Breast Pump
From LoveToKnow Baby
If you plan to breastfeed your baby, a excellent investment may be a breast pump.
Why Do You Need a Breast Pump?
A breast pump is exactly what it sounds like; it suctions milk out of your breasts so you can give it to your baby. Women may want to pump their milk if they are returning to work, want someone else to feed their baby, or need to ‘pump and dump’ after ingesting alcohol and/or medicine that could be dangerous to the baby.
Types of Breast Pumps
There are two basic kinds of breast pumps: hand pumps and electric pumps.
With a hand operated breast pump, the mother provides the power and regulates the suction by mechanical means. In other words, the mother squeezes a trigger or moves a cylinder to power the suction needed.
Hand pumps are quiet and proponents say that they are similar to the sucking of a baby. These pumps are usually economical, they cost between $35.00 and $50.00. They work well if you only need to pump a few ounces on occasion.
However, hand pumps are very slow compared to electric pumps. Some women cannot produce any breast milk with hand pumps. In addition, if you want to pump when you return to work, provide milk for a baby that is not breastfeeding, or get a great deal of milk in one sitting, a hand pump is not recommended.
With an electric breast pump, the suction is generated by a motor. These pumps are usually easy to use (once you put them together) and very efficient. Electric pumps are great for moms that are returning to work, moms with multiples, or moms with babies that can not breastfeed.
However, there are some cons to electric pumps. They can be noisy, heavy, and cumbersome unless you purchase one of the newer and more expensive models. Most models of electric pumps cost between $30.00 and $320.00. However, quality is often related to price. If cost is a factor, you may be able to rent a hospital-grade pump from your hospital or a lactation counselor.
Finding the Right Pump
There are many models and kinds of breast pumps. Before you choose a pump, you should ask yourself a few questions.
- What is the reason for pumping? To maintain a milk supply for a baby that is not nursing? To keep milk in the freezer for an emergency? To allow your partner to take over a feeding? To pump enough milk for your child while you are working?
- How long do you plan to pump?
- How often to do you plan to pump? Every couple of hours? Every day? Once every few days?
- Do you plan on having another baby?
- Do you want to pump both breasts at the same time?
- Do you need a pump that is portable?
- How much time do you have to pump? Do you want a super-efficient pump?
- How much are you willing to spend?
- Do you want to rent or buy?
Tips for Pumping
- Take your time assembling the parts. Follow the instructions and make sure you understand how the pieces work.
- Sit in a comfortable chair, with the breast pump on a nearby table or the floor.
- Before you start pumping, take a few deep breaths to relax yourself. Think about your baby, look at your baby, or bring along a picture of your baby to help with your let-down-reflex.
- If your pump has several suction settings, use the gentlest one first.
- Be patient. It takes couple of minutes for your let-down-reflex to kick in.
- Continue to pump for a minute or two after the milk stops flowing to see if you can trigger more milk.
- If you are pumping to establish milk supply, pump for 10 or 15 minutes.
- Date your breast milk on your storage container.
- If you are using a borrowed or rented pump, replace the tubing and portions that come in contact with your breast milk.
- If your nipples get sore, use lanolin-based cream or express a drop of milk to dry on your nipples.
Storage Guidelines for Breast Milk
- Always use clean containers washed in hot water and soap to store milk.
- Breast milk kept at room temperature (66-72 degrees) can be stored for up to 10 hours.
- Breast milk kept above room temperature (79 degrees) can only be stored for 4-6 hours.
- Breast milk stored in a refrigerator can last for 8 days.
- Breast milk in a freezer compartment inside a refrigerator can be stored up to 2 weeks.
- Breast milk stored in a deep freeze with a constant temperature can last for 6 months.
Feeding Babies with Pumped Breast Milk
The most well-known way to feed your baby pumped breast milk is with a bottle. However, many breastfeeding experts do not recommend giving your baby an artificial nipple until he/she is at least six weeks old.
If you are committed to breastfeeding but having difficulty giving your baby breast milk, there are other options you can try. You can use your finger, a cup, an eyedropper/feeding syringe, or a spoon to drop milk into your baby's mouth. All of these methods take a great deal of patience. Fortunately, since newborn babies only take in a few ounces at each feeding, it is doable.
Another method is a supplemental nursing system or SNS. This device runs breast milk out of a container using silicone tubing taped to the mother’s breast. The baby is actually sucking on the nipple and areola to be fed, although little to no milk is actually coming from the breast. This method is very popular among women nursing adopted babies or women attempting to relactate (nursing to reestablish a milk supply after a premature weaning).
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This page has been accessed 1,316 times. This page was last modified 04:19, 10 June 2006.
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