Reasons for Using a Breast Pump

September 11, 2010 By Diane Constantine Leave a Comment

If you choose to breastfeed, you may also need to pump your breasts sometimes. This article from BabyCenter.com gives lots of information on using a breast pump. Here are the main topics covered.

See more at: BabyCenter.com on using a breast pump

Help for Using a Breast Pump

September 11, 2010 By Diane Constantine Leave a Comment

Breast-feeding is a commitment — and your efforts are worthwhile. If you’re pumping, follow simple tips for maintaining your milk supply, from pumping often to drinking plenty of fluids.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Breast-feeding is based on supply and demand. The more you breast-feed your baby — or pump while you’re away from your baby — the more milk your breasts will produce. Consider seven tips for pumping success.

1. Relax

Stress can hinder your body’s natural ability to release breast milk. Find a quiet place to pump. It might help to massage your breasts or use warm compresses. You might want to think about your baby, look at a picture of your baby or listen to relaxing music.

2. Pump often

The more you pump, the more milk you’ll produce — especially if you’re using a high-quality pump. If you’re working full time, try to pump for 15 minutes every few hours during the workday. If you can, pump both breasts simultaneously. A double breast pump helps stimulate milk production while reducing pumping time by half.

3. When you’re with your baby, breast-feed on demand

The more you breast-feed your baby when you’re together, the greater your supply will be when you pump. Depending on your schedule, try more-frequent evening, early morning or weekend feedings. If you have a predictable schedule, you might ask your baby’s caregivers to avoid feeding your baby during the last hour of care — so that you can breast-feed your baby as soon as you arrive.

Questions about Pumping Breasts

November 23, 2009 By Diane Constantine Leave a Comment

“I have mixed emotions about it. The biggest thing is that breastfeeding is going so well now I don’t want to confuse him. It’s almost been the 40 days that the lactation consultant suggested waiting to introduce the bottle, but I’m still a little apprehensive. In your experience does adding a bottle to the breastfeeding cause any trouble? Also, I’m not really sure when I should pump. I thought I would just pump one bottle each day, but I’m not sure what time would be best. It would be nice for daddy to give our baby a bottle at night, but I don’t want to get out of bed at night to pump. I would rather do it during the day/evening sometime. The last thing is probably silly…. It makes me a little sad to share the feeding. I enjoy being able to meet that need for him every time. I know realistically I need to give bottles occasionally, but it does make me a little emotional.”

A
Let’s start with the last trouble first. It is a good sign that this mom is well-bonded to her baby and that she is successfully breast feeding. A lot of good chemicals are pouring into her brain every time she breast feeds and is helping her to be really attached to her baby. However, knowing the great importance of the baby and daddy bonding, should help her to “share” the joy, as well as the responsibility to feed the baby. The sooner and better the bond between a father and his baby, the better able he will be to carry the responsibility of fatherhood. He will always treat baby differently from mom, but that’s one of the reasons we best raise a family when both parents are involved. Share the joy! It will pay rich dividends later in childrearing.

When to introduce a bottle
She has lots of good questions. It is always best to get breastfeeding well established before trying to use a bottle for some feedings. The lactation consultant’s suggestion of 40 days is a good one. About the time of your 6 week check-up is a good time to introduce a bottle. If you are going back to work and your baby will need to take a bottle for some feedings, you may want to start pumping and feeding by bottle for a little while before returning to work. It will be good for both you and your baby to be used to this pattern.

Most of the time introducing a bottle for an occasional feeding doesn’t cause problems with breastfeeding. You may have to experiment with different nipples to find one that your baby can use well. Before starting to feed breast milk in a bottle, you may want to give your baby some water in a bottle. Adding a little bit of honey or sugar may keep him from rejecting the nipple.

How to begin pumping and still breast feed
Your breasts produce as much milk as in required. That means if you only breast feed your baby, your breasts produce enough for your baby. If you pump your breasts, they will produce enough to breast feed your baby and for you to store some for times when you want him bottle fed. Drinking lots of water and being relaxed also help to increase your milk supply.

Reasons to breast pump
There are lots of reasons moms have to pump their breasts either short term or long term. Many moms who work outside their homes still want to breast feed. They want their baby getting all the benefits of breast milk, but cannot be there physically. Breast pumping and having their child care provider feed their baby breast milk is a great solution.

Breast pumping also allows daddy to feed baby sometimes. It is so healthy for dads to bond with their baby and feeding time is a great opportunity for dad and baby to get attached to each other. A night feeding is especially nice so mom can have an uninterrupted night’s sleep occasionally.

Using a breast pump will stimulate more milk production. Premature babies sometimes cannot suck well enough to breast feed successfully at first. Mom can pump her breasts her baby will get all the great benefits of breast feeding during those early formative days. Once he is ready to breastfeed, she no longer needs to pump all the time.

Occasionally when mom needs to take a medication that might affect her baby, she will be told to pump her breasts and discard the milk until it is safe for baby again. During this time she will need to use a formula, but should be able to resume breast feeding soon.

Breast Feeding and Screaming Baby

October 30, 2009 By Diane Constantine Leave a Comment

Q.
Got a question…. We’ve been extremely blessed to have a baby that only cries when dirty or hungry. But, the last two days have been a little more interesting. A few times while I’ve been feeding him, he latches and eats well for a minute. But, then it’s like he starts drinking and gulping faster than he can handle and starts screaming. I just try different positions or give him a break and try again. Do you have any ideas what’s going on when he does this? He’s been crying a whole lot. Yesterday he skipped a nap or two and I think he just got overstimulated. To my surprise though he slept for a 4 hour stretch last night and has been napping a lot today. I really have sympathy for mom’s that have babies that cry all the time. It’s very disheartening not to know what’s wrong or how to fix it. Rachel D.
A.
I really don’t know what is going on. It sounds like you are doing all the right things- giving him a break and changing positions. I don’t know what the screaming is about. Perhaps he just gulped enough to have made a big bubble that he needs to burp? Whatever the cause of his crying, this may be when he is going to start drinking enough at some feedings so that he can sleep longer stretches.

As long as he seems content most of the time, sleeps well for at least 14 hours out of 24, and continues to gain weight, don’t worry about occasional days where he is really disrupted. Whatever he is doing is probably just temporary and will correct itself pretty soon.

Call the pediatrician if he is vomiting a lot, has repeated diarrhea, a fever, is crying incessantly, is not sleeping at all, or is only sleeping. If you get worried, call your doctor, that’s what you have a pediatrician for. Diane

Resolution:
Well, I think I figured it out last night. I started having a weird pain on one breast – hard to explain. So, I called the lactation hotline at the hospital where we delivered. She thought maybe it was the beginning of a clogged duct. It all kind of makes sense if that was the problem. He was probably sucking as hard as he could and not getting what he’s used to, then comes the scream. So, we’ve doctored with heat and ice and most of the pain is gone and he’s eating well from that breast now too. Thanks for your input. Rachel D.