Breast milk should be expressed every few hours

The milk supply status of each mother after breastfeeding is different. If the mother needs to go to work and does not have time to breastfeed, the milk will automatically fill up. Generally, the milk can be squeezed out after the feeling of fullness appears. Pay attention to hygiene when expressing milk. It is best to cut your nails short to facilitate milking without damaging the breasts. It is best to refrigerate expressed milk so that it can stay fresh longer.

Breast milk should be expressed every few hours

1. Generally speaking, when the mother starts to have milk, the baby needs to be fed 6 to 7 times a day, that is, once every 3 to 4 hours. Therefore, if the mother simulates the baby's drinking time to express milk, she needs to express milk every 3 to 4 hours.

2. In principle, you should only squeeze milk until your breasts feel comfortable and no longer swollen, or until you get the amount your baby needs. When milking goes smoothly, it usually takes 10 to 20 minutes to complete. If the milk supply is low, it may take up to half an hour to complete the milking.

How do women express breast milk?

1. The mother should wash her hands thoroughly and cut her nails short. She can sit or stand, whichever makes her feel comfortable.

2. Hook the finger hook of the milking machine with the middle finger of your left hand, and use the other fingers to hold and fix the breast and milk container.

3. Place your thumb and index finger on the outside of the areola in a C shape (this position varies depending on the breast conditions of each mother, it may be closer to the areola or further away from the areola)

4. Use your thumb and index finger to gently press vertically downward toward your body. The depth of compression is based on the mother’s comfort level.

5. Squeeze your thumb and index finger in opposite directions. It's best if the rhythm of the squeezes mimics the rhythm of your baby's sucking.

6. Continue until your breasts feel soft and comfortable. Squeeze one breast for at least 3-5 minutes. When the milk is running low, you can squeeze the other breast. You can use both hands alternately to avoid fatigue.

How to store breast milk

Generally speaking, there are two ways to store breast milk: one is to store it at room temperature, and the other is to store it in a refrigerator:

Storage at room temperature is mainly carried out in the absence of refrigeration equipment, and the storage time is relatively short. The specific storage time needs to be determined according to the room temperature at that time. If the indoor temperature is low, it can generally be stored for 24 hours, but if the indoor temperature is relatively high, the storage time ranges from 6 hours to 12 hours. Therefore, in order to prevent the baby from eating stale and spoiled breast milk, pregnant mothers are advised not to store breast milk at room temperature in summer.

Refrigerated storage is the practice of mothers expressing breast milk in advance and placing it in a refrigerator or other refrigeration equipment to keep it fresh. Refrigeration can keep breast milk for a longer period of time, generally at least several days and up to several months. However, unless there are special circumstances, it is recommended that mothers do not store breast milk for so long. After all, if it is kept for too long, the active ingredients in the breast milk may be lost or deteriorate.