Proper expression of milk

Many women believe that for a good breastfeeding, the mammary glands should be periodically emptied. In fact, this is not the case. But there are situations when breastfeeding is difficult or even impossible. In such cases, the mother may resort to decanting milk. This procedure is used by many women who, for various reasons, can not breastfeed. But at the same time they all want to preserve the most important for the baby - breast milk.

After returning home from the hospital, a woman should know how to express breast milk and in what cases it should be done. Scientists have proved that expressing milk is the prevention of lactose. Also due to this process the amount of milk in the mammary glands increases.

Specialists on breastfeeding are advised to resort to decantation only in cases where it is really necessary.

Cases in which it becomes necessary to express breast milk:

• Decreased lactation,

• Cracks in the nipples ,

• With a strong stay of milk,

• Sudden reasons why mother is forced to be absent.

Women who put the baby to the breast at his request, do not express the milk, as their body produces the amount of milk that the baby needs.

Today there are several ways of expressing:

• Manual,

• With the help of a breast pump,

• By the method of "warm bottle".

Manual pumping

Many women are faced with this procedure, but not everyone knows how to express the milk properly.

Manual pumping is a very laborious, painful procedure, but effective and very reliable. Expressing the milk by hand should take twenty or thirty minutes. Milk must be decanted into a cup, which must first be washed with soap and sprinkled with boiling water.

Before this procedure you need to relax, this will stimulate the production of oxytocin. You can drink a glass of warm tea or milk. Then you should massage your breasts for five minutes. In the process of expressing it is better to be near the baby or with things that are associated with it. The breast should be held with the thumb and index finger so that the thumb is above the areola, and the index finger is slightly lower. Other fingers should support the chest.

Expressing milk with a breast pump

In some cases, express breast milk is necessary with the help of a special device - a breast pump. Currently, there are manual and electric breast pumps . The most convenient and effective are electric breast pumps. They allow you to stimulate lactation, prevent and treat all disorders that occur during breastfeeding.

Expressing milk with a breast pump is carried out immediately after feeding the baby, since the breast should be filled with a large amount of breast milk until the next feeding.

Expressing by the "warm bottle" method

Expressing milk using the "warm bottle" method can be used if the breast is swollen and very sore. For this method of expression, you need to take a bottle, the neck of which should be wide, about 3 cm in diameter. It should be poured hot water and leave for a few minutes, so that the bottle is well heated. After the container has heated, it is necessary to pour out the water and cool only the neck of the bottle, and then attach it to the nipple. It should fit snugly against it. At this point, milk should be emitted, after which it is necessary to remove the bottle and begin to manually express.

In most cases, milk, obtained by expressing, you can feed the child. In this case, it should be stored in special containers or bottles made of plastic. At room temperature, expressed milk should be stored for twelve hours, and in the refrigerator - for two days.