Collecting and Storing Breastmilk

by Anne Smith, IBCLC

There are many situations in which a mother may need to pump milk from her breasts. Some are short term - for example, occasional separations, mother on medication incompatible with breastfeeding, breast engorgement, severe nipple soreness, or increasing milk supply. Some are long term - a premature hospitalized infant, or regular separations such as those encountered with returning to work or school. Whatever your reasons for expressing your milk, certain tools and techniques can help you be successful in obtaining the milk you need and maintaining your milk supply.

First, you need to decide if you need a pump, and if so, choose one that meets your individual needs. For occasional short- term separations (such as a weekly evening out) a manual pump or hand expression may be adequate.

I think every nursing mother should learn the technique of hand expression, because it can come in handy on so many occasions. You may need to soften your areola (the dark area around the nipple) before the baby nurses to make it easier for him to latch on, you may want to express a little milk in the shower if your breasts are uncomfortably full or you have a plugged duct, or you many want to express a little milk directly into your baby’s cereal bowl once he starts solids. There are many occasions when you just want to get out a little milk but not empty the whole breast, and at these times you may not need to use a pump at all.

Hand Expression

This is the basic technique for hand expression:
•Wash your hands before you start.

•Express into any clean container - bottle, cup, bowl, etc. You don't need to boil it, just wash with hot soapy water or run it through the dishwasher. Don't touch the inner surface after you clean it.

•The key to any kind of milk expression is to get the milk to "let-down". Electric pumps stimulate the let-down reflex automatically by mimicking the baby's sucking action, but when you are hand expressing or using a manual pump, you may need to stimulate the let-down reflex yourself. Some women's milk lets down easily, but many mothers have to work at it. To help your milk let down, try: looking at a picture of your baby, smelling and holding a blanket or piece of clothing that smells like him, massaging the breasts, gently rolling the nipple between your fingers, taking a hot bath or shower before expressing (or try expressing while you are in the tub), apply warm compresses to the breast, look at your baby's picture, or drink a glass of water or juice before starting to express. Anything that helps you relax will help your milk let-down - this can include settling into a comfortable spot, listening to music, taking deep breaths, having your partner rub your shoulders, etc. Some mothers report that the first few times they pump, they are nervous and don't get much of a let down, but after they get into the routine, they find that their milk is leaking out as soon as they look at their baby's picture or hear the sound of the pump motor if they are using an electric pump.

•Hold the breast with one or both hands depending on the size, with the thumb on top and the fingers underneath. Gently compress the tissue between the fingers and thumbs while rolling them forward, rotating around the breast. Or, use the tips of your fingers to massage in small circles all around the breast, similar to a breast exam. You can also do this type of massage during pumping to encourage the flow of milk.