Study note

Expressed breast milk: use, storage, and manual expression

THE CONTEXT

Expressed breast milk allows feeding when direct breastfeeding is not possible because the mother is sick or working, or the baby is sick or small.

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Expressed breast milk, also called own mother's milk, can be given using an alternative method such as a paladai or gastric tube.

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Milk can be stored for 6–8 hours at room temperature, 24 hours in a refrigerator, and 3–6 months in a freezer at –20°C.

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The mother should wash her hands thoroughly, sit comfortably, massage the breast, and collect milk in a wide-mouth container.

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Place the thumb 4 cm away from the nipple and the index finger on the undersurface of the breast. Pull the grip toward the chest and then compress.

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Milk generally starts flowing after several compress-and-release cycles.

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If milk does not flow, move the thumb and finger closer to the nipple and repeat expression. Compress and release around the breast.

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Being at the baby's bedside or keeping the baby's picture nearby can help stimulate the oxytocin reflex.

NEETx

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