Using a Breast Pump

What does expressing mean? Expressing breastmilk is the act of squeezing milk from your breasts, either by hand or with a manual breast pump or with any of the medela electric breastpumps. It is the only way, apart from breastfeeding itself, to release milk from your breasts. Once you extract the milk, you can store it in baby bottles or breast milk containers to feed to your baby at a later date. Some women say expressing milk makes them feel like a cow - so if you've had this thought, you're not alone. It is certainly not a glamorous role.

Continue to read our advice and tips on breastfeeding and expressing, choosing a breast pump, buying a breast pump, and using a breast pump on our Breastfeeding website.