Expressing milk by hand

Using your hands to express your breast milk often takes a little while to master. Some women find that hand expressing their milk comes naturally; others find it an awkward and slow process. Many women find it is initially frustrating and tedious, but after being shown the proper technique and practising, they eventually get the knack. Being able to hand express is a useful skill to have. However, if you are finding hand expressing frustrating, tiring or unproductive, you may wish to try using a breast pump. A breast pump may also be a better option if you are needing to express for every feed, or you may choose to hand express at some times, and use a breast pump at others. 

The advantages of hand expressing are: 

• It costs nothing.
• It is convenient, no breast pumps to prepare, or sterilize.
• It can be done anywhere, any time.
• It can be used to express small amounts of milk to relieve overfull breasts (for comfort) or to gently rub milk onto sore nipples.
• It involves skin to skin contact, which stimulates a greater milk production and helps to trigger a let-down reflex.

How your breasts produce milk

In the first few days after the birth, your breasts produce colostrum , a protein-rich food that supplies your baby with valuable antibodies against infection. Once you begin to produce milk on around the fourth day, your baby will naturally stimulate your body into producing a plentiful supply for his/her dietary needs.

The key to a good milk supply is feeding your baby when he/she wants to be fed - and in the early days that may mean at one – or two – hourly intervals. Breast milk production works on a demand and supply system: the more often your baby nurses, and the more he/she takes, the more your breasts will produce. Supplementary bottles of formula milk will undermine this system: if your baby’s hunger is satisfied by a bottle, he/she won’t be eager to suck and your breasts won’t get the stimulation they need.

Breast milk isn’t all the same. At the beginning of the feed, your baby takes foremilk, which is watery and thirst-quenching. Then he/she gets to the hindmilk, rich in calories and more satisfying. This is why it’s important to let his/her suck for as long as he/she wants to at each feed: otherwise he/she will soon be hungry again.

What you need to do

All you need to do to produce enough milk is to eat a good, balanced diet with plenty of protein, to drink whenever you are thirsty – have a glass of juice or milk on hand while you feed – and to rest as much as you can. Your baby’s natural appetite will do the rest.

You need a lot of energy to produce breast milk, so this is not the time to diet – you will feel run down and exhausted. Follow your appetite, and make sure you get the extra calories you need from fresh, vitamin – rich foods rather than “empty” carbohydrates. While you’re breastfeeding you need to take a vitamin D supplement containing 10 micrograms (mcg). Everything else you should get by eating a varied and balanced diet.