Expressing Breast Milk Video Transcript
Expressing Breast Milk Video Transcript
Transcript for expressing milk video.
Transcript for expressing breastmilk video
Voiceover [and background music]
Expressing milk means squeezing milk out of your breast. You would do this if you were separated from your baby for any reason. If you find you need to express breast milk, express by hand if you can especially in the first few days.
Lactation consultant
Look I'm going to just show you how to hand express. It's a really, really good skill for you to know. You're just never quite sure when you maybe separated from one or other of your little people, um and use it at any point in time. You don't need any equipment, just clean hands.
I'm going to show you, I'll show you on my …
[Audio of baby sounds on and off throughout dialogue]
Lactation consultant
…on this little breast, this knitted breast and then we'll go through it together with you.
Mum
OK.
Lactation consultant
So the most important thing really is that you've washed your hands, you've got a clean bottle or something to express into and, um, that you can actually encourage your let down.
It's really important to encourage your let down before you actually express because you just can't get your milk away unless you've actually had a let down. That can, you can do by massaging your breast, by some heat but more importantly looking at your little people. When you can smell your babies or just actually see them, or if that's not possible, just nice music, feeling comfortable and if you've got any discomfort at all making sure that that's gone, like some people who've had, um, an unfortunate or a difficult delivery may feel a bit awkward on their sit-upon so having some pain relief before they express is really important.
So now if we show you how to do it, I'll show, demonstrate straight on my, on this breast, the knitted breast and then we'll, um, I'll get you to do it. Is that OK?
Mum
Sounds good.
Lactation consultant
Right. So the most important thing, so we're going to encourage that, um, that let down by circulating, bringing your stroking your breast; bit of heat sometimes is helpful - perhaps after a shower is really helpful, and now sometimes you can even get a drip of milk coming away before you even start.
Now put our finger and thumb opposing one another, so in other words almost opposite …
Mum
[Muffled comment]
Lactation consultant
… not, not kind of like this. We want the nipple in the centre. It's almost like a line between the two opposing one another and you'll find a, a spot, probably about two centimetres from the base of your nipple but that actually varies from woman to woman. It's called the sweet spot and you'll feel it in your breast. It's a lovely soft area before all the glandular tissue which is behind here which is a bit firmer.
So you put your finger and thumb opposing one another. You push back into your breast, bring your finger and thumb together and just, it's a kind of a rolling action really, on the one spot …
Mum
OK
Lactation consultant
…and you rotate around your breast
all the way round, milking the different ducts, all the way through the breast, collecting the, obviously the milk, as it comes away. Have you got any questions before we try it?
Mum
No, I, I guess I'm a little surprised that you're pushing down rather than sort of drawing out ... like you're sort of, how I imagine it from ah,
[Muffled comments from lactation consultant, talking at the same time as Mum]
Mum
… from what you see from …
Lactation consultant
Yes, yes.
Mum
… cows
Lactation consultant
Yes, cows, yes … and I think it's because ... we don't want you pulling on the skin because if you keep doing that then in fact it becomes very irritating. The areola, the pink, the darker part of your breast, pink in this case, but the darker part, is actually the most sensitive part of your breast, and so therefore if it's going to hurt then you probably will not let down again. You know, you'll be stressed and the milk won't flow so you don't want to irritate that area. It's just pushing back and then bringing your finger and thumb together and you'll find that because of the tissue it will actually move slightly forward and you just keep going through …
Mum
OK
Lactation consultant
… and it ... you get into a rhythm. OK?
Mum
Yep
Lactation consultant
Are you quite comfortable to use that?
Mum
Yeah
Lactation consultant
To try that?
Mum
Yeah no certainly.
Lactation consultant
OK
Mum
Let me just put her down. Keep her close there. There you go.
Lactation consultant
So you washed your hands before you came in.
Mum
Yes I did.
Lactation consultant
It is important.
Mum
Yep. I've got a sterile bottle.
Lactation consultant
Yes and you've got your bottle.
Mum
Think we're set, so …
Lactation consultant
So we're going to massage, just do some nice, soft, gentle
Lactation consultant and Mum together
… massage around …
Lactation consultant
Yes
Mum
Yep
Lactation consultant
… and uh... we haven't got any heat but maybe you've just had a shower.
Mum
It's quite warm in here.
Lactation consultant and Mum together
Laughing
Mum
Yeah no problem.
Mum
… and so should that be enough to just sort of?
Lactation consultant
Yes, yes, yes I think so, um, you may even see some milk coming when you've had …when you're feeling
Lactation consultant and Mum together
…more comfortable …
Mum
Yep
Lactation consultant
Now if you think about that sweet spot …
Mum
So two centimetres on either side?
Lactation consultant
Yes, yes. Can you feel anything?
Mum
Well it's probably a little bit harder. I can feel it when I come in a wee bit.
Lactation consultant
Yes does that feel nice and soft in that area?
Mum
I'm the not two centimetre lady!
Lactation consultant and Mum together
Laughing
Lactation consultant
Perfect.
It's interesting because your breasts, you know as you get to sort of around about four weeks, your breasts soften because you ... when you first have your baby your breasts become very firm and full with lymph and blood to get them going, but by about four weeks they soften right down and some people think oh there's no milk left you know. But you know it'll show very much whether ... that you've got it.
Mum
So like that? So it's pushing down?
Lactation consultant
Your finger and thumb opposing one another?
Well done.
Mum
And then uh it's going to be … probably turn around that way.
Lactation consultant
Might be better, yes. Push back.
Yes.
Mum
Yeah?
Lactation consultant
Again that's great.
Just keep ... get into a nice rhythm. You put your finger and thumb …
Mum
Yep.
Lactation consultant
Back there.
Mum
And you said move round. Do I do that once it stops?
Lactation consultant
A good question. No keep on the same spot until, yes, you may chose just to move slightly back further with your finger and thumb.
Mum
There?
Lactation consultant
Yes. It looks about there, yes.
Mum
OK?
Lactation consultant
Yes.
That's excellent. Just keep going.
[Background music from her until the end of video]
Lactation consultant
Get into a rhythm, yes absolutely, until it's absolutely stopped.
Mum
Until the duct has done its thing?
Lactation consultant
Yes. OK. That's right. Well done.
You might find that you'll get a duct. Sometimes it just squirts and will catch me!
Lactation consultant and Mum
Laughing.
Mum
Hopefully not!
This page last reviewed 16 July 2013.
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