Expressing milk for the donor milk bank

Preparation

Hygiene

Babies receiving donor milk are extremely vulnerable. That’s why we ask you to follow the general guidelines for hand and breast hygiene carefully before expressing.

Equipment

• Set up the breast pump in a clean and convenient spot and plug it in.
• Prepare a sterile pump kit and a donor bottle on a clean surface.
• Remove the screw cap from the bottle and place it upside down with the inside facing up. 
  Avoid touching the inside of the bottle or the lid to preserve sterility.
• Hold the breast shield by the outside and attach it carefully to the bottle.
• Connect the pump kit to the pump.
• Your equipment is now ready to use.

Preparing your breasts

To stimulate the let-down reflex and ensure good milk flow, it’s important to prepare your breasts beforehand by applying warmth and massaging them.

Applying warmth

• Take a warm shower or use a heating pad, hot-cold pack, or electric blanket.
• Always wrap the heat source in a clean muslin cloth or kitchen towel to prevent burns.
• Focus the warmth on the breast area to stimulate the milk ducts.

Breast massage

Did you know that massaging your breasts before, during and between pumping sessions can help express more milk? Try the following techniques and vary them to stimulate all milk glands:

1. Use circular motions with your fingers, spending a few seconds on each area before moving closer to the areola.
2. Pay extra attention to firm or swollen areas.
3. Place your hands flat on opposite sides of your breast and move them back and forth in opposite directions (e.g. the top hand moves left to right, while the bottom hand moves right to left).
4. Gently stroke towards the nipple to further stimulate the milk ducts.

These techniques prepare your breasts and support a smooth milk flow during pumping.

Expressing milk

Breast milk for the donor milk bank can be expressed with a manual or electric breast pump. For donation, only milk that flows directly from the pump into a sterile donor bottle may be used. Milk expressed by hand can be collected, but only for personal use.

After expressing

• Carefully remove the bottle from the pump and close it immediately with the screw cap. Do not touch the inside of the bottle or the lid.
• Express the last drops of milk from your breast and gently massage the area around the nipple and areola. Let the milk dry naturally — it has soothing and healing properties.
• Replace any damp breast pads to keep your nipples dry. A moist environment encourages microbial growth.
• Write the expression date on the bottle cap using a permanent marker.
• Place the milk in the fridge as soon as possible — it can be stored there for a maximum of 24 hours.

Cleaning and sterilising

Clean and sterilise your pump equipment thoroughly after every use to eliminate any microorganisms.

Storing in the fridge and freezer

Fridge

• Store expressed milk at the back of the fridge, not in the door or vegetable drawer, to avoid temperature fluctuations.
• Milk from different pumping sessions on the same day can be combined into one bottle after cooling. This combined milk can be stored in the fridge for no more than 24 hours between 0 °C and 4 °C.
• Rapid cooling is key to preserving the vitamins and unique properties of breast milk.

Freezer

• Within 24 hours of expression, place the bottle upright in the freezer at –18 °C or colder.
• Never add freshly expressed warm milk to an already frozen bottle, as this could cause partial thawing or contamination.