When you choose to breastfeed, you may find that there are times when you need to express milk. Either your breasts are too full for your baby to latch, or he or she is too small, sick, or weak to feed for some reason, or you simply need to be away from your child for an hour or two. Whatever the reason, expressing is the answer. This is done in one of three ways: expressing by hand, using a hand pump, or using an electric pump.
 
When you start expressing (whatever method you choose) it can take a couple of minutes for the milk to start flowing after you start. This is normal. You will also find that when you express, the milk in one breast slows, but after you have switched to the other one, it flows again. This is why it is important that you express from one breast, then the other, and then switch back a few times, to make sure that you are expressing as much as possible. You can try massaging your breast to help the milk flow.
 
If you are going to express by hand, the procedure is quite simple. Place your hand on your breast, with your thumb approximately on top of the areola, and your other fingers approximately at the bottom. Gently press backwards with your hand, towards your ribs, and gently pinch or squeeze at the same time. It is important to remember that hand expressing is not about pressing the nipple – rather, you are squeezing the milk out of the milk ducts. Once you have the hang of the motion, expressing should be easy, and you can collect the expressed milk in a sterile jug or container.
 
Hand pumps all work in slightly different ways, but all have a funnel shaped object that fits over the nipple and a device to create suction. Not all pumps work well for all women, so it is worth testing a few before buying one. Electric pumps are by far the easiest to use, particularly if you know you will be separated from your baby for long periods of time. Like hand pumps, they have a funnel shaped object that fits over your nipple and areola, and like hand pumps, they work by creating rhythmic suction, but with an electric pump, it’s a matter of flicking a switch. There are even pumps that have duel pumps, so you can express at the same time.
 
If you will be expressing solely for a while, whatever method you use, make sure that you express as much as possible, 6 to 8 times every day, to make sure that your milk production stays up.

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