Breastfeeding can be useful if you have to go back to work, but also in several other situations:
- to feed a baby who is too small or sick to breastfeed
- after feeding if your baby needs supplementation
- to reduce the discomfort of an engorged breast
- to soften a very full breast and facilitate the baby's attachment
- to increase production
- to obtain a few drops of milk to spread on the nipple to attract the baby to the breast or as a soother.
What to do before you start squeezing
Try to be comfortable and relaxed, choose a quiet room and perhaps have a warm drink. To make it easier for the milk to come out, stay close to your baby or hold a picture of your baby in front of you.
To help you, before expressing, apply a warm cloth (make sure it does not burn) to your breast for a few minutes or take a hot bath or shower.
Gently massage the breast for about 1-2 minutes: with open or clenched fisted hands, with fingertips or the palm of your hand; with circular or linear movements towards the nipple or you can also produce a vibration; with one hand or both hands at the same time.
Do not rub your fingers over the breast, as this may damage it.
Be gentle (under no circumstances should you feel pain) and try to go over all parts of the breast, even the most peripheral and over the nipple to best activate the release of milk.
Manual squeezing
This is a convenient and inexpensive way to squeeze milk and is more effective than the breast pump for small amounts of colostrum in the very first days after birth.
The best thing to learn is to practise: you will find the way that suits you best and with practice you will find that squeezing becomes easy.
Wash your hands thoroughly and get a clean, suitable container. You can use a spoon or syringe if you are squeezing in the first few days after birth, to collect the colostrum, which is normally in small quantities, even if it is only a few drops. You can instead use a wide-mouth container for larger amounts of milk.
The technique with which the squeezing is done is important for maximum milk outflow and to avoid pain or damage to your breast tissue.
If it is comfortable for you, it may be helpful to sit slightly forwards to facilitate
milk out and collect it by gravity in the container.
Then place your C-shaped hand on your breast, about 3-4 centimetres from the base of the nipple so that it is centred between your thumb and forefinger. To find the right area where to place your fingers, feel the breast trying to feel a particular consistency under the skin, like grains of rice. Now apply pressure by pushing towards the ribcage, then squeeze by pressing the thumb towards the forefinger and finally release (while doing this sequence try to keep the fingers still on the spot where you have placed them and do not let them slip on the skin).
Use this cycle rhythmically, but if after 3-4 minutes nothing has come out (for the first few minutes it is normal for nothing to come out), move your fingers closer to or away from the nipple until you find the point where you get the milk to come out.
Do the sequence of squeeze, squeeze, release (some women do squeeze and release only), for a few minutes and alternate the breasts, for about 5-6 times or until the milk stops coming out, also rotating the position of the hands on the breasts, so as to squeeze the milk in all areas.
Do you experience pain during manual squeezing?
Feeling pain during squeezing is not normal, so make sure you don't apply too much pressure, don't let your fingers slide over the skin, and don't squeeze the nipple.
How long does manual squeezing last?
The duration of manual squeezing is variable:
- to squeeze colostrum in the first few days after birth: 5-10 minutes at a time, alternating the breasts several times. If the baby does not latch on, squeeze at least 8 times in 24 hours, with a night break of no more than 5 hours if possible;
- to stock up in the month before going back to work: about 20-30 minutes or until the milk stops flowing out. You can do this when you are comfortable, but the most effective time is 1 hour after feeding;
- to increase milk production: about 20-30 minutes or until the milk stops flowing, alternating breasts several times. Express milk if you can even 8 times in 24 hours or in addition to breastfeeding;
- to soften the area around the nipple and make it easier for the baby to latch on: just a few compressions, to be performed as needed.
What if I don't want to squeeze by hand?
There are many types of breast pumps, both manual and electric, and the criteria for choosing depend on why they are used and the preference of each individual mother.