(Hand) Express Yourself

I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I have had extensive classes in hand expression. I have been teaching women how to hand express for the past 7 years in a clinical setting. I have handled my breasts on a daily basis as a teaching tool for seven whole years. I am also 2 days postpartum. Last night, at 4:37am, I finally was able to express 1ml of milk for the baby I just birthed (please see previous blog for story). My hand was cramped, I was bleary eyed, my breasts were sore, and I was so proud of this HUGE accomplishment. And then, I immediately spilled it ALL OVER MYSELF. It was then I realized, I have to come clean about hand expression.

For seven years, I have been telling new parents who are struggling to get their babies to latch, “just hand express your colostrum” for extra food. For seven whole years, I counseled them in how to do this. Massage the breast, juggle the breast, nipple stimulation and then voila! instant syringes full of milk. I treated it with the cavalier attitude of a woman who has never been separated from their newborn. I acted as if handling ones own breast and assuming it would cooperate, a few hours or days after a traumatic birthing, or even a good birthing experience for that matter was no big deal. I was so wrong.

Let me tell you now, I am sorry, hand expression is a big deal, and it is HARD TO DO. Even if you are well taught in how to hand express (which many birthing people are not), you may not be able to do it. Colostrum is sticky and stubborn and pumping will feel completely defeating – keep doing it anyway, you need the stimulation, use coconut oil for lubrication so you don’t blister.

Sure, Colostrum may flow in the first hours after birth because you are riding high on that oxytocin wave, giving you false security. It may then crash along with your hormone levels and you get less than drops and your confidence in your ability to make milk for your baby will be crushed. You may look at the tiny syringe in your hand and think, “this is surely not enough!” Tablespoons doesn’t look like a tiny amount, it looks like an insurmountable barrier to providing your baby with what they need.

Things that have helped me through this stage:

• Look at the colostrum as a vaccine, not food. There are MILLIONS of anitbodies in every single tiny drop.
• Pumping is for you as much as anyone, it will help your uterus shrink to the correct size and set up your supply for later.
• I really like the thin 1ml syringes for sucking up the milk the thicker ones are hard to manipulate and make you feel like you’re not doing enough.
• Pump for 15 minutes every two hours during the day, 1-2X at night and then hand express for 15 minutes. You get what you get, then get some sleep.
• USE LUBE WHEN YOU PUMP DRY
• Pumping will not get the colostrum out. It just won’t.
• Use both hands to hand express, keep trying, and get comfortable with your syringe.
• Suck it up after every drop is squeezed.
• You will mess it up, you will spill it, you will.
• This only is for 3-4 days tops.
• You can do this, you ARE doing this.

And to that sweet mama I saw during my first year in private practice, who’s hand squeezed colostrum I accidentally spilled, I am so so so so sorry.