You can feed your baby by expressing your milk into a sterile container to be used later, for example if you have a premature or sick baby.

Expressing is also useful if you have full breasts, plan to return to work or simply want to go out. You can express by hand or by using an electric or hand pump. Whichever method you use, wash your hands thoroughly before you start and ensure containers and every bit of equipment used has been washed in hot soapy water, rinsed in clean water, then sterilised.

How to help your milk flow ready for expressing

• Have a sterile container ready, and a drink and tissues to hand.
• Prepare a bowl of warm water or a flannel dipped in warm water.
• Sit in a comfortable position and bathe your breasts in the water or with the flannel.
• Gently massage them with your fingertips or closed fist; work all round your breasts, including underneath, towards your nipple.
• Roll your nipple gently between your finger and thumb, but don’t squeeze it.

How to hand express

Under your areola (the dark skin around your nipple) are milk reservoirs, which feel like small peas underneath your skin; this is where the milk collects.

1. Place your thumb on top of your breast over the milk reservoirs and your first two fingers below. Your hand should be making a C shape. Hold your sterile container under your nipple with the other hand.
2. Keeping in this position, gently and carefully press the breast backwards.
3. At the same time press your thumb and first finger forwards towards the nipple so as to ease the milk from the reservoirs and into the container. Remember to rotate your finger and thumb positions to ‘milk’ the other reservoirs.Release this pressure to let the reservoirs fill up again. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
4. When the flow of milk slows, switch to your other breast.

Breast pumps

All pumps work by drawing the milk through your nipple into a sterilised container. Some collect the milk straight into a poly bag ready for freezing.

• Hand pumps are cheap, portable, and quiet, but can be quite hard work. Cylinder or lever mechanisms work well. Ask friends which pump they found best.
• Battery or electric pumps are quick and effective, but noisy and quite expensive. Electric pumps can be hired from the National Childbirth Trust or, in some health authorities, from your local maternity hospital. Your health visitor, breastfeeding counsellor or midwife will give you advice on expressing your breast milk.

Tips to increase your milk supply

If you feel you are not making enough milk try:

• Feeding more often.
• Expressing milk between feeds.
• Making sure you are eating well.
• Resting for 24 hours with your baby beside you, feeding whenever he is wakeful.
• Get help with positioning from your health visitor, midwife or breastfeeding counsellor.

Storing expressed milk

Fresh expressed breast milk can be kept for 24 hours stored in the fridge at 2°C (39°F).

Store it in the back or bottom of the fridge, not the door. It can also be kept in an upright freezer in sterile containers for up to three months, or for six months in a chest freezer. (For premature babies, store for three months only.)

Label and date the container, and then pour the milk straight into it. If the fat in breast milk separates when it’s thawed, just give the milk a good shake. You can thaw milk quickly by standing the container in hot water – use milk thawed this way immediately. Milk defrosted in the fridge will keep for 24 hours.

Do not defrost frozen breast milk in a microwave as this can leave hot spots, which could burn your baby’s mouth. It is not safe to re-freeze breast milk once it’s thawed.

How to breastfeed

Take a real-life close up peek at how a baby should latch on by watching our 'How to breastfeed' video.