Manual expression and electric breast pumping in the first 48 h after delivery.

Background: Early feeding for preterm infants via the mother's own milk is crucial for lowering morbidity and mortality. Obtaining the mother's milk in the first few days is sometimes difficult; an effective way of mediating this problem has not yet been established. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate whether breast pumping using a hospital-grade electric pump was more effective in maximizing the available milk volume and more comfortable than manual expression in the first 48 h after birth.