Breast Feeding, Newborn, Parenting

Expressing breast milk — when feeding at the breast isn’t possible 

For many mums, feeding directly at the breast is often the easiest and most efficient way to offer breastmilk. But there are plenty of times when expressing becomes helpful or necessary.

You might be expressing if:
• your baby is premature or still learning to feed effectively
• your baby is in hospital and you can’t be there for every feed
• you are in hospital and baby can’t be with you
• you’ve returned to work, study or other commitments
• you’re heading out and leaving baby with a carer
• your breasts feel overly full or uncomfortable

Some families also like to keep a small freezer stash “just in case.”

✨ P2B tips for storing expressed breast milk:

✔️ Measure the milk in the bottle before transferring to storage bags — frozen bag markings aren’t always accurate.
✔️ Freeze smaller amounts (around 60ml to start). Once defrosted, milk needs to be used — and we all know EBM is liquid gold!
✔️ Clearly label every bag with the date and volume.
✔️ Remove as much air as possible before sealing. Freezing flat saves space and makes storage easier.
✔️ Store newer milk underneath so older milk gets used first.
✔️ When frozen flat, you can sometimes snap off a small portion to make up the exact amount you need.

Simple steps to make expressing and storing milk feel a little more manageable

For more information:

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