Why is it necessary to express milk?
For example, you plan to go somewhere without a child, and probably want to express the milk either manually or with the help of a breast pump so that in your absence the child can eat and get the nutrients his body needs.
In addition, pumping is an excellent prevention of milk congestion (lactostasis), as well as preventing the increase in the amount of milk. Also, thanks to decanting, you can extend the time of breastfeeding the baby, especially if you are taking medications incompatible with breastfeeding, or when you are on inpatient treatment.
Ways and rules for expressing milk
There are two ways. Manual pumping is suitable in the event that you rarely resort to a bottle. This method does not need monetary costs, but it takes time and a lot of time. Although most women believe that expressing milk manually is more effective than expressing the breast pump.
So, express the milk by hand. First, we wash our hands. Then we put a palm on the chest, have a thumb over the rest of the fingers and so that it is from the areola (okolososkovogo mug) at a distance of 5cm. At the same time, we press the hand to the chest and bring together the index and thumbs. Fingers should not slide on the nipple, they should only be on the areola.
With the appearance of a trickle of milk, the movement should be rhythmically repeated, only the fingers should now move around in a circle, this will allow to capture absolutely all the milk ducts. With a close arrangement of fingers to the nipple, you will express much less milk, and even hurt yourself with pressure. To collect breast milk, use only a sterilized bottle or other vessel with a wide neck.
Manual or electric breast pumps express milk more efficiently and quickly.
An electric breast pump, or rather its corresponding part, you just put it to your chest, then the machine decant milk into a special attached container.
A manual breast pump has a suction cup, however, pumping is done by pressing on a special mechanism.
You will need up to 45 minutes to drain the milk from both mammary glands. Good breast pumps when expressing milk simulate the effect of sucking, so do not cause pain.
What kind of expressing milk to choose depends on how often you plan to express it, and also how much time you can spend on this process. If you literally have to cut out the time for decantation, then you better choose an electric breast pump, and preferably a super high speed pump. Worth it, of course expensive, so you can look for options to rent it.
If you plan to express milk from time to time to feed your child into your short absence, then you can stop at a cheaper manual breast pump. Some women give preference to manual breast pumps.
If you feel that the baby does not have enough milk, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the following tips, which will help increase lactation.
How should I store breast milk?
To breast milk was fresh, it must be stored in tightly closed baby bottles. To store breast milk, you can use specially made plastic containers, as well as special disposable packages.
On the container where breast milk is stored, it is advisable to put a number, so you can find out how fresh the milk is.
Breast milk is stored deep in the refrigerator (do not store milk on the door), where the temperature reaches 4 ° C and even lower. If you decide to freeze breast milk, then remember, it should not be stored for more than one week. Thawed milk can be used for three to five days. If the milk is stored in the freezer at -18 o C, the storage period is 3-6 months, but the defrosted milk should be used within twelve hours.
One should also take into account the fact that freezing destroys some useful properties of breast milk, which is why if you plan to use milk in the near future, it is better not to freeze it. Also worth noting is the fact that frozen breast milk is much more useful than any milk formula, so it is better to protect the child from various diseases.
Defrost breast milk. To do this, put a container of milk in a saucepan (or another container) with warm water and put it under warm water. You can defrost the milk in another way, just leave the milk in the refrigerator for the night. Do not defrost or heat breast milk in a microwave oven if you do not want the milk left without any useful substances. And do not store the milk left in the bottle after feeding, it is recommended to pour all the rests.
What else do you need?
You already have a breast pump and a container for storing breast milk, but you can still use a special portable box that will allow you to take a breast pump and a container of milk with you to work or to rest.