Does breast massage increase milk supply?

Yes. Breast massage helps in two ways: it triggers letdown so milk moves out of the breast more completely, and it improves milk removal during a pumping or breastfeeding session. Better milk removal signals your body to make more milk. Moms who add hand expression and breast massage to their pumping routine consistently get more milk than those who use the pump alone.

How do you massage your breasts to increase milk supply?

Start with clean, warm hands. Rub a dab of olive oil or lanolin between your palms first. Lean back or lie down to elevate the breasts. Focus on one breast at a time: lift the whole breast up and down, side to side, and in slow gentle circles. Then with one hand supporting, use the other to massage and knead around the outer perimeter of the breast, working inward in concentric circles toward the nipple. Use fingertips to tap, and knuckles to gently work any firm areas.

Does breast massage help with engorgement?

Yes, especially when engorgement is blocking milk release. Massage helps soften the breast and move fluid so baby can latch and feed effectively. If the breast is too firm for baby to latch on, try reverse pressure softening: lie on your back to elevate the breasts, place your fingers on the areola, and push back toward the chest wall to move fluid away from the nipple.

Should I massage before breastfeeding or before pumping?

Both. Massage primes the breasts and triggers letdown either way. Before breastfeeding, it helps baby latch on more effectively. Before pumping, it gets the milk moving so the pump's vacuum can remove more in less time. For pumping moms, combining massage with hand expression before and during pumping consistently increases output.

What can I use to lubricate breast massage?

Olive oil, coconut oil, or lanolin all work well. A small dab between the palms is enough to warm the hands and help them glide over the breast tissue. Skip anything heavily scented or with added fragrances near the nipple area.

How often should you massage your breasts while breastfeeding?

Make it part of your routine, especially in the first few weeks postpartum when your body is working hard to sync milk production with your baby's needs. Even a few minutes before each feed or pump session helps. It is especially important if you are prone to engorgement or are working to build supply.

Can I do breast massage while pumping?

Yes, and you should. Combining manual breast compression with pump suction (called hands-on pumping) consistently removes more milk per session than pumping alone. Gently compress and massage different areas of the breast while the pump runs, especially in the second half of the session when output slows.

Breast Massage for Milk Increase

July 30, 2022

By Ece · Founder of Idaho Jones, pumping mom
Reviewed and updated May 2026

Spa day — for your breasts! Why not? Breast massage can work wonders for the breastfeeding and pumping mother: easing discomfort, reducing engorgement, releasing plugged ducts, and improving milk flow. At the same time, breast massage can make direct breastfeeding more comfortable and more rewarding for the baby. It's a win-win.

All right, you got us. It isn't a one-off like the words spa day may have implied. You'll want to make breast massage part of your breastfeeding routine, especially in those early days when your body is working hard to get milk production in sync with your baby's needs. Those early days are also when moms are most susceptible to engorgement.

Why breast massage matters

Engorgement is when normal milk fullness goes unrelieved and leads to painful inflammation and edema of the breast. Untreated, it can worsen. Mom must relieve those overly full breasts, either by breastfeeding or by expressing.

When engorgement itself is blocking milk release, that's when breast massage can help.

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How to massage your breasts

There are many ways to do it right, so don't get too hung up on the technique in the beginning. Start with clean, warm hands. Rub a dab of olive oil or lanolin between your palms to heat your hands up and help them glide over your breasts. Lean back, or even lie down on your back if you are treating engorgement, that way you are elevating your breasts to allow for drainage (just like you would elevate a swollen ankle). Focus on one breast at a time.

Using your hands, lift your whole breast up and down, move it back and forth to the left and right, and then move the whole breast in slow, gentle circles, first in one direction, then the other.

Then, with one hand supporting your breast, use the other hand to massage and knead the breast gently, moving around the outer perimeter of the breast and mindful that breast tissue can extend well back into the under-arm area.

Massage in concentric circles, moving closer to the nipple. Use your fingertips to tap on the breast, and the backs of your fingers and knuckles to (gently) work any firm areas.

Massage helps the mother get to know her body and lets her create a mindful space for breastfeeding or pumping. It also just feels good, and it gets the milk moving. Massage wakes the breasts up and gets them ready for what comes next.

After the massage: breastfeed or pump?

What comes next is up to you. If it's direct breastfeeding, you're good to go — get that baby latched. (Still too full from engorgement? Try Reverse Pressure Softening for a minute or two first; that should do the trick.)

If you're planning to pump, we highly recommend you continue your massage with a few minutes of hand expression first. Why?

Moms who use hand expression as part of their pumping routine get more milk.

Pumps are a wonderful tool and we're grateful for them, but they work through vacuum pressure only. When a baby breastfeeds, they use vacuum pressure too, but they also use their tongue and jaw to press milk from the breasts. You can use your fingertips to do the same.

After massaging for a few minutes, your breasts are primed to respond to hand expression. Give it a go. For more information and tips on how to hand express, check out this great video, or if you'd like to read up on it, this article from Breastfeeding USA.

Milk-A-Save silicone milk catcher by Idaho Jones

From Idaho Jones

Don't lose a drop of letdown

Massage triggers letdown, and letdown often means leaking on the side baby isn't feeding from. Milk-A-Save silicone catchers suction onto the non-feeding breast and collect every drop, hands-free. Moms typically add 2 to 3 oz a day to their freezer stash.

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The bigger picture

Breast massage is one of those small habits that pays off in big ways: less engorgement, fewer plugged ducts, better letdown, more milk. Build it into your routine alongside your pumping sessions and breastfeeds, and you'll feel the difference in days.

Cheers to you on your breastfeeding journey.

Breast massage for milk increase

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