Expressing breast milk
How to express, store, freeze, thaw, and warm breast milk.
If your baby is not feeding often or well, you may need to remove milk from your breast. This is called expressing breast milk.
Expressing your milk is usually short–term and can help your body make more milk. This is not necessary when you have enough milk, and your baby is feeding well at the breast.
Parents who have enough milk for their baby can also choose to express their milk for additional storage. Learn more about bottle feeding.
It can take time to learn how to express breast milk and may be easier once your milk supply has been established.
You can express by hand or with a breast pump.
Why express breast milk
- Your breasts are engorged or feel very full.
- Your doctor or health care provider would like you to try to increase your milk supply to meet your baby's needs.
- You have a condition which prevents you from breastfeeding, such as sore nipples or an abscess.
- You are taking medications that are not safe with breastfeeding. If you aren't sure, ask your pharmacist.
- You have had breast surgery or have been diagnosed with a hormonal problem that affects your milk production.
- You and your baby are separated for some reason. For example, you are sick, require surgery or need to return to work.
- Your baby is unable to latch.
You can also express if your baby is:
- Adopted and you need to establish your milk supply.
- Born early or is unable to breastfeed for any reason.
- Not gaining weight, which may mean you need to increase your milk supply.
- Unable to latch or is not breastfeeding well.
- Not getting enough milk because of poor suck and swallow patterns.
You can also express breast milk if your baby has a medical condition, for example, cleft lip and palate, cardiac anomalies and genetic conditions.
More information
It may be easier to express in the morning, when your breasts feel fullest, or right after you breastfeed your baby. If you are expressing because your breasts are very full, you can express any time of day using either a breast pump or by hand.
- Find a clean container with a wide opening to collect the expressed milk.
- Wash your hands and remove any undergarments covering your breasts.
- Apply warmth and gently massage your breasts before you hand express to help your breast milk flow.
Hand expressing
The steps to hand expression include press, compress, release.
Video available in different languages
(Detailed instructions about hand expression at 2 minutes 10 seconds)
Use any of the following containers to store your breast milk:
- Glass containers with tight lids. For example, small jars and bottle with lids.
- Hard plastic containers or bottles that are BPA free.
- Breast milk freezer bags.
Storing breast milk at home
- Freshly expressed breast milk can stay at room temperature (less than 25°C) for 6 to 8 hours.
- You can keep it in the fridge for 5 days for healthy full-term babies. Place breast milk at back of the fridge where it is coldest.
- You can add freshly expressed breast milk to the same container as breast milk expressed on the same day. Always cool freshly expressed milk before adding it to the already cooled breast milk.
- If your baby is born early or is in the hospital, talk to your doctor or health care provider about cleaning containers to store breast milk.
Freezing breast milk
- You can freeze breast milk in small amounts (2 to 4 oz or 60 to 120 ml) and label it with the date.
- You can add freshly expressed breast milk to the same container as already frozen breast milk. Always cool freshly expressed breast milk before adding it to already frozen breast milk. The amount of cooled freshly expressed breast milk added should be less than the amount of frozen breast milk.
- Leave a 2.5 cm space at the top of the container when freezing.
- Store in the back of the freezer on the top shelf in separate fridge freezer for 3 to 6 months.
- You can keep up to 6 to 12 months in a deep freezer.
Thawing breast milk
- Check the date on the container to make sure it has not expired. Use the container with the earliest date first.
- Thaw breast milk by first putting the container under cool running water, then change to warm running water until fully thawed.
- You can also thaw frozen breast milk in the fridge. You must use it within 24 hours of taking it out of the freezer. Do not thaw breast milk at room temperature.
- Frozen breast milk separates into different fat layers. Gently shake to mix.
Warming breast milk
- Warm breast milk by placing container in a bowl of very warm water.
- Do not heat on the stove or in a microwave. To avoid any risk of burning your baby. A container heated in a microwave may feel cool but can contain pockets of very hot liquid.
Spoon or cup feeding works well if you need to give your baby additional breast milk or formula after your baby feeds at the breast. This method of feeding is meant to be used shor–-term and is usually done on the advice and support of a health care provider.
