Pumping Breastmilk: Tips for Pumping Milk and Hand Pumping

Many mothers do not want to be on maternity leave for a long time, they want to go to work as soon as possible, but they do not want to leave their baby without breast milk. When breastfeeding, if for some reason a woman has no opportunity to attach the baby to the breast, you can continue to feed the baby from a bottle with breast milk. Pumping breast milk is done manually or with a breast pump.

If you decide to use manual pumping, you need to do it correctly, learning the basic rules and techniques. A wide range of breast pumps on the market allows nursing mothers to buy the most convenient and comfortable device for decanting according to their own priorities and requirements.

Why do I need to decant my breast milk?

Not long ago, breastfeeding mothers were assured that it was mandatory to decant milk after feeding. There were many myths on this subject, which are not relevant today. Today’s experts believe that expressing breast milk is not mandatory. There are a number of indications for which doctors recommend expressing milk:

painful conditions of the mother – when prescribed drugs that make breastfeeding impossible;
a large surge of milk – immediately after childbirth, while lactation is not established, in order to make the breasts less hard and swollen and make it easier for the baby to get food;
the inability to breastfeed your baby on your own – if you had a caesarean section or if your mother had a cesarean section;
painful feelings – for lactastasis, to speed up the movement of fluid and eliminate blockage of the milk ducts.

When and how often do I have to squeeze?

There is no definite answer to the question of how many compressions should be done and when. Some experts say that it should be done after feeding, others say it should be done before. To understand how often it is necessary to decant breast milk, the mother should be guided by the specific situation:

with prematurity and feeding through a tube – decanting as many times as necessary for feeding;
weakness of the baby, the development of physiological jaundice, the breast takes poorly – to maintain lactation, breast massage 3-4 hours after birth, later with sucking up to 10 minutes you can siphon colostrum for 10 minutes;
if separated from the baby, taking medications incompatible with breastfeeding – decant 7-8 times a day to maintain lactation;
Breast soreness – pumping once a day, if necessary, not more than 2-3 times.
Fading lactation, weight loss baby – up to 5-6 expressions a day.

How to pump milk with your hands

You can start straining breast milk 5-7 days after delivery. The procedure is not recommended after 9 pm. Carry it out more than 3 times a day and strain the milk without the last drop. The alternation of bottle feeding and natural breastfeeding will be the best solution. To relax and make the hand pumping effective, you need to drink a glass of warm herbal tea, massage the breasts, take a shower or put a warm towel to the breast.

It is necessary to master the technique of decanting breast milk with your hands – how to do it correctly is advised by experts:

Place your fingers under the breast, areola encompassed with your thumb;
Make a few wavy motions up and down from the areola;
Get the first drops of milk by pressing the breast lightly;
if performed correctly, after the first drop there will be a trickle;
the time of pumping one breast – no more than 5 minutes.

How to squeeze with a breast pump

Some women prefer to perform breast milk decanting with a breast pump. First, you need to choose the most appropriate one – electric single or double squeezing or manual. Before you start using any of them, you should carefully read the instructions for use.

As with hand squeezing, it requires the implementation of certain rules, among which are recommendations:

Take the most comfortable position – sitting, with a slight inclination forward;
Place the funnel of the breast pump to the nipple, gently holding the breast;
Then begin to gently squeeze the plunger, and if you use an electric breast pump, be sure to follow the instructions;

On average, it takes about 10 minutes to pump your breastmilk.

Pumping for stagnant milk

Most breastfeeding mothers face a serious breastfeeding problem like lactastasis. One way to eliminate stagnant milk and blocked milk ducts is to increase the frequency with which the infant is applied to the breast. In some cases, moms do not have this option, so you can solve the problem of stagnation by pumping breast milk. Before starting the procedure, you should take advantage of the spot effect of a warm shower or gently massage the breast.

Squeeze a little at a time, just to relieve the mother. Otherwise it will be perceived by the body as a signal for increased lactation, and the milk will arrive in larger quantities, aggravating the situation. Pumping breast milk

milk by hand in this case, move along the milk ducts from the base to the nipple. If necessary, you can use a breast pump for pumping.

How to stimulate the milk without the baby

Pumping breast milk is one of the most effective methods of maintaining and improving lactation. In addition, there are other ways to stimulate the flow of new milk, without having to put the baby directly to the breast. For this, it is necessary to establish a sufficient quantity and quality of nutrition of a nursing mother.

Before feeding, massage the breast from the periphery to the nipple, make it a rule to drink a glass of hot tea with milk or milk, hold your feet in warm (not hot) water. Evening hygiene procedures for a nursing mother should include the treatment of the breast with a contrast shower and its rubbing. In addition to folk remedies to stimulate the flow of milk, including cream with cumin, carrot juice with milk and others, after consultation with your doctor, you can also take medications that he will prescribe.

Contraindications for expressing breast milk

For the decanting of breast milk, modern medicine does not see any contraindications, because it is not known of any justifiable reasons that prevent the decanting of milk. On the contrary, this procedure can be done to maintain lactation in cases where the nursing mother is seriously ill, cannot breastfeed her baby often, or she is suffering from milk rushes, which comes in large quantities.
However, there are no obvious indications for lactation. The procedure serves the purpose of maintaining lactation perfectly, helping to remove residual milk and encouraging new milk to arrive. It is important to overcome the complexities of the period immediately after the birth of the baby. Then the process of how the milk comes can be adjusted. A well-established lactation and the absence of force majeure will eliminate the need to solve the breastfeeding problem by means of pumping.