By Regina Kincaid, IBCLC | Kindestmilk
If I had to pick one breastfeeding technique, I wish more parents knew about, it would be “Breast Compressions”. They are not always taught in antenatal classes or in hospital, yet they are simple—all you need is your hands. Breast compressions can be applied during direct breastfeeding or pumping which may help babies obtain milk more effectively when milk flow slows.
Although Canadian paediatrician Dr Jack Newman has described and popularised breast compressions in breastfeeding education, the principle itself is probably as old as time. Throughout history, parents have likely instinctively put their hands to their breasts to help their babies breastfeed.
How do breast compressions work?
When a baby breastfeeds, initial rapid sucking stimulates the so-called milk let-down reflex. Milk is actively pushed towards the nipple, making it available to the baby. However, swallowing may become less frequent as milk flow slows between milk ejections. Gently compressing the breast can help with the milk flow into baby’s mouth, encouraging them to swallow again. Rather than squeezing continuously, the parent can apply gentle pressure during a burst of sucking and release it when the baby pauses or swallowing slows.
To try breast compressions:
- Position your thumb and fingers back from the nipple and areola—nearer the chest wall— to maintain latch.
- Gently compress the breast while your baby is sucking.
- Observe whether swallowing becomes more frequent (listen out for audible swallows which may sound like the letter K sound).
- Release the compression when swallowing decreases or baby pauses, then repeat if helpful.
- Change your hand position as needed to access all the milk-making tissue of the breast.
The pressure should always be comfortable and should not cause pain or tissue damage.
When might breast compressions be useful?
Breast compressions may be particularly helpful when milk transfer needs additional support, for example:
- During the colostrum phase or when baby is sleepy: when a newborn is sleepy and needs encouragement to feed, especially when milk volume is not abundant yet.
- When weight gain is slow: as part of a feeding assessment and an individualised plan to improve milk intake.
- When milk transfer is less effective: for example, when a baby sucks for prolonged periods but swallows infrequently. A nutritive suck swallow ratio is 1:1 or 2:1. If the ratio exceeds 5:1, breast compressions may be useful.
- When you want to increase milk supply: because effective and frequent milk removal helps stimulate ongoing milk production.
- When a baby becomes frustrated as flow slows: compressions can help milk flow more consistently during active sucking.
However, every breastfeeding relationship is unique and responses to breast compressions can vary. Breast compressions do not guarantee a particular milk volume, and persistent feeding difficulties or poor weight gain warrant assessment of attachment, sucking, milk transfer and the baby’s oral cavity and overall health.
Switch feeding: encouraging active swallowing
Another useful technique is “Switch Feeding” (sometimes also called “Switch Nursing”), which involves alternating between breasts several times during a feed rather than waiting for the baby to detach from one side.
When swallowing slows and the baby becomes less active, the parent can offer the other breast. A change of breast may stimulate further sucking and another milk ejection reflex from a fuller breast, increasing milk flow and encouraging the baby to continue feeding. Breast compressions can also be used alongside, and you can switch back and forth between breasts as required.
This can be particularly useful for some sleepy babies or babies who become frustrated when milk flow slows. However, switch feeding is a feeding-management strategy rather than a treatment for every cause of ineffective milk transfer. If a baby is not gaining weight appropriately, a lactation professional can help determine whether it is suitable and whether additional milk is needed.
Does switching breasts mean missing out on hindmilk?
Parents are sometimes advised to let their baby finish one breast before offering the other to ensure they receive the so-called hindmilk. So, the switch feeding technique may sound like conflicting information.
But breast milk fat concentration generally increases as milk is removed from the breast. The terms foremilk and hindmilk, which are rather outdated, describe milk with relatively lower and higher fat concentrations, respectively; they do not represent two distinct types of milk separated by a precise point during a feed.
The pattern is more complex than a simple beginning-and-end division. Fat concentration varies with breast fullness, the progression of milk removal and between individuals.
Switching breasts does not automatically mean that a baby will receive insufficient fat. Equally, we cannot assume that switching several times guarantees a particular fat intake or number of milk ejections, but it may increase the overall milk intake.
The priority is effective milk transfer, adequate overall intake of milk volume and appropriate growth — not following a rigid rule about how long a baby must remain on each breast.
The take-home message
Breast compressions and switch feeding are two practical techniques that may help some babies breastfeed more actively and transfer milk more effectively. They are simple, adaptable tools that parents can learn with support from a midwife or lactation consultant.
If your baby is persistently sleepy at feeds, has fewer wet nappies than expected or is gaining weight slowly, seek prompt professional assessment. These techniques can be helpful, but they should form part of an appropriate feeding plan rather than delay or replace further assessment.
Resources:
Canadian breastfeeding foundation. February 2009 https://www.canadianbreastfeedingfoundation.org/induced/breast_compression.shtml; visited October 2026
N.P. Alekseev and V.I. IIyin: The Mechanics of Breast Pumping: Compression Stimuli Increased Milk Ejection. July 2016 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/bfm.2015.0172; visited October 2026
Raz et al.: Analysis of swallowing in infants and adults using speckle pattern analysis. March 2022 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-07895-w?utm_source=chatgpt.com; visited October 2026
La Leche League GB: My baby needs more milk. 2022 https://laleche.org.uk/my-baby-needs-more-milk/; visited October 2026
M.C. Castro et al.: Energy, Fatty Acid, and Cytokine Content in Mature Human Milk: Comparison between Foremilk, Middle Milk, and Hindmilk Breastfeeding Intervals. 2025 https://www.scielo.br/j/jbchs/a/b3WKcQ5Ht5pspHjW7kYNjXL/?format=html&lang=en&ilang=en; visited 2025
OpenAI. (2025). *ChatGPT* [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/
