How to Choose and Use a Breast Pump?
Breastfeeding – a natural process that connects mother
with her child – doesn’t always go smoothly. While some women have no
difficulties with it, others have to make efforts to set this process going.
Breast pump can help in this situation.
What this device is needed for? It helps to pump out
breast milk as quickly and painless as possible. But not all novice parents
know when breast pump can be used, and in which cases it is better to abstain from it.
First and foremost, mom should understand whether she needs a breast pump. If
yes, then what type of the device to choose. And then make a final decision,
taking into account all the main parameters, additional functions and the
amount of money that can be spent on the purchase.
image:pixabay.com/photos/baby-breast-breastfeeding-care-21167 |
When do Women Need a Breast Pump?
Before buying a breast pump, you have to clearly
understand that this device is not mandatory for every breastfeeding mom. It
really solves a lot of problems, but if there are no indications, there’s no
need to use the device for no reason.
Breast physicians are convinced that breast pump
should be used only for the following indications:
· Stimulation of lactation. For an optimal discharge of breast milk you have to
feed the baby very often. But prematurely born and weak babies aren’t able to
stimulate lactation, so breast pump is used in such situations;
· Lack of milk secretion. If you have a deficit of breast milk, doctors advise
to pump after every feeding. Such regime allows to increase milk amount for
every next feeding;
· Inability to pump milk by
hands. A lot of women
successfully pump milk by hands, but if you don’t have such skills, it’s better
to use a device which makes the procedure less traumatic.
But in some cases such devices can only harm instead of helping. When is pumping with a breast
pump contraindicated (or not recommended) to breastfeeding moms?
· Milk stasis. A popular belief that the usage of breast pump helps
to discharge breast and get rid of milk stasis is mostly false. In some cases,
pumping with a device only worsens the problem, so specialists recommend to
massage and pommel hardened areas manually;
· Enough amount of milk
secretion. Using device for
prophylactic purposes will only lead to increase in the milk amount and breast
overfilling. If the child ate enough, and woman additionally pumped milk, the
amount of product will increase during the next feeding.
Women used to pump after every feeding, because they
fed kids as per schedule. Nowadays the majority of breastfeeding experts are
convinced in the benefits of feeding by demand. In this case there is no need
in a breast pump, since child gets as much milk as he needs.
How to Choose the Best Breast pump? The Main Peculiarities of Choice
The question, which breast pump is better: manual or
electric one, doesn’t have a definite answer. Despite the fact that electric
devices surpass manual ones in the majority of aspects, you can’t convince a
woman to choose more «advanced» models.
In the opinion of experts and women who already have
breast pumps, there are no universal devices that would fit every breastfeeding
mom. Hi-tech product may not fit because of the body’s peculiarities.
What should be considered when purchasing breast pump?
Pay attention to a few important characteristics and peculiarities of these
devices:
· Planned intensity of usage. If you go to any women’s forum, you’ll see an advice
to buy an electric model. Such recommendation is correct if you are going to
pump milk every day. If you buy the device only for lactation stimulation once
in a few days, it’s better to take a manual one;
· Material and form of the
cup. Women who bought silicone cups
note its hygienic and anatomic properties. Plastic cups fit the breast worse,
so milk can get leaked. Apart from that, it’s better to buy a cup in a form of
petals, which imitates sucking breast by a child;
· Two-phase pumping. It’s great if electric or manual breast pump is
equipped with two-phase pumping program which is able to regulate the rhythm of
natural feeding. The first phase is
stimulation, imitation of quick but not very deep sucking. The second phase is
an imitation of deep sucking which provides effective milk pumping;
· Bottles or bags. Some women find it comfortable if the device is
equipped with a bottle with which you can feed the baby right away. The other
ones (usually those who work) prefer single-use bags where pumped milk goes to.
Such plastic bags can be stored in a freezer and taken out when needed.
Apart from that, cheap breast pump from a no-name
brand is always a risk. It’s better to choose products of popular worldwide
brands: Philips AVENT (Holland), Medela (Switzerland), Chicco (Italy). These companies produce high-quality and functional devices. Reviews of the best manual breast pumps you can find
here.
How to use Breast Pump Correctly?
For the chosen device to work in full force and give
you only positive emotions you have to use it correctly. The procedure itself
is pretty simple but still has its peculiarities:
· Pump after feeding the baby if you use the device for
enhancing lactation and milk amount;
· Pump instead of feeding if you can’t breastfeed the
baby because of sickness or other reasons;
· Strictly use a sterilized device. Breast pump should be
boiled (or sterilized with a special sterilizer) after every use;
· Bottles are necessary to sterilize as well, or harmful
bacteria will appear in the milk. You can use single-use plastic bags as an
alternative;
· Don’t give your device to friends or relatives even for a short period of time. Also don't buy a before-used device;
· No matter whether you pump with a device or manually, you have to store the milk correctly. It should either be used straight away, or put in a freezer for 24 hours. Milk can be stored in special bags in a freezer up to
6 months.
Algorithm of milk pumping
with a special device consists of several successive steps:
1. Firstly, you have to wash your breast with warm water
and wipe it dry.
2. Then carefully massage lacteal glands to enhance lactation
and milk flow.
3. Now you have to put the device’s cup on the breast so
that the nipple would be in its center.
4. After that the breast pump is turned on. When milk
starts flowing with a dense spray, pressure (or stress) should be decreased. On
the contrary, pressure should be increased, when liquid starts flowing with a
thin jet.
The duration of the procedure is always calculated
individually and depends on the device’s type, woman’s skills, lactation
peculiarities and the reason of pumping. If mom just wants to discharge the
breast, the procedure won’t be long. If the milk amount should be increased,
the procedure will last longer.
In Conclusion
First of all, you have to understand how often do you plan to use breast pump. If the procedures will be rare, it’s better to buy
mechanical device, if pumping will be frequent you should choose an electric
one.
Choosing an electric device:
· Buy silicone cups with petal-shaped knobs (it improves
lactation)
· Choose models that both work from mains and run on
battery power (it increases mobility of the device)
· Buy lighter and more compact devices if you often pump
milk outside of home (usually such devices are sold with a bag or a container)
· Consider purchasing a device that can pump milk from
both lacteal glands at the same time (it saves time)
· Look at the models with two-phased pumping system that
imitates the procedure of natural sucking by a baby to the maximum level
Breast pump cuts time of milk pumping, simplifies the
procedure, improves lactation and enhances milk flow. But you still shouldn’t
use this device for prophylactic measures. It’s better to discuss this issue
with an experienced specialist.
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