Expressing Breast Milk
Lorraine Cuadro and her sons. Lorraine regularly writes
articles for Mum Zone readers
about various breastfeeding
issues and aspects.
I remember being given a breast pump as a gift for my baby shower. I hadn’t even had my baby and I definitely hadn’t started breastfeeding yet so, well, let’s just say was one of the scariest gifts I had ever received.
The funny thing is looking back I can now honestly say that it is definitely the most useful gift I have ever received. That’s not to say that all pregnant or breastfeeding women need a breast pump, it doesn’t work that way. Expressing is a very personal thing and there are lots of reasons for expressing. I’d actually suggest getting advice from a breastfeeding counsellor before trying it.
I had to express because I returned to work when my son was eight weeks old. It was either express or put him on formula… and after all the work we did in learning how to breastfeed, I wasn’t about to stop just when it was all coming together and we were beginning to enjoy it.
So, I used my hand pump… it was portable, quiet, discrete and easy to clean. I worked in an office full of men and if it wasn’t for the sign I used to put on the conference room door saying “Lorraine is Expressing, please do not disturb", none of them would have even known… and I was storing my breast milk in the office fridge!!
But there are other ways to express too. You can also use an electric/battery operated pump and you can hand express. Many mums hand express after going back to work, and never use a pump at all. It just depends on what you get used.
No matter what method you use, expressing is something which takes time to learn and the amount of milk you express is never an indication of how much milk you are making. You may be like me and express constantly for 6 weeks to bottle only a small amount of milk. It can be very frustrating I know, but here are some things you can do to make expressing easier:
- Express from one breast while your baby is feeding from the other.
- Express into a bottle that doesn’t have measurements on it… so you don’t get stressed about the quantity.
- Express towards the end of your baby’s longest sleep… this is when your supply should be the highest.
- Express after a feed.
- Express in between feeds.
- Try swapping breasts while you are expressing and compress or massage your breast towards your nipple.
- Relax your shoulders and think loving thoughts of your baby, this will help your milk to flow… hormones are amazing so work with them!!
Keep in mind that you may also need to express for comfort or to maintain your milk supply while you are away from your baby. It’s best to try and express at the times your baby would normally eat, especially if you will be away for a whole day or a few days at a time. And for short outings remember to express for comfort… it’s so easy to forget about it when you’re going out… happened to me at a wedding once, not a good look!!
Lorraine Cuadro volunteers much of her time in helping new and experienced mums to breastfeed. As a mother of two she has experienced many breastfeeding issues first hand. Her passion for breastfeeding is supported by her training to become a breastfeeding counsellor. For more information on expressing as well as breastfeeding, visit Lorraine at
www.the-essence-of-breastfeeding.com.
