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Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Breastfeeding: Expressing and Storing Breast Milk
We recommend that you follow the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidelines to breastfeed your baby for the first 6 months of life and, if possible, for the entire first year. Breastfeeding is the natural way to provide all the nutrition your baby needs. Expressing (pumping) your breast milk is a great way to be sure that your baby receives the full benefit of your milk, even if you need to be away due to work or other commitments.
You can begin expressing milk around 2 weeks before your return to work to give yourself plenty of time to learn what works best for you and your baby. Our lactation consultants are available to assist you if you have any concerns.
Four methods to express milk
No matter which method you use, always wash your hands and any pumping equipment before you begin to express milk. Make sure to follow the manufacturer's directions that come with the pump.
- Hand or manual expression is easy and effective, once you learn the technique. Expressing milk with your hands doesn’t require batteries or electricity, and there is no equipment to buy. You will need bottles to store the milk, so have a clean container ready. If you will miss more than 1 or 2 feedings a day, manual expression may not help you keep up your milk supply as well as a pump would.
- Hand-operated breast pumps may be helpful for mothers with an established milk supply who don’t need to pump often. They are more time-consuming than mechanical pumps because they express one breast at a time. Also, if you need to pump during your lunch break, they may not be very practical because it’s difficult to eat and use your hands to pump at the same time.
- Hand-held battery-operated pumps also express one breast at a time. They cost more than the hand-operated pumps. Their advantage is that they give you a free hand. If you have a private space at work, you can also eat your lunch, answer your phone, or work on a computer. However, pumping and working at the same time is not the ideal way to maintain a milk supply. It is beneficial if you can use a break time to relax and pump. The batteries in these pumps need to be changed after every 2 to 4 hours of use. Both manual and hand-held battery-operated pumps are lightweight and portable. Some women find that this method doesn't provide enough stimulation to keep up their milk supply. If this is the case for you, consider an electric pump.
- Electric double pumps express milk from both breasts at the same time. They're efficient and help ensure a good milk supply. They are slightly larger than the battery operated models and come in a large shoulder bag or backpack style that store the pumped milk. Some women decide to buy one if they plan on having more children and breastfeeding in the future. Double pumps can also be rented.
Many of our facilities rent and/or sell breast pumps. For more information, please call your local Health Education Center or department.
How to store breast milk safely
Once it has been expressed, breast milk can be stored in containers for future use. Always use containers that have been washed in hot, soapy water and have been rinsed well. You can store your expressed milk in the following ways:
- Use glass or hard plastic bottles with tight-fitting lids, or plastic milk storage bags made specifically for freezing and storing breast milk. Disposable bottle liners are not a good way to store breast milk.
- Store milk in small amounts (2 to 4 ounces) to limit waste.
- First cool each batch of milk in the refrigerator and then freeze it right away.
- Do not add fresh milk to already frozen milk.
- Label the container with the date when the milk was pumped. When using your stored milk, use the oldest milk first to ensure that you're giving your baby fresh milk.
How long you can store breast milk
Breast milk may be stored in the following ways for healthy (non-hospitalized) babies:
- At room temperature (66° to 72° Fahrenheit) for 6 to 8 hours
- In warm rooms (79° F) for 3 to 4 hours
- In a refrigerator (32° to 39° F) for up to 7 days
- In the freezer compartment inside a refrigerator up to 2 weeks
- In a freezer compartment with a separate door for 3 to 4 months
- In a separate deep freeze or chest freezer for 6 months or more
How to prepare frozen milk for feedings
To defrost frozen milk for feeding:
- Hold the container under warm running water or place it in a bowl of warm tap water.
- Slowly add more warm tap water around the container until the milk reaches room temperature. (You may need to test it on the inside of your wrist.)
- You can store thawed milk in a refrigerator for 24 hours, or leave it out at room temperature for 1 hour. Do not refreeze thawed breast milk.
If your baby drinks from a bottle but doesn't finish all of the milk, throw the remaining milk away. To minimize waste, put only the amount of milk that your baby is most likely to drink in the bottle. Do not use the same bottle again without washing the bottle first with hot, soapy water. Even small amounts of milk can cause bacteria to grow in the bottle over time.
Never microwave breast milk. This can cause overheating which destroys nutrients. Microwaves don't heat evenly; therefore milk warmed in a microwave can produce "hot spots" in the milk that can burn your baby's mouth.
Pumping takes practice
Learning to express your breast milk can take some practice and patience! Many mothers find that they need some time and support to learn the art of expressing milk. When you start, take a deep breath, look at a picture of your baby, hold or smell your baby's blanket, and pump in a quiet, relaxed setting to help you with good milk expression.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact our lactation consultant who will be glad to support you in all aspects of breastfeeding.
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.