It is necessary for all breastfeeding mothers to learn to extract milk because it will be very useful. What do you do with the extracted milk? Where should milk be stored?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breast milk as the sole source of nourishment for the baby during approximately the first 6 months of life. Once you introduce solid foods to your baby’s diet, you can continue to breastfeed for as long as you both want. It is an exclusive decision of the mother and her baby.
Having reserve food available for any occasion, whether for work or for another circumstance in which the mother is absent, can solve many problems.
A priori it may seem somewhat tedious, but with the practice you can extract milk and sugar easily so that your little one continues to receive the best food that you can give him.
Extraction and preservation of breast milk
It is necessary that all breastfeeding mothers learn how to extract milk, since it will be very useful to overcome problems that may threaten the success of a good breastfeeding.
There are several situations in which you can resort to extraction, such as:
- To feed the premature or low birth weight newborn who still cannot take directly from the breast and to which we can benefit from the properties of breast milk that will help him recover and gain weight.
- To feed the baby when the mother returns to work.
- When you must temporarily separate from the baby because of travel, illness, an intervention that requires hospitalization or simply to be absent a few hours for a special party.
- When you need to increase your production or volume of milk.
- To relieve congestion of the breasts when they are loaded too much milk (as usually happens in the first drop of milk).
- To avoid duct blockages.
To be successful in what we are looking for through extraction, it is important to start with realistic expectations. For example, knowing that the ability to extract milk is learned, over time and with practice one is perfecting the technique. Also the amount of milk that is extracted will vary depending on many factors such as the time of day, the ability to extract, how comfortable it is in the environment where the milk is extracted, how quiet, etc.
There are different extraction techniques and each mother will find the most appropriate for her and her situation.
Milk extraction techniques
- Manual extraction
- Extraction with manual pump
- Extraction with electric pump
Manual extraction
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- Gently massage the chest in a circular way as this will stimulate the descent (you can apply a warm water cloth a few minutes before the milk flows).
- Leaning forward, grasp the breast with your hand by placing your thumb over the areola and the index below forming a letter C.
- Push your fingers back slightly (towards the wall of the chest) and press trying to get the index finger and thumb together, without reaching the tip of the nipple. Repeat rhythmically.
- Rotate the position of the fingers to vacate all deposits. Milk drips at the beginning and then spreads.
When the milk stops coming out repeat the steps with the other breast.
Extraction with manual pump
This system allows expressing milk from one breast at a time and works by exerting pressure on it, through a lever or handling that the mother manages to regulate the ejection. It is an economical and easy to use system.
Extraction with electric pump
The electric breast pumps have motor. There are the simple or double type.
In the case of double breast pumps, the extraction can be done simultaneously in both breasts, reducing the time allocated to this task. They are ideal for those who need to perform very frequent extractions.
They can also be used to express milk with a single breast.
The simple electric breast pump has similar characteristics to the double, although it can only be used for one breast at a time. It is recommended for those women who do not need frequent extractions.