Expressing Your Milk

You can express your breastmilk manually or via a breast pump. You should express milk when baby miss a feed so as to keep the supply coming in. However, not all women are good at expressing milk (that includes me)! When I mean "not good at", I mean the low quantity of milk expressed out.

But, not to worry! All breastfeeding consultants tell us that the quantity of milk expressed is usually lesser than the quantity babies receive when they breastfeed. And I personally experience that -- when I express milk, the maximum amount I could get is about 140ml (and that is from full breasts). Sometimes, I only get about 80ml or even lesser. But when I put baby to the breasts, I could feel more frequent let-downs as compared to using a breast pump.

"Let-down reflex" is the automatic reaction by which the body makes milk available in the breasts. It is a complicated chemical chain reaction of which you are quite unaware until you feel tingling in your breasts and then the milk surges into the nipple area. by Dr Miriam Stoppard

How Then Can I Maximise The Quantity I Express?

- Always massage your breasts before milk expressing to facilitate the milk flow.

- Express manually first when you have very full breasts. You will be surprised at the amount you get because the milk goes directly into the container and does not travel through any passage ways as compared to that of a breast pump. When you are done expressing manually, that is milk starts coming in drips rather than jets, you can then switch to a breast pump. As the breast pump gives a different type of stimulation, you may get another let-down very quickly.

- Use a good breast pump. Better still, one which has double pumps because let-downs come simultaneously at the two breasts. Personally, I prefer an electric one but some women prefer manual ones. I am using Medela PIS; it has double pumps and is not too loud so you can use it at night or in the early hours.

- Express milk in the morning. After a good night's sleep, you will usually have more milk to express.

- Last of all, relax.

Storage of Milk :

- Room temperature --> 2 hours
- Fridge (right inside, away from the door)--> 8 days
- Freezer (do not place at the door)--> 3 months

Colostrum

During the first three days the breasts produce light, yellow-coloured colostrum. It is a perfect food for the first days of your baby's life. It contains water, protein and minerals in just the right proportion to take care of all your baby's nutritional needs. Colostrum also contains valuable antibodies which protect your baby against diseases to which you have developed a resistance such as polio and influenza. Besides all that it contains a laxative which gets your newborn baby's bowels in motion. by Dr Miriam Stoppard

Hence, even if one cannot or does not want to breastfeed for long, she should at least nurse her baby for the first couple of days so that baby could get the precious colostrum.

Steps to Breastfeeding

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Step 1 : Try to breastfeed almost immediately after delivery.

Reason : This is when the bonding instinct is strongest.


Step 2 : Always massage your breasts before you nurse, starting from the sides towards the areola.


Reason : This will improve the flow as well as prevent blockages.


Step 3 : Do not feed for too long at each breast for a start (maybe 5 mins per breast). Then gradually increase to 20-30 mins per breast.


Reason : In the early days, the nipples are very delicate and tender and will get sore easily. Therefore, a good nipple cream is essential (eg. one which contains LANOLIN and which need not be removed prior to breastfeeding).


Step 4 : Nurse baby when he cries.


Reason : This is to ensure that baby is getting enough and also to stimulate the milk supply.

Step 5 : When milk comes on the 3rd to 5th day, your breasts will feel very full and engorged. Continue to massage and breastfeed as often as possible (every one to two hours).

Reason : This is to reduce the engorgement as well as to increase the milk supply.