Hand Expression 101: Why It’s an Essential Skill for Every Breastfeeding Parent
Hand expression is one of the most underrated yet powerful skills in your breastfeeding toolkit. It simply means using your hands (your fingers and thumb) to rhythmically massage and compress your breasts to remove milk, instead of relying on only a pump or your baby’s latch.
It might sound like something from the past, but hand expression is highly effective, incredibly versatile, and can help you in situations where a pump just can’t. Let’s dive into why hand expression is important, when to use it, and exactly how to do it.
When and Why Hand Expression Matters
Here are some key situations where hand expression can be a game-changer:
1. Antenatal Hand Expression
From around 36–37 weeks of pregnancy, you can use hand expression to collect colostrum—the thick, nutrient-packed first milk your body makes. Colostrum can be expressed into a spoon, drawn up into a small syringe, and frozen for use after birth, especially if your baby needs extra feeding support.
Tip: Always check with your doctor, midwife, or lactation consultant before starting antenatal expression, especially if you have a high-risk pregnancy or are on pelvic rest.
2. The First Few Days Postpartum
In the early days, newborns may have trouble latching, and pumps often struggle to extract colostrum from soft breasts. Hand expression can help you collect more drops and stimulate your milk supply. Research shows that mothers who hand express in the first 3 days often have higher milk volumes weeks later.
3. Relieving Engorgement
Overfull breasts can be firm and uncomfortable, making it hard for your baby to latch or for a pump to work well. Expressing a little milk by hand before feeding can soften the areola, improve latch, and relieve pressure—helping prevent plugged ducts and mastitis.
4. No Pump? No Problem
One of the biggest benefits of hand expression is that it’s always available—no equipment, no electricity, no setup. Whether you’re traveling, at work without your pump parts, or caught in a power outage, you can still express milk with just your hands and a clean container.
5. Boosting Pump Output (Hands-On Pumping)
Combining hand expression with pumping can help you empty your breasts more fully. “Hands-on pumping”—massaging and compressing your breasts during or after pumping—can increase your milk output by up to 48%, especially for mothers of NICU babies.
6. If Pumping is Painful or Ineffective
Some parents respond better to hand expression than pumping. It’s gentle, quiet, and fully under your control. If you find pumping uncomfortable, hand expression can be a great alternative to help you get milk out without pain.
How to Hand Express Breast Milk (Press, Compress & Release)
1) Get into Position (C-Hold)
Place your thumb on top of your breast and your first two fingers underneath, about 1–2 inches behind the areola—just outside the nipple area.
2) PRESS into your chest
Press your thumb and fingers straight back toward your chest wall.
3) COMPRESS by squeezing your thumb and fingers together
Bring your thumb and fingers together to gently squeeze the breast tissue (not the skin) to move milk forward toward the nipple.
4) RELEASE and Repeat
Relax your grip to allow the milk ducts to refill, then repeat: Push back → Squeeze → Release.
5) Rotate Around the Breast
Move your hand to different positions (like moving around a clock face) to drain all areas. Switch breasts when the flow slows, going back and forth if needed.