Learning how to remove milk with your hands is one of the most useful and important skills for a breastfeeding mom. Hand expression (sometimes called hands-on pumping or manual expression) has helped moms out since long before pumps were invented.
Hand expression helps relieve pressure or engorgement. You can also do it to put a little milk on your nipple to rouse a sleepy baby’s interest in feeding.
Hand expression, when combined with electric pumping, can also help your overall milk supply, especially if your baby is born prematurely or at
Don’t be afraid to be hands on! Here’s how you do it:
- Take your breast in one hand and hold it from the bottom, with your fingers pointing upward.
- Press back, then gently squeeze your breast while moving your fingers toward your nipple.
- Release.
- Repeat! You should see drops of milk on your nipple. It may take a few rounds to see any milk coming out.
It can help to see a visual when learning to hand express. This video will give you a better idea of how to use your hands to express milk out of your breasts.
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