Share
Pumping or expressing breastmilk is a common part of many mothers’ breastfeeding journey. In this blog we’ll talk through all the top tips for the optimum expressing and storing breastmilk.
You may need to pump for a variety of reasons:
- Nipple damage, this can be really common in the first week
- Tongue ties or other latching issues
- Premature babies or babies/mothers’ with complications at birth that impact feeding
- You or your baby are in hospital and can’t be together for every feed
- You want to to store breastmilk in the freezer for emergencies
- Someone else is looking after your baby while you are out
- Returning to work
- Preference
Like all forms of breastfeeding, building a supply in the first 6-12 weeks is essential. The more milk you pump, the more you will make. This means expressing when your baby would normally feed ( 2-4 hours during the day and 3-4 hours during the night in the first 4 weeks).
What breast milk pump is best?
Like many of the baby related purchases you’ll make, this is a really personal decision and impacted by a number of factors including budget, comfort and the reason you need to pump. If you’re planning to pump regularly or pump at work you may choose a hands free option, some people only need a manual hand pump and some don’t mind the single pumps. If supply is an issue, investing in a quality, hospital grade electric pump is worth considering. Some pumps even have rechargeable batteries so you don’t always need to sit next to a powerpoint, keep in mind battery powered pumps are sometimes not as powerful.
Flange fit is really important when pumping
A breast pump flange is the plastic or silicone cone that fits directly over your nipple fitting comfortably on your breast. When you begin to pump the flange creates a vacuum seal whereby only your nipple should be drawn into the tunnel of the flange. Correct flange size will ensure maximum milk extraction and comfort. If your nipple is drawn into the tunnel and moves freely the flange fit is correct.
Many pumps come with standard 24mm (0.94 inch) flanges, but you may need to select a smaller or larger flange based on your measurement and experience when pumping, most breast pump websites have a nipple size guide or a lactation consultant can help you with this.
Too Small |
Correct Fit |
Too Large |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Correct alignment as your nipple enters the tunnel is important:
Ensure your nipple is perfectly centred as it enters the tunnel – if it’s pulling to one side this is when it can get grazed or damaged.
Priming before pumping:
You can gently massage and compress your breasts before pumping. Most electric pumps will begin with a priming phase. This is a shorter lighter suction that mimics your baby at the start of the feed to stimulate letdown. It can take a few minutes until the letdown happens (before this you may only get drops or a slow trickle of milk). Once you have stimulated a let down pump, switch to the regular pumping speed and your milk should spray.
How long should you express breast milk for?
Every mother and baby is different here and it depends if you are pumping to increase supply or to remove your breastmilk so that it can be given to baby an alternate way. As a general rule pump until there is no more milk being expressed. If you’re only seeing a few drops over a 2 minute period, STOP. For some women it may only take 5-10 mins, and for others a little longer -15-20 minutes to remove the milk. If you have concerns with an under or over supply always talk to your maternal nurse or lactation consultant for support
Top tips for successful pumping:
Tip 1: It is not “down time”
- you are feeding your baby by pumping.
- Find somewhere comfortable to relax while you pump but it doesn’t replace a break for mum.
Tip 2: Mornings can mean more milk
- If you are pumping to improve your supply or to have a bottle to give later, pumping in the morning, 1 hour after your first feed is likely to achieve the best result.
Tip 3: If you are pumping someone else should wash up if possible
- My philosophy around protecting the breastfeeding mother goes for pumping too!
Tip 4: You don’t have to wash the pump after every session
- If you are pumping regularly (every few hours).
- Store in the fridge and wash/sterilise every 12-24 hours.
Note: except if you have a preterm baby then it is advisable to clean after each pump.
Breast milk contains different hormones at different times of the day.
Hormones in milk:
- Melatonin: Breast milk clearly exhibits a 24-hour pattern, with melatonin the hormone produced in response to darkness that helps us sleep in high concentration during the evening and night (starting about 9pm and peaking between 2 and 3am)
- Prolactin: More prolactin is produced at night, so breastfeeding at night is especially helpful for keeping up the milk supply. Prolactin makes a mother feel relaxed and sleepy, so she usually rests well even if she breastfeeds at night.
If you’re not giving the milk immediately after you pump, it can help with sleep if you give milk expressed in the evening before the baby goes to bed.
Don’t fret about this one too much: while studies have found the hormones do change in the milk, the stress of marking every single piece of expressed breastmilk with a time it was expressed and matching this to the time when you need the milk could far outweigh the benefit. If it’s easy for your family to do – go for it, but if not, don’t worry.
It’s OK to cry over spilt milk
Pumping is hard work and accidents happen. Pumps leak, bags break, bottles tip (particularly when they are top heavy with a flange on top). Make sure anyone in your home handling breast milk is aware of just how much effort that liquid gold takes to make, so they handle it with care.
How to correctly store expressed breast milk:
Correctly storing breast milk is important to ensure it remains safe and nutritious for your baby.
Breast milk storage guidelines |
|||
| Type of breast milk | Room temperature 77°F (22°C) or cooler | Fridge 40°F (4°C)
(Back of fridge, not door) |
Freezer 0°F (-18°C) or cooler |
| Freshly expressed breast milk | Up to 6-8 hours
4 hours optimal |
Up to 4 days | Up to 6 months |
| Thawed previously frozen breast milk | 1-2 hours | Up to 1 day | NEVER refreeze human milk after it has been thawed |
| Leftover from an unfinished bottle | Use within 2 hours | ||
Download my how to store breast milk guidelines here.
Safe thawing of breast milk
You can thaw your frozen breast milk by putting the bottle or bag:
- In the refrigerator overnight
- In a container of hot/ warm water (not boiling) until the milk reaches body heat
Never thaw or heat breast milk in a microwave or boil it, this can destroy nutrients in breast milk.
If you thaw breast milk in the refrigerator, use it within 24 hours. Start counting the 24 hours when the breast milk is completely thawed, not from the time when you took it out of the freeze
Freezing breast milk tips:
TIP 1: Breast milk expands
- Don’t fill the plastic bags or the container to the brim.
TIP 2: Name & date bags or containers
- Names are particularly important if you are sending them to childcare.
TIP 3: Store at the back of the freezer note the door
- There will be less fluctuations at the back.
TIP 4: Freeze in small batches to minimise waste
- Batches of 120 mL (4 ounces) or less are usually best.
- This isn’t a hard rule, you know your baby and the volume they are consuming each feed.
TIP 5: If you can have an ordering system
- This will help you pull the oldest milk first.
