Expressing and storing breast milk
Expressing and storing your breast milk allows someone else to feed your baby when you return to work or go out. You can express breast milk by hand or use a breast pump. If your baby is sick or premature and unable to feed from the breast, you may need to express breast milk by hand at first and then by using a breast pump. You can store expressed milk in the fridge or freezer.
How breast milk becomes available
If you want to express breast milk, it’s helpful to understand how the flow of milk becomes available. Your breast has different muscle and cell sections. Milk travels from milk-producing cells through milk-collecting ducts to reach the front of your breast to feed your baby.
Amount of breast milk in a baby’s feed
If you are breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months:
- a baby up to three months old needs 100 to 120ml (three to four ounces) of breast milk in a feed
- a baby between three months and six months old needs 150 to 200ml (five to seven ounces) of breast milk in a feed
Expressing breast milk by hand
Expressing by hand can be an effective, controllable and convenient way to get breast milk instead of using a pump. This method can also help you understand how your breast works.
How to express milk by hand
You need clean hands, uninterrupted privacy and a sterilised container to collect the milk.
Images supplied by Health Scotland
Video supplied by Unicef
Using a breast pump
You can buy a hand operated or electric breast pump. Before you start expressing, sterilise the pump and equipment. The pumped breast milk:
- flows into a funnel or shield
- is collected in a bottle or container for storing
How to express milk using a breast pump
To start the flow of milk, massage your breasts and hand express some drops of milk. Place the pump funnel over your breast, keeping your nipple in the centre. Express from the first breast until the milk flow slows down or you have enough milk. To express as much milk as possible, massage your breasts before you switch sides and express until the milk flow stops.
Video supplied by Best Beginnings
Expressing breast milk for a baby in hospital
If you are breastfeeding a baby in hospital, you need to:
- express immediately after the birth
- express frequently, ten to 12 times a day, and at least once at night
Expressing breast milk for a baby at home
If you are going out and want to leave some expressed breast milk for someone to feed your baby, it’s good planning to express your milk the day before.
Storing expressed breast milk
You can store breast milk:
- in the fridge for up to five days
- in the freezer for up to three months
Before storing your breast milk, label it with the date it was expressed. Freeze breast milk in small, separate quantities to avoid waste. If you are expressing milk to feed a sick or premature baby, ask staff in the hospital’s special care unit about storage times.
Using stored breast milk
You should defrost milk overnight by keeping it in the fridge or standing the storage jar in cool water. Never microwave breast milk. This can heat the milk unevenly and could scald your baby. Microwaving can also destroy your milk’s immune properties.
