Using Breastfeeding Pumps

breast pump

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for the first year of life, and breastfeeding pumps help mothers to fulfill this recommendation. Meanwhile, the United States Congress recently passed legislation to ensure the ability for working mothers to have the time they need to pump and store milk at the workplace. Discoveries show that breastfed babies are less sick and parents actually miss less work overall if the mom continues to nurse. Breastfeeding pumps are not only for the working mother; they help all mothers to express milk effectively.

Reasons to Use a Breastfeeding Pump

  • When a mother is sick and will spend time in the hospital or require risky medication for a period of time, a pump ensures that breastfeeding can continue.
  • Breast pumps help to keep the milk supply strong rather than substituting with formula, which will deplete the milk supply over time.
  • Breast expressing stimulates a poor milk supply.
  • Occasional uses of the breast pump will alleviate engorgement issues.
  • A breast pump is an important tool for feeding a premature baby or one with health issues, making it difficult for them to nurse from the breast.
  • Pumping milk for the occasional separation provides mom needed time away.
  • Breastfeeding pumps will bring out a problem nipple like inverted or flat.
  • Pumps collect and store milk for later use.

How to Use a Breastfeeding Pump

The first step is to decide the kind of pump that best suits your needs. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • How many hours will you be away from the baby?
  • Do you need electrical, battery operated, or both?
  • How will you store it and carry it?
  • What is the speed and sucking action needed?
  • What is your budget?

The more hours away from the baby, the stronger your pump should be. Keep in mind that you may need to add a hospital grade pump to your budget. Of course, a mom at home, with smaller budget, and less time away, might only need the hand version. Let the questions be the guide to the appropriate purchase. Keep in mind that over time pumping is not as effective as the suckling of a baby, and breast milk supply will diminish. The better the pump, the longer the milk supply will remain high.

Once the pump has been bought and taken home, the real challenge begins. All quality breastfeeding pumps will come with instructions and hotline numbers to facilitate the individual differences of the chosen pump. Breast pumps have various sized nipple shields, so be sure the one you have fits. Too big or too small will affect the comfort and sucking ability.

While actually pumping, either by hand or machine, the suck cycle can be adjusted. Ideally, the pump should pull and release the nipple fifty times a minute, slightly more than a second for each cycle. Too fast or too slow affects the milk supply for that feeding, and will continue to do so over time. Speeding up the pump actually lowers the milk supply at that feeding and over time.

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).