Supporting early expressing for partners and families

Information for patients, relatives and carers - Introduction

It’s important to start expressing early after birth, and you can help with this.

Breastmilk is important for babies who are admitted to the Neonatal Unit, and as a support person you have a valuable role to play in helping with expressing breast milk. Expressing is not always easy but it can be greatly rewarding for parents. Emotional and practical support from family and friends is therefore essential for mothers and birthing people who are expressing breastmilk.

Collecting colostrum

Colostrum is the first milk that mothers will express and can be given to the baby as mouth care or feeds as soon as available.

• In order to stimulate the production of breastmilk, expressing from both breasts should be started as soon as possible after birth and be repeated 8-10 times per day.
• The equipment required to get started includes a small sterile syringe or small sterile pot to collect the drops of colostrum, identification labels and your copy of the ‘breast massage & hand expressing technique’ leaflet.
• The midwifery and neonatal staff will also support with expressing.

Delivering expressed breastmilk to the Neonatal Unit

Please take any expressed colostrum/breastmilk round to the Neonatal Unit as soon as possible. Ideally this should be as soon as it’s expressed. If not please make sure it is stored in a fridge before being taken to NICU. Expressed breast milk can be kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours and if not used by this time it must be frozen. Please ensure that the milk is labelled correctly, the midwife or neonatal nurse will be able to show you how to do this. Ensure that the milk is given to the nurse looking after your baby, so it can be given to your baby as part of mouth care, directly as a feed, or stored until required.

Sterilising expressing equipment

Taking the lead for cleaning, sterilising and storage of the milk can be a huge support.

Sterilising bags are included in the expressing pack and further supplies are available to purchase from the Neonatal Unit.

Please wash all expressing equipment thoroughly in hot soapy water and rinse well.

Place the equipment in the sterilising bag with 60mls of water and seal the ziplock bag.

Microwave on high power for the length of time specified on the sign by the sterilising microwave (this will vary between wards depending on the microwave settings).

Supporting and encouraging mothers and birthing people with expressing breast milk and helping them to stay well

As well as supporting through practical measures, we know that encouragement and emotional support is invaluable in supporting the expressing journey. To establish and maintain a milk supply, it is important to express 8-10 times in 24 hours. You can encourage and prompt this to happen. During the day, avoid gaps in expressing of more than 4 hours and overnight of more than 6 hours. Express once between midnight and 6am, as this is when the milk producing hormones are at their highest levels.

Support your partner to take time to eat and drink regularly, rest and offer back back and shoulder massages.

Contacts / further information

Email the Maternity Infant Feeding Team

Email the Neonatal Infant Feeding Team

References / sources of evidence

Breastfeeding help and support - NHS (opens in a new tab)

Supporting a Breastfeeding Mother - La Leche League GB (opens in a new tab)