Breastfeeding in Grand Rapids, MI: Expressing and Storing Breast Milk Safely

Breastfeeding parents in Grand Rapids, Michigan often choose to express (pump) breast milk at some point—whether they’re returning to work downtown, commuting to one of the local hospitals, or navigating our long West Michigan winters. Understanding how to express and store breast milk safely helps protect your baby and maintain your milk supply.

Breast milk can be expressed:

  • By hand
  • With a manual (hand-held) breast pump
  • With an electric breast pump

Correct collection, handling, and storage are essential to prevent bacterial growth and keep your baby safe.

Why Grand Rapids Parents May Need to Express Breast Milk

Parents in the Grand Rapids area may need or choose to express breast milk for many reasons, including:

  • Baby needs extra “top‑up” feeds after breastfeeding
  • Baby is not latching or feeding well at the breast
  • Parent is returning to paid work (for example, at Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, or other local employers)
  • Parent prefers to give breast milk in a bottle
  • Someone else (partner, grandparent, childcare provider) will be feeding the baby while the parent is away
  • To increase or maintain milk supply
  • To relieve overly full or engorged breasts
  • When baby is in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at a Grand Rapids hospital and cannot breastfeed directly

How Breast Milk Is Made

Inside the breast, milk is produced and stored in tiny sacs called alveoli. From there, it travels through milk ducts to the nipple.

When your baby needs milk, a let‑down reflex is triggered. This reflex happens when nerve endings in the nipple are stimulated by:

  • Baby sucking at the breast, or
  • The parent expressing milk by hand or with a pump

The Role of Hormones in Milk Production

Two main hormones are involved:

  • Prolactin – helps your body make breast milk
  • Oxytocin – helps milk flow (let‑down)

When the nipple is stimulated, a signal goes to the pituitary gland in your brain to release oxytocin. Oxytocin causes the milk-filled alveoli to squeeze, pushing milk into the ducts and down to the nipple, where it begins to drip or spray out.

Baby’s suckling is usually the strongest trigger for let‑down, but:

  • Gentle breast massage
  • Hand expression
  • Pumping (after stimulation)

can also help start the let‑down reflex.

How Much Milk to Expect in the First Weeks

Every parent is different, but as a general guide:

  • 24–72 hours after birth – your milk “comes in” and breasts feel much fuller
  • By about 7 days – many parents produce around 500 ml (about 16–17 oz) in 24 hours
  • Over the next 2–3 weeks – this may increase to about 600–700 ml (20–24 oz) per day

Regular breastfeeding or expressing helps your body adjust to what your baby needs.

Ways to Express Breast Milk

You can express breast milk in three main ways:

  1. Hand expression
  2. Manual (hand‑held) breast pump
  3. Electric breast pump

Many Grand Rapids parents use a combination—for example, pumping at work and hand expressing at home to finish emptying the breast.

Hand Expression: A Simple, Low‑Cost Option

Hand expression is:

  • Free (no equipment needed)
  • Convenient—can be done anywhere
  • Useful when you are away from your pump
  • Very effective, especially when breasts are less full

It can take some practice, but the skill is worth learning. Local lactation consultants at Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, and Mercy Health can teach you this technique, and the Kent County Health Department and Grand Rapids Public Health can help connect you to breastfeeding support.

Before You Hand Express

  • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water
  • Try to relax—stress and anxiety can delay let‑down
  • It may help to:
    • Have your baby close to you
    • Look at a photo or video of your baby
    • Think about holding or feeding your baby

Because Michigan winters can be cold and dry, you may want to sit in a warm, comfortable room and use a warm compress on your breasts for a few minutes to help with let‑down.

Step‑by‑Step: How to Hand Express

  1. Massage your breasts

    • Use the flat of your hands to gently massage your breasts for about a minute
    • Work from the outer areas toward the nipple

  2. Stimulate the nipple

    • Place a finger and thumb at the base of the nipple
    • Gently stretch and roll the nipple

  3. Position your fingers

    • Place your thumb above the nipple at the edge of the areola (the darker area around the nipple), about 2 cm (¾ inch) from the nipple
    • Place your first finger below the nipple, opposite your thumb

  4. Press and compress

    • Gently press your thumb and finger back toward your chest wall
    • Then squeeze them together (compress)
    • Do not slide your fingers along the skin toward the nipple

  5. Establish a rhythm

    • Squeeze rhythmically, about once per second
    • Drops of milk should appear, then milk may begin to flow or even squirt

  6. Switch hands and areas

    • If your hand gets tired, switch hands
    • When the flow slows to a few drops, move your fingers to another area around the areola and repeat

Set aside enough time to express each breast thoroughly.

