Expressing milk means squeezing milk out of your breast so you can store it and feed it to your baby later. You might want to express milk if:you have to be away from your baby, for example, because your baby is in special care or because you're going back to workyour breasts feel uncomfortably full...
How to express breast milk You can express milk by hand or with a breast pump. How often you express your milk, and how much you express, will depend on why you're doing it. Sometimes it takes a little while for your milk to start flowing...
Expressing breast milk by hand Some find it easier to express milk by hand, especially in the first few days or weeks. It also means you can express without needing a pump, or an electricity supply. Hand expressing allows you to encourage milk to flow from a parti...
Expressing milk with a breast pump There are 2 different types of breast pump: manual (hand-operated) and electric. Manual pumps are cheaper but may not be as quick as an electric pump. You may be able to hire an electric pump...
Storing breast milk You can store breast milk in a sterilised container or in special breast milk storage bags:in the fridge for up to 8 days at 4C or lower (you can buy fridge thermometers online) – if you're not sure of the temperature of your fridge, or it is...
Defrosting frozen breast milk It's best to defrost frozen breast milk slowly in the fridge before giving it to your baby. If you need to use it straight away, you can defrost it by putting it in a jug of warm water or holding it under running warm water. Once it's...
Warming breast milk You can feed expressed milk straight from the fridge if your baby is happy to drink it cold. Or you can warm the milk to body temperature by putting the bottle in a jug of warm water or holding it under running warm water. Do not use a microwav...
Storing breast milk if your baby is in hospital If you're expressing breast milk because your baby is premature or sick, ask the hospital staff caring for your baby for advice on how to store it. Read ...
If you're having difficulty expressing breast milk If you're finding it difficult or uncomfortable to express your breast milk:Ask your midwife, health visitor or breastfeeding supporter for help. They can also tell you about other breastfeeding support available ...