Expressing

There may be times when you need to express your milk including in the early days if you are separated from your baby, if you are trying to increase your milk supply or to relieve engorgement. Some women might hand express colostrum before their baby arrives. Later on you might express milk if you need to leave your baby for a time.

Find more information on how to give your baby your expressed milk on our bottle-feeding and other ways to feed your baby page.

Hand expressing

You may find it easier to express milk by hand, especially in the first few days or weeks. With hand expressing you can express without needing a pump or an electricity supply.

Hand expressing also allows you to encourage milk to flow from a particular part of the breast. This may be useful, for example, if one of the milk ducts in your breast becomes blocked.

Different types of breast pumps

Breasts and nipples come in different sizes and shapes so it’s important to choose the right pump for you. Your pump may come with a standard-sized flange, which may not be the best fit for you and could lead to pain and discomfort. The flange is the part of the breast pump that comes into contact with your body when placed onto the breast and nipple, forming a vacuum seal with the areola. It fits correctly when:

• your nipple is centred within the tube
• no parts of your nipple rub against the sides
• little or no areola is pulled in when the pump is turned on.

Often manufacturers do have other sizes available and some come with more than one option.

Manual hand pump

Manual pumps have a lever you pump to draw milk out by suction. They’re usually the cheapest type of pump. Although they can take longer to work than electric pumps, they can be a good option if you don't plan to pump often. They don't usually take up much room so can be easy to transport.

Silicone suction breast pumps

These are hands-free and use no electricity. As you feed on one side, you can place the pump on the other breast to collect milk while you feed. This type of pump collects the let down and also draws some milk from the breast. It doesn’t actively pump the breast so it’s only useful for expressing the occasional bottle. If you have a lower milk supply, this pump might lack the power you need to draw out a sufficient amount of milk.

Personal use electric pumps

You can buy single or double pumps. A double pump can be useful as you can express both breasts at the same time. A personal electric pump can support draining your breasts if your baby is struggling to do so or if you want to express regularly to give your baby expressed breastmilk.

Hospital grade pumps

These are double electric pumps. They are hardwearing and work using a “closed-system”. This means they have barriers in place to prevent milk and other fluids from entering the machine so they can be used by multiple families. They typically have a stronger pump suction so are often recommended for those who need help with their supply.

‘Hands on' pumping combines massage with pumping, which can be useful to encourage more milk during your pumping session. It can take a little bit of practice to get used to hands on pumping, but it can be a very useful technique, especially if you’re pumping to support or increase your milk supply.