How Long to Hand Express

  • Repeat the technique on each breast
  • For example: express each breast 3 times for about 5 minutes each
  • In total, it usually takes no more than 30 minutes to express both breasts

Even if you use a pump, finishing your session with a few minutes of hand expression can help you remove more milk.

Using Manual and Electric Breast Pumps

Many Grand Rapids parents prefer manual or electric breast pumps because they:

  • Can be quicker than hand expression
  • May help increase or maintain milk supply
  • Are convenient for use at work or school

Pumps can be used from birth, especially if your baby is in the NICU at a local hospital and cannot breastfeed directly. Your midwife, OB provider, or lactation consultant can guide you.

Choosing a Breast Pump

A good pump should be:

  • Effective at removing milk
  • Comfortable and safe (should not damage the nipple or areola)
  • Easy to use and clean
  • Economical for your situation

Hospital-based lactation consultants at Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, and Mercy Health can recommend pump types and help with fitting the right flange size.

How to Use a Manual or Electric Pump

  1. Stimulate let‑down first

    • Massage your breasts and/or hand express until milk starts to flow

  2. Position the breast shield

    • Center your nipple in the middle of the breast shield
    • Hold the shield firmly but gently against your breast to create a seal

  3. Start pumping

    • Manual pump: rhythmically squeeze and release the handle
    • Electric pump:
      • Start with low suction
      • Slowly increase to a comfortable level

  4. Check for pain

    • Pumping should not be painful
    • If it hurts:
      • Re‑center the shield over your nipple
      • Reduce the suction level

More suction does not mean more milk and can cause nipple pain or damage.

  1. Finish with hand expression
    • When the milk flow slows, stop the pump
    • Hand express for a few minutes to remove as much milk as possible

Electric Breast Pumps in Grand Rapids

Hospital‑Grade Electric Pumps

Hospital‑grade pumps are designed for parents who need to:

  • Establish milk supply when baby is in the NICU
  • Express very frequently (more than 4 times per day)

These pumps are often available for rental through:

  • Local pharmacies
  • Hospital lactation departments (Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, Mercy Health)

Rental fees and deposits vary locally; check with your hospital or pharmacy for current rates and policies.

Personal Electric Pumps

Smaller personal electric pumps:

  • Are suitable if you pump 1–2 times per day or a few times a week
  • Can be purchased online or at Grand Rapids retailers and pharmacies
  • Often come with single or double pumping options (double pumps let you express from both breasts at the same time and can save time)

How Often to Express Breast Milk

To maintain or increase your milk supply, try to express about as often as your baby would normally breastfeed.

General Guidelines

  • If your baby breastfeeds 8 times in 24 hours, aim to express at least 8 times if you are exclusively pumping
  • To increase supply, you can:
    • Express every 2 hours during the day for 1–2 days
  • If your baby cannot breastfeed and you’re establishing your supply, aim to express 8–10 times in 24 hours

Don’t Skip Nighttime

  • Express at least once overnight
  • Most babies naturally feed at night, and night-time milk removal helps keep your supply strong

Feeding Expressed Breast Milk

Most parents in Grand Rapids use a bottle to give expressed milk, but cups or other methods may also be used, especially for premature or medically fragile babies.

Discuss the best feeding method with:

  • Your pediatrician or family doctor
  • A lactation consultant
  • Hospital breastfeeding clinic staff
  • Public health nurses at Kent County Health Department or Grand Rapids Public Health

Avoid Unnecessary Formula “Top‑Ups”

Breasts work on a supply and demand system:

  • The more milk that is removed (by baby or pump), the more milk your body makes
  • If milk is left in the breast, your body will gradually make less

Using formula supplements regularly—without medical need—can reduce how often your baby breastfeeds or how often you pump, which can lower your milk supply.

Always discuss formula use with your baby’s healthcare provider, especially if your baby was born early or has health concerns.

Safe Storage of Breast Milk in Grand Rapids Homes

Whether you live in a downtown apartment or a home in East Grand Rapids, Wyoming, or Kentwood, safe storage of breast milk is essential to reduce bacterial growth.

Collecting Breast Milk

  • Use clean, sterilised containers:
    • Glass bottles
    • BPA‑free plastic bottles
    • Breast milk storage bags designed for freezing
  • Label each container with:
    • Date and time of expression
    • Your baby’s name (important if your baby is in the NICU or daycare)

Refrigerating Breast Milk

  • Refrigerate within 1 hour of expressing
  • Store milk in the back of the refrigerator, not in the door (the back is colder and more stable in temperature)
  • Use refrigerated breast milk within 3–5 days if kept at 4°C (39°F) or colder

Freezing Breast Milk

Freeze milk if:

  • You produce more than your baby needs in a few days
  • You are building a “milk stash” before returning to work

Storage times:

  • Freezer inside a refrigerator (small freezer compartment): up to 2 weeks
  • Separate freezer with its own door: up to 3 months
  • Deep freezer (-18°C / 0°F or lower): 6–12 months (best quality is usually within 6 months)

Do not add freshly expressed warm milk directly to already frozen milk. Cool the fresh milk in the refrigerator first, then add it to the frozen milk.

