Expressing in hospital

Expressing in hospital

Most babies are able to feed directly from the breast, but there are some circumstances when this may be difficult. If a baby is premature, is finding latching and sucking difficult, or needs time in the NICU for other reasons, expressing is a great way for your baby to get your breastmilk. This can be done either via a syringe, cup, bottle or nasal gastric tube (if they have one).   For most women, using a pump in the first couple of days wont yield much in the way of colostrum as it is low in volume. You may even find nothing comes out at all initially - this doesn't mean you have no milk, babies are always better at removing colostrum! Hand expressing may work better to begin with (I have a video on this on IGTV), until a few days have passed and your milk 'comes in'   If you are in hospital with your baby for a while, you should be able to access a hospital grade breast pump. A midwife, infant feeding advisor or nurse should show you how to use the pump correctly. If you are pumping in the early days, you should be expressing regularly throughout the day and night. Try not to leave more than 3-4 hours between pumping sessions, to ensure you establish maintain a good supply.

Self care isn't always easy after you have a baby but ensuring you are eating and drinking regularly is essential for your wellbeing as well as breast milk production.

Did you ever have to express milk in hospital?

#breastfeeding #colostrum #nicu #pumping #expressedbreastmilk #postpartum