Abstract: A breast pump for continuously applying warmth at a temperature of not more than about 105 degrees Fahrenheit to a mammary gland both before and during milk withdrawal is described. The apparatus enables the mammary gland tissue to be raised to a temperature that makes milk withdrawal more comfortable, whereupon suction is applied to the gland, as the temperature is maintained in order to commence the withdrawal process and permit the milk so extracted to be administered artificially to a suckling infant.