Expressing Breast Milk by Hand – How and When to Do It

Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for your newborn baby. The first six months post childbirth, breast milk is the exclusively recommended source of nutrition for your baby, as it helps build a strong immune system. Though breastfeeding is strongly advocated, hand-expressed milk is often fed to the baby in situations where the mother is unable to feed directly from the breast. Extracting breast milk by hand is a useful technique when pumps are unavailable or when mothers need to relieve engorgement. This method ensures the baby still receives the benefits of breast milk even when direct feeding isn’t possible. Expressing breast milk by hand can also help stimulate milk production and maintain supply.

What Is Hand-Expressing Breast Milk?

When breast milk is expressed from the breast with the use of hands, it is known as hand expression of breast milk. Milk is expressed by hand to save it for later feeds, to help relieve breast engorgement, or to prevent mastitis. Many women find hand expression easier and more convenient than expressing milk with the help of breast pumps. It does not require any tools or devices. Also, more milk can be expressed with the hand as compared to breast pumps (1).

Benefits of Expressing Milk by Hand

There are many benefits of hand expressing breast milk, such as (2):

1. It is convenient and requires minimal effort.
2. It is inexpensive as compared to breast pump expression.
3. It does not require any electricity for expression of milk.
4. Hand expression of breast milk generates more milk because of skin-to-skin stimulation (3).
5. It does not cause any discomfort when compared to electric pumps.
6. You may express milk anytime and anywhere.
7. It saves you the effort of sterilizing the breast pump.

When Should You Express Breast Milk by Hand?

You may express breast milk by hand in the following cases (4):

• You find breast pumps difficult or cumbersome to use.
• Your breast feels too full, and you could ease out the discomfort by expressing some milk from the breasts.
• You may express some milk to lure your baby to latch.
• You find breast pumps to be expensive.
• To provide relief from engorgement or blocked ducts.
• To get rid of sore nipples.

Step-Wise Procedure of Stimulating the Milk Ejection Reflex

Mothers often face challenges with milk expression, but with the right kind of technique and massage, you can achieve good results. The technique of MER, or milk ejection reflex, can be performed in the following way:

• You may begin by massaging the milk-producing cells and ducts at the top of the breast. Press firmly against the chest wall, and move your fingers in a circular motion.
• Stroke the breast from the top to the nipple in a rhythmic manner.
• While leaning forward, shake your breast for the milk to flow.

How to Manually Express Breast Milk – The Marmet Technique

The Marmet technique of breast milk expression is a well-known and effective method for manually expressing breast milk. Here’s a step-by-step guide (5):

• Wash your hands thoroughly to ensure hygiene.
• Prepare a clean bowl or container to collect the expressed milk.
• Position your fingers by placing your thumb above and the first two fingers below the areola, forming a C-shape about an inch away from the nipple.
• Press gently inward toward your chest wall—avoid sliding your fingers over the skin.
• Roll your fingers forward in a smooth motion to compress the milk ducts and release milk.
• Avoid pulling or squeezing too hard, as this can cause pain or damage to breast tissue.
• Rotate finger positions slightly around the areola to drain different milk ducts.
• Switch breasts and repeat the process until milk flow slows down.
• Store expressed milk properly in a sterile container if not used immediately.

More Tips for Expressing Milk by Hand

You may use a warm washcloth to relax your breasts. It is also advised to express milk in a sitting-down position. You can collect the milk directly in the bottle or a clean container.

Here are some more tips on how to hand express milk that can make it easier:

• If manual expression feels challenging, ask your partner for help. They can hold the collection bottle or cup, allowing you to concentrate on expressing milk comfortably.
• You can manually express milk anytime—whether it’s late at night on your porch or first thing in the morning. There are no strict time restrictions.
• If the process feels difficult or causes breast pain, don’t hesitate to reach out to a lactation consultant for expert advice and reassurance.

What If Hand Expression Will Not Work for You?

Many women find hand expression challenging, but mastering the right technique and a little patience can help you express milk from your breast. It may take you some time to get the hang of the technique, but if you still find hand expression challenging, then you can use manual or electric breast pumps.

How to Store Hand-Expressed Breast Milk

In hand expression versus breast pump techniques, hand expression yields better results. The self-expressing breast milk technique helps extract more milk from the breast, and it can be stored in the following ways:

• At room temperature (25 degrees or below) for up to 6 hours
• In the refrigerator for up to 7 days (keep away from the door)
• In the freezer for up to 2 months (keep away from the door)
• Up to 6 months if stored at minus 18 degrees or lower in a deep freezer

FAQs

1. Does hand expressing trigger let-down faster than a pump?

Some mothers find hand expression more effective for stimulating let-down, as the warmth and rhythm of hands mimic a baby’s natural suckling better than mechanical pumps.

2. Is it safe to hand express colostrum before birth?

With medical approval, hand expressing colostrum in late pregnancy (antenatal expression) can be safe for high-risk pregnancies, but always consult your doctor first to avoid preterm labour risks (6).

This was all about how to hand express breast milk. Breast milk is ideal for your baby, and expressed milk can be given to your little one in your absence, or when he is unable to feed on the breast (premature baby). Breast milk expression is not only good for the mother (in case of working mothers or mothers having medical problems like mastitis or breast engorgement) but for the baby as well (premature birth or where the mother is unavailable to feed). Choose the right technique for yourself for hand expression, and remember to always to do a smell and taste check of the hand-expressed milk before giving it to your baby.

Also Read:

How to Pump & Store Breast Milk
Advantages of Breastfeeding for Babies & Mothers
Tips to Make Breast Pumping at Work Easier
Guide to Breastfeeding With Flat or Inverted Nipples
Most Common Breastfeeding Problems & Their Solutions

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Sources References

1. CDC – Hand Expression

2. Stanford Medicine – Hand Expression of Breastmilk

3. National Library of Medicine – Randomised trial comparing hand expression with breast pumping for mothers of term newborns feeding poorly

4. Cleveland Clinic – A How-To Guide on Hand-Expressing Breast Milk

5. La Leche League International – Hand Expressing

6. La Leche League International – Colostrum prenatal antenatal expression