We talk about the benefits of breast milk and how essential it is for mothers to feed their infants this marvelous food.
However, we sometimes overlook that breastfeeding may not always be possible for some mothers. For mothers who need to be away from their infants, the breast pump is a blessing.
Table of Contents
What is a breast pump?
A breast pump extracts milk from the breast, through the nipple, by stimulating milk production. The milk is collected in a container through a funnel placed on the breast around the nipple.
There are many types and brands in the market, and mothers can choose between an electric and a manual pump.
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Why would a mother need to use a breast pump?
- To avoid supplementing an infant’s feedings with formula. By expressing her breast milk, a mother can ensure her child has access to her breast milk even when being away from him during mealtimes.
- Mothers have to get back to work after their maternity break. So, expressing and storing breast milk can be helpful in giving her child breast milk as long as she wants.
- Even though mothers may breastfeed using different breastfeeding positions, occasionally they may get worn out. Having a container of expressed milk helps her to set aside some essential time for herself while another person takes care of the child.
- To give breast milk to a pre-term or sick new-born who is too feeble to breastfeed by themselves, a mother can utilize a clinical-grade breast pump to collect milk for feedings. It will activate the breast to increase and keep up an adequate supply of milk.
- To instigate lactation for an adopted child, a breast pump can be utilized to stimulate a mother’s breast to incite milk production. Breastfeeding is an excellent method for a mother and her adopted baby to bond
- To have an emergency supply ready, a mother can pump and store an emergency supply of breast milk in her freezer to use for feeding. It can be used if she becomes sick or needs to take medication.
- At the point, when a mother’s breasts are excessively full and engorged with breast milk, she can utilize a breast pump to collect enough milk to get relief from pain.
- Mothers with flat or inverted areolas can experience difficulty when attempting to get her baby to hook on properly. By pumping a couple of times before breastfeeding, a mother can draw out her areola with the goal that the infant can latch on without any difficulty.
- Breastfeeding one baby can be demanding for a mother, but when it comes to taking care of twins or more babies, it is quite a challenge for her . By expressing milk, a mother of multiple babies can provide them with breast milk nonstop.
- Utilizing a breast pump to activate milk secretion, a mother can keep her supply up to breastfeed her infant when they are together.
- At a point when an infant experiences issues latching on, if a mother’s breast is full, expressing some milk out can make it simpler for her infant to latch on and nurse comfortably. For some new-borns unable to latch on due to any inability like a cleft lip or palate, pumping milk is the primary way to get them breast milk.
- While a few mothers may experience issues delivering an adequate measure of milk for their infants. Some mothers appear to secrete plenty of milk and decide to give this surplus to new-born who may not have access to breast milk.
- Some mothers feel that breastfeeding is not for them and exclusively pump breast milk for all of their babies’ feeds.
- To enhance first nourishments with breast milk while weaning the child off breastfeeding, she can keep on increasing her child’s feeding routine with expressed breast milk.
Tips for expressing breast milk using a pump
Most of the mothers utilize a breast pump sooner or later during their breastfeeding time. A few ladies will use a pump once they return to work. Others may utilize it at times, and still, some might be expressing more often. Figuring out how to express milk can be an overwhelming procedure. These steps will set the mother and her infant up for progress.
Expressing breast milk using breast pump
- Do a little homework, and be sure to review the breast pump instructions.
- Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit.
- Bring a drink and a snack.
- Plugin the pump or make sure it has working batteries.
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Assemble the pump kit.
- Centre the flanges over the breast(s) and centre the nipple in the flange opening, making an air seal.
- If the mother is double pumping, cup each flange to the breast with fingers below the rib and thumb on the top. When adjusting the dials, switch to using one arm across both breasts, keeping an airtight seal.
- Turn on the pump.
- Like an infant nursing at the breast, start with rapid and low pull until she can see the milk stream (let-down). Later alter the speed to medium, and increase it depending on comfort level.
- When the milk stream reduces, speed up to high until the following let-down, at that point, decrease to medium speed.
Tips for storing extra milk
As indicated by studies, breast milk can be stored in the freezer for as long as a year and in the fridge for eight days. Here are a few tips to remember while storing additional milk:
Tips to Store Breast milk
- Freeze in less quantity, which gives the mother more control over how much she wants to thaw and leads to less wastage.
- Mark the expressed milk with the date and quantity.
- If the mother utilizes breast milk in storage packs, she can lay the pack flat in the freezer and afterward store the solidified bags up standing in a holder to spare space.
- Utilize the oldest milk first. Place the freshest milk in the back of the holder, so the oldest milk is used first.
- Store milk in the rear of the freezer. Never store breast milk on the door since this is the warmest place of the fridge.
- Thaw milk in the fridge. If the mother needs it sooner, she can put the solidified pack (firmly sealed) in a warm glass of water. Ensure that no water ever blends in with the milk and never microwave breast milk.
To Conclude
It is better not to let a setback with breastfeeding affect the mother. Hence, using a breast pump and giving her baby breast milk is extremely beneficial.
The quantity of milk a mother pumps is never a reliable indicator of how much milk she is secreting.
It cannot indicate how much milk her child is getting during breastfeeding itself. A healthy breastfed baby is almost always more efficient at drawing milk from the breast than a pump.
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