, then we shift to 13 and 7 hours. Thus, you need to go through the entire mammary gland.
Milk may not appear immediately. First it appears drop by drop, then it is released in a jet. The woman must carry out the procedure for manual decantation on her own.

Rules for storing and freezing breast milk

Breast milk retains its properties and does not deteriorate under the following conditions:

at room temperature, the shelf life is 4-6 hours in a sterile, tightly closed container;
in the refrigerator 8 days;
in the freezer for up to 6 months at a temperature of at least -13 degrees Celsius.

In the general compartment of the refrigerator, breast milk is placed as deep as possible; it cannot be kept in the door.

For storage use a special container, which is sold in pharmacies. These are plastic containers and bags, cups and glass bottles. High-quality containers are airtight and tightly closed, sterile, equipped with a measuring scale.

Glass and plastic containers with transparent thick walls better preserve the nutritional and immune components of breast milk. Disposable plastic bags are used for freezing. They save space in the refrigerator, but it's best to store them in an extra container to avoid damage. Packages change the taste of milk and this is a drawback.

Features of breast milk freezing:

before freezing, the milk is cooled in the general compartment of the refrigerator;
on the container, be sure to indicate the date and time of freezing;
if plastic bags are used, they are not completely filled, leaving room at the top (milk expands when
freezing and tearing the package filled to capacity);
freeze in portions of 60-80 ml;
defrosted milk can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Defrost breast milk in warm water. Do not heat in the microwave or on the stove, as this destroys the beneficial properties.

Pumping is ideal for the prevention of congestion (lactostasis), as well as for increasing the amount of milk. However, if you feed the baby on demand (the interval between feeding is 2-2.5 hours) and you have the opportunity to be with the baby 24 hours a day, there is no need to pump, since the milk comes in exactly the amount that the growing baby needs. baby's body.

But there are a number of reasons why breast pumping is simply necessary:

Feeding according to the regimen. In this case, the baby is applied to the chest up to 6-8 times a day. That is why experts recommend after each feeding until the chest is completely relieved. Such a procedure is necessary so that the brain does not send signals about a large amount of milk, which can later lead to a decrease in the level.

If your child is away from you or you need to leave for several hours.

If you are taking medications that are incompatible with breastfeeding. In this way, you can continue feeding after the necessary course of treatment.

How to Express Milk Properly

There are 2 ways to express milk:
- manual pumping;
- mechanical pumping (using a breast pump).

To collect milk, you can use a sterilized wide-mouth bowl or a special container.

When hand expressing, you need to wash your hands first. After that, take the chest in the palm of your hand. Do this in such a way that the thumb is on top 4-5 cm from the areola (peripapillary zone). Now begin to carefully reduce the thumb with the index finger, massaging the area of the milk ducts.

In this case, your fingers should slide from top to bottom to the areola area. In no case do not squeeze the nipple. In the first minutes, milk may be weakly secreted, however, after rhythmic decanting movements, the reflex of its release will start, and the whole procedure will accelerate.

Manual pumping is very convenient if you do not use it very often and only occasionally bottle feed your baby.

For mothers who need constant pumping, it is recommended to use breast pumps. They are of 2 types:
- electrical;
- manual.

Both options allow you to quickly and efficiently carry out the pumping procedure.

With an electric breast pump, you simply place a part of the device on your breast, press the button, and the milk begins to be expressed into the attached container. Such a breast pump requires money, but you can rent it. A hand-held device is much cheaper, but you will need to perform the “pumping” function yourself by rhythmically pressing a special lever.

Please note that if your child for some reason cannot breastfeed on his own, it is necessary to express both breasts at once, moving from one to the other and so on until they are completely empty.

Remember, short and frequent pumping is much more effective at stimulating lactation than long, but infrequent ones.