What is Hand Expressing?

Hand-expressing your milk is a handy skill. It does take a little time and practice, but once you've mastered it, you'll find it extremely useful.

Best of all, you only need your own hands and a container, as opposed to a breast pump bought from a shop.

Hand expressing can be helpful in some situations, such as if your baby isn't latching or feeding very well, if you need to stimulate your milk supply, or if your breasts become engorged (this is a good relief for them).

What do you do before you get started with hand-expressing breast milk?

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. If there is no access to safe water, use hand sanitiser with a minimum of 60% alcohol.
Use a clean, disposable, wide-mouthed container to catch the milk.
Sit comfortably and lean forward slightly to allow gravity to assist.
Massage your breast to assist in stimulating the milk to come out.

How to hand express breast milk?

Before you begin, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly. You will also require a sterilised container—this might be a feeding bottle, wide jug, or bowl.

Following are some tips on hand expressing:

Get comfortable – ideally in a warm, quiet space where you can relax without interruptions. Position the container within easy reach.
It may be beneficial to begin by softly stroking your breasts (warm up your hands first). Begin with strokes from your underarm that flow towards your nipple.
Second, enclose your breast in a C-shape with your finger and thumb (2cm to 3cm from the back of your nipple). Your thumb and finger should be facing opposite directions – if you were to visualise that your breast is a clock, your thumb would be at 12 o'clock position and your finger at 6 o'clock position.
Gently press your fingers and thumb together, then release your fingers and repeat in a regular motion. This might take a minute or two, so don't worry if it takes too long! Slowly your breast milk (or colostrum) will begin to trickle out. Continue, try to get into a rhythm – you're doing fantastic!
As soon as you find your milk flow decreasing, shift your hands across your breast to express yourself from a new area (place your finger and thumb at 11 o'clock and 5 o'clock) and repeat the process.

Repeat the procedure on your other breast once you've expressed as much as you can from the first. Return to the first breast after that; you might be shocked at how much milk you can produce.

What are the tips to make your milk flow?

Before expressing, apply a warm compress or heating to your breast.
Change the position of your fingers around the nipple to release milk from different ducts.
To encourage the flow of milk, think about your baby or inhale the scent of a piece of clothes.
Anxiety or tension might make it difficult for your milk to flow. Take deep breaths, stretch, or ask a spouse or family member to give you a light shoulder or back massage as ways to relax.
Avoid pulling or giving the nipple a firm squeeze. It shouldn't harm to make a hand gesture.