Breast Pumps & Breastfeeding
Breast Pumps & Breastfeeding
We all know that “breast is the best”. Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for infants. A mother's milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development, and most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula. Breast milk contains antibodies, which help protect infants from bacteria and viruses. Recent studies show that babies who are not exclusively breastfed for 6 months are more likely to develop a wide range of infectious diseases including ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory illnesses and have more hospitalizations.
For many women who desire to breastfeed, it is not only the above benefits that influences their decision to breastfeed. Breastfeeding can be a powerful, emotional experience; your baby has skin-to-skin contact, which is soothing… and aids in bonding.
As you can imagine, women who cannot breastfeed, or choose not to breastfeed can experience a wide range of emotions. Am I a bad mother? Am I still going to form a bond with my baby? Am I incompetent because I can’t produce milk for my baby? The answer to all of these questions is no! There are many different circumstances that may prevent a woman from breastfeeding:
- Medications
- Adoption (although this is still possible for some women)
- Disease (HIV)
- Mastectomy
- Personal choice
- Working mom
The good news… over the past decade breast pumps have become very popular and portable! Even for the mom who cannot produce milk, there are milk banks where you can obtain donated breast milk that has been screened and processed! Women use breast pumps for a variety of reasons, and there are many to choose from. I breast fed all of my children for about a year, but as a working mom, pumping allowed me to continue breastfeeding my children! The breast pump that I recommend is the Medela Pump in Style © . This is a double pump that allows you to pump both breasts simultaneously, it even includes a battery pack so you can pump anywhere! For those moms who choose not to breastfeed, they can still provide their baby with breast milk!
- Engorgement: For the first week or so after your milk comes in you can become “engorged”. Your breasts get large, hard, and can be very painful. We have our patients apply warm compresses to the breasts, and then pump for 3-5 min. to relieve the engorged breasts. This is also a great way to “stash” some breast milk away in the freezer!
- Some daddy’s feel “left out” when you are breastfeeding your baby, and it can be very special for them to be able to give the baby an occasional feeding.
- Working mom: For those of you who are planning on going back to work, and desire to continue to breastfeed, a pump is a must! All employers are required to allow breastfeeding moms time to pump.
- Take a break! Maybe you want to run to the groceri store, get a massage, have your hair done… pumping between feedings, or during engorgement can allow you to get a stock of breast milk in your freezer.
Why do I need a breast pump if I am going to exclusively breastfeed my baby?
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Adoption: It is possible for adoptive mommies to produce breast milk through stimulating the breasts with pumping, and other interventions.