Thawing and Warming Breast Milk Safely

Grand Rapids homes can be quite cool in winter, so thawing and warming milk correctly is important to prevent overheating or bacterial growth.

Thawing Frozen Milk

You can:

  • Move the container from the freezer to the refrigerator and let it thaw slowly over about 24 hours, or
  • Hold the container under cool running water, then gradually increase the water temperature to lukewarm

Warming Milk

  • Warm the milk by placing the container in a bowl of warm water
  • Gently swirl (do not shake hard) to mix the fat back in
  • Test the temperature by dropping a little milk on the inside of your wrist—it should feel warm, not hot

Never Use a Microwave

  • Microwaving breast milk can create hot spots that may burn your baby’s mouth
  • It can also destroy some of the milk’s protective nutrients

How Long Thawed Milk Lasts

  • Milk thawed in the refrigerator (and not warmed):

    • Good for 24 hours in the fridge
    • Up to 4 hours at room temperature
    • Do not refreeze

  • Milk thawed outside the fridge using warm water:

    • Good for up to 4 hours in the fridge
    • Do not refreeze

Discard any leftover milk from a feeding once the baby has finished, according to your healthcare provider’s guidance.

Hygiene and Pump Cleaning

Unwashed hands and unclean pump or feeding equipment can contaminate breast milk.

Basic Hygiene Tips

  • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before:

    • Expressing
    • Handling pump parts
    • Preparing bottles

  • Make sure all equipment (pump parts, bottles, storage containers) is clean after each use

Cleaning Pump Parts

For most healthy term infants:

  1. Rinse each part that touches breast milk under running water
  2. Wash in hot, soapy water
  3. Rinse thoroughly in hot water
  4. Air dry on a clean rack or towel
  5. Store dry parts in a clean, covered container

Follow your pump manufacturer’s instructions; some parts may be top‑rack dishwasher safe.

Do Not Share Breast Pumps

  • Personal-use pumps are designed for one user only
  • Sharing can increase the risk of infection and damage the pump
  • Hospital‑grade pumps are designed for multiple users, but each person must use their own personal attachment kit

Local Grand Rapids Breastfeeding Support and Resources

If you are breastfeeding or expressing breast milk in Grand Rapids, you do not have to do it alone. Professional and community support can make a big difference—especially during the postpartum period and through our long Michigan winters when getting out can be harder.

Consider reaching out to:

  • Hospital Lactation Services

    • Spectrum Health (Corewell Health) lactation consultants and breastfeeding clinics
    • Trinity Health Grand Rapids lactation support
    • Metro Health and Mercy Health breastfeeding support programs

  • Your healthcare providers

    • OB‑GYN or midwife
    • Pediatrician or family doctor
    • Hospital midwives from the place where you gave birth

  • Public health resources

    • Kent County Health Department – breastfeeding education, WIC breastfeeding support, and referrals
    • Grand Rapids Public Health programs that support new parents

  • Lactation consultants (IBCLCs)

    • Private lactation consultants practicing in the Grand Rapids and West Michigan area can provide in‑home or virtual visits

  • Parent and breastfeeding helplines / groups

    • National breastfeeding helplines and virtual support groups
    • Local parenting groups, new‑mom groups, and community centers that host breastfeeding meetups

Ask your hospital discharge nurse, pediatric office, or the Kent County Health Department for up‑to‑date contact information and local breastfeeding support groups.

Key Points for Grand Rapids Parents Expressing Breast Milk

  • Collect and store breast milk correctly to reduce the risk of bacterial growth
  • Hormones like oxytocin play a key role in milk production and let‑down
  • Express as often as your baby would breastfeed to maintain your milk supply
  • Include at least one nighttime pumping session to support supply
  • Never microwave breast milk—it can create hot spots and burn your baby’s mouth
  • Local resources in Grand Rapids, MI—including Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, Mercy Health, Kent County Health Department, and Grand Rapids Public Health—can help you with breastfeeding, pumping, and safe milk storage

If you have concerns about your milk supply, your baby’s weight gain, or how to express and store breast milk safely in your home, contact your pediatrician or a lactation consultant in Grand Rapids for personalized guidance.