Breastfeeding Hand Expression - How to hand express breast milk

Wash your hands before you start. Find a suitable wide-rimmed container for your milk, such as a jug. Either sterilise the container in a steriliser, or wash it well and scald it with boiling water. Place your little finger under your breast, against your ribs, and spread your other fingers slightly, to support your breast. Your thumb needs to be on top, about 3cm (1.2in) or 4cm (1.6in) back from the base of your ***. Adjust your fingers, if you need to, so that your first finger and thumb are opposite each other, making a big C-shape around your breast. Your milk comes from deep within your breast, so your finger and thumb need to be well away from your ***. Place them towards the edge of the darker skin surrounding your *** (areola). Feel for a change in texture from the softness of your *** and areola to a slight ridge. Gently but firmly squeeze your thumb and first finger together and then release, but keep your finger and thumb in the same position. Repeat the squeezing and releasing again and again, building up a rhythm. Keep the rhythm up, and at some point, you'll see drops of colostrum or breastmilk appearing at your ***. If the flow slows, rotate your hand slightly, as if moving around a clock-face, and try a different section of your breast. You can keep on moving your hand around your breast to squeeze a different section, and keep swapping from one breast to another. Do this until the milk stops, or you've got as much as you want.