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A mother who decides to breast-feed her baby may need to express breast milk in several situations:

• when the baby is born prematurely and cannot suckle the breast on his own because he does not yet have the suck and swallow reflex.
• if she has to be absent on an occasional basis and therefore be separated from her baby, for a date or a party, for example.
• when she returns to work.
• if she decides to use a breast pump, a method of breastfeeding that involves giving breast milk to her baby exclusively from a bottle and not from the breast.

When to start expressing your milk?

There is no one answer to this question. It depends on each mom and the reason (s) for which she is expressing milk. If the baby is born prematurely or if the mother chooses a breast pump, the milk should be expressed at birth. However, the use of the breast pump will be complicated for the first 3-4 days after birth because there has not yet been a surge of milk, only colostrum, a very thick milk and therefore difficult to extract. We will therefore use the technique ofmanual expression.

On the other hand, in the event of a resumption of work, the milk can begin to be drawn upstream, one month before the resumption, to be stored in small quantities in the freezer. Or else only when resuming work.

The mother will then be able to express her milk at her workplace during the day as soon as she resumes, ie on average two to three months after the birth of the child (the length of postnatal maternity leave may vary depending on the family situation). For occasional absences, the mother can plan to express her milk a few days before her scheduled discharge so as not to stress and that the pumping goes well.

How to take out its milk ?

You can express your milk by hand, with a manual or electric breast pump. “The choice of the technique to be adopted will depend on the milk requirements and the frequency of draws.”, Says Véronique Darmangeat. The specialist recognizes that hand-pumping is the method “the most practical”When you have to express your milk occasionally. How to do it ? “You should never pinch the nipple. Place the hand in a C-shape on either side of the areola, the thumb at the top of the breast and the index finger under the breast. Then we exert a very light pressure between the two fingers and we make a movement towards the torso, as if we were going to seek the bottom of the mammary gland. Then you move your fingers forward, compressing the mammary gland, not sliding the fingers but rolling the fingers, as if taking your fingerprints. Then we release”, Explains the lactation expert.

The manual breast pump can also be used for occasional pumping. On the other hand, if a lot of prints are to be expected, it is better to equip yourself with an electric breast pump. Thanks to the device, the mother gets tired less compared to manual extraction.

> These little tips that make breastfeeding easier <

How much milk to draw?

The amount of milk drawn depends on the milk storage capacity of each woman, but also on the frequency of your baby's feedings and the time elapsed between two drawings. The child's needs change according to his age and weight.

Note that if you naturally store a lot of milk between two feedings, you can easily draw 200 ml per draw against barely 60 ml if you store little, regardless of the time spent expressing your milk. If you get little milk with each draw, you will need to draw more often and for less time.

Baby's feedings will also have an impact on the expressed milk. If your child breastfeeds regularly, you should not worry about not getting more than 30ml. Conversely, the less frequent the feedings, the more likely you are to express a lot of milk (provided you have a large storage capacity), that is to say more than 200 ml.

Do not be concerned if you express a little milk, it does not mean that your ability to produce milk is poor and baby is getting little milk when he sucks. This may be related to an ejection reflex inhibited by expressing breast milk.

When to express your milk?

“If we express milk occasionally, the morning is still the best time because we have more milk, and preferably after feeding if the baby continues to latch on. If you have to express your milk often or if you use a breast pump, it should be done at least every 3 hours, or 8 times per 24 hours”, Warns Véronique Darmangeat.
In a woman who has a low storage capacity, the drawings are frequent but last less than in a woman who stores a lot of milk.

Does it hurt to express your milk?

Expressing your milk is not painful, as long as it is done in the right conditions. First of all, to avoid stress, get yourself somewhere quiet and comfortable (your arms and back should be well supported when expressing your milk). This is because the milk ejection reflex is promoted by the production of oxytocin, a hormone released if you are relaxed.
If expressing your milk hurts or if you notice marks on your nipples or breasts (blisters, redness), reduce the sucking force of the breast pump. For those who use an electric breast pump, it is advisable to apply the highest suction force that you can withstand without pain. To find the right level, increase the suction force of the device little by little until you feel a little discomfort, then reduce the force of expression a little.

The onset of pain may also be related to the placement of an ill-suited nipple shield. This should encircle the nipple but leave room for it to come out and enter without friction.

If, despite several readjustments, you still feel pain, seek advice from a lactation consultant.

Where to store the expressed milk?

Expressed breast milk can be stored at room temperature (25 ° C) for 5 to 6 hours. “If the room temperature is below 25 ° C, it will keep longer, if the temperature is above 25 ° C, it will keep for a shorter time”, Specifies the specialist. If you want to keep it cool, know that it will keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator at a temperature of 4 ° C. Finally, breast milk can be stored in the freezer (temperature of – 18 ° C) for at least a year.

“If the expressed milk has to be transported, place it in jars with airtight closures. If the milk is placed directly in the fridge, you can pour it into a glass covered with cling film. For storage in the freezer, place the drawn milk in storage bags provided for this purpose or simply in ice cube bags.”, Recommends the lactation consultant.

To learn all about storing breast milk, see our full article.

Which breast pump to choose? The selection of Véronique Darmangeat, lactation consultant

If the mother is pumping for her premature baby or because she has chosen a breast pump, I recommend:

If the mother has to express her milk at her workplace, I recommend:

If the mom expresses her milk occasionally I recommend the Medela Harmony manual breast pump.

In France, the rental of a breast pump can be reimbursed by Social Security, under certain conditions. The mother must have a prescription from a doctor or midwife. The prescription must specify the name of the device, its accessories and the prescription period. The first prescription lasts 10 weeks. If the insured wishes to continue to express her milk beyond these 10 weeks, she must ask her doctor or midwife to renew the prescription (for a maximum of 3 months).

Is it possible to express your milk at work?

Yes, women can breastfeed their babies or express their milk during their working hours, for one year from birth. Mothers are entitled to a reduction in their working time of 1 hour per day divided into two parts: 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. Break times are not remunerated. This time is reduced to 20 minutes if the employer provides employees with a room dedicated to breastfeeding (complying with strict occupational health and safety standards).

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