January 07th, 2019

Hand expression is a useful tool for parents in various stages of lactation. A milk removal technique used alternatively or in combination with mechanical pumping and direct feeding at the chest, hand expression is worth learning for a variety of situations:

• Hand expression is more effective at removing colostrum, with its tiny volume and thicker consistency, than mechanical pumping
• Hand expression is always available, even when electricity and other tools aren't
• Hand expressing after pumping can remove additional milk
• Some parents feel more comfortable with hand expression than with a mechanical pump
• Hand expression can be used to remove colostrum prenatally, to induce lactation on its own or with mechanical pumping, feeding at the chest, medications, or hormones, and to remove milk throughout lactation
• Although it can be more time consuming than pumping and requires some time to perfect technique, with practice hand expression can become an efficient and enjoyable method of milk removal!

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Techniques for hand expression

Wash your hands before beginning. You can collect your expressed milk in a bowl or wide-mouth jar. Some parents have had success expressing directly into a milk storage bag or bottle by putting a funnel in the top of the container!

Encourage a milk let-down (if you've given birth or lactation is established) by massaging your chest, interacting with your baby, looking at pictures of baby, or using a visualization technique that relaxes you and encourages oxytocin in your body. 

Place your hand on your chest with your fingers under your nipple and your thumb above it, about an inch and a half away from the nipple.

Press your hand toward your chest wall.

Roll your thumb and fingers toward your nipple while maintaining pressure towards your chest wall. 

Repeat this motion until milk appears, then continue in a rhythmic motion, moving your hand around your chest to drain all the ducts.

With practice, you can become an expert at the art of hand expressing!