If you want to express breast milk right now but don’t have a gear, try the hand express technique. It is a simple way to remove milk from your breasts anywhere, gear-free😉!
How do you hand express your breast milk?
Your hands sometimes can be a lifesaver🛟 for your breasts! Wash your hands clean, and gently massage and squeeze your breasts to express milk out of your breasts. Put your thumb and index finger around your nipple, slide the fingers down, and rotate the nipple with gentle press. (You can get bruises if you press too hard, so make sure you do it gently!😵) Do both sides of your breasts alternately, each for about 5 minutes, massage them for a minute, and do squeezing again. Repeat the procedure as needed, but the total time should not exceed 20-30 minutes.
Why should I try hand expressions?
The biggest charm of hand expression is that it is convenient! You don’t need any equipment, so you can do pumping anytime, anywhere😎. But convenience isn’t the only advantage of hand expression!
Doing hand expression allows you to get more colostrum than using a breast pump. Even if you are using a breast pump, using your hand for a few minutes at the end of the pumping session can usually squeeze more milk out🍼. Also, using a breast pump can possibly make your nipples itchy and soar, so if you are suffering from this, try hand expressions!
Tips for easier hand expressing
Smooth milk flow is the key to easier hand expression! In order to stimulate your breasts better, a warm temperature helps. Make your hands warm♨️, or a hot shower can help your breasts to relax. Massaging the breasts gently by moving them around will yield more milk to pump. Relaxation is important as well🕊️ , so find a quiet, clean spot to do the expressions. If you ask when is the best time for hand expressing, I would say do it in the morning, because your supply tends to be the most abundant!