PROTOCOL HANDEXPRESSION OF BREASTMILK
Purpose
To ensure proper supervision given to mothers by teaching, demonstrating and helping mother in expression of breastmilk.
Responsibility
All staff should guide mothers about handexpression.
Indications
Feed a LBW or sick newborn who can not breast feed, suckle or have difficulties coordinating sucking and swallowing
- Keep up supply of breastmilk when mother or baby is ill.
- Relieve breast engorgement
Preparations
- Clean hands
- Clean container. Boiling water poured into it for a few minutes in advance.
A new steril container every day.
- Relax and stimulate lactation. Gentle massage towards nippel using circular motions of fingers. Then by stimulating breast buds with thumbs and forefinger. It will take from 1,5-5 minutes before lactation is started
Procedure
- Sit comfortably with the upperbody leaning forward, and hold the container near the breast
- Tell mother to place her thumb above nipple and areola, and her first-finger below. The rest of her fingers are supporting the breast.
- Press fingers slightly inward towards the chestwall and then together on the lactiferous sinuses. Press and release, press and release.
- If it hurts the technique is wrong.
- Move fingers around the breast to make sure that milk is expressed from all segments of the breasts.
-Express one breast for at least 5 minutes, normally it takes 20 - 30 minutes to handexpress adequately.
Storage of breastmilk
- Room temperature: 6 hours
- Refrigerator: 24 hours
- Freezer: -4 to - 20 degrees Celsius - 2 weeks to 3 months
References:
Anne –Pia Hæggqvist, Breastfeeding of babies with special needs
Dep of pediatrics AIIMS/WHO Essential Newborn Nursing for small hospitals 2009
Dr. Ashok Deorari – Practical procedures for the Newborn Nursery
Oslo university hospital, NICU – Procedure handexpression of breastmilk
Document Information
Version: 1.0 (Archived)
Published: August 3, 2015
Contributors: Teaching Nurses from Norway and FBNCU Nursing Staff, JK Lone Hospital, SMS Medical College, Jaipur
View: Current Version