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> Breast feeding > How To Use & Pump Milk |
Breast Pumps: Using More Often While Nursing Promotes Lactation & Storing Breast Milk for your Infant
How Does a Breast Pump Work?
Breast pumps work by creating suction, so that when the pump
is applied to the breast, the milk is pulled from the nipple
and into a storage container. Like all appliances, you can
choose between slower and faster models; the price you pay
will reflect the bells and whistles of the model you choose.
If you think you will be needing to bottle feed your baby
either breast milk or formula, start teaching her about
bottles early on: make sure to include a bottle feeding once
every day or two so your child can get used to drinking from
a bottle as well as from the breast, and you'll have fewer
problems with changing from breast to bottle later on.
How to Find the Best Breast Pump for You
There are a few considerations besides cost that will
probably influence your choice of breast pumps. You will want a
pump that works comfortably and efficiently and that's easy to
assemble and clean. Comfort is a big issue: look for a pump with
adjustable suction pressure, so you can tone it down if it hurts
when you use it. The fact is that everyone's nipples are
sensitive, but we all have different levels of sensitivity, so
you want to be able to control the amount of pressure behind the
pump. You can also buy specially sized breast pads that will
increase your comfort when pumping, and hot or cold pads that
fit inside your bra after pumping to ease soreness.
Efficiency is also an issue. Some people prefer hand pumps
because they're quiet and they allow the user to pump one breast
while feeding the baby from the other. This saves time because
your letdown reflex is already engaged for better milk flow, and
you're nursing anyway, so you don't have to take time from
another activity to pump. On the other hand, some electric
breast pumps are equipped with a system that lets you pump both
breasts at the same time, and since electric pumps can also work
pretty fast, you can fully empty both breasts, keeping milk
production at its highest. With a single-breasted electric or
battery operated pump, you can expect it to take around 30
minutes to pump your breasts.
Battery operated pumps can be used by women on the go, since
they don't need to be plugged in, but much depends on your
organizational capacities. If you're the kind of person who
always has a store of fresh batteries in a drawer, you might do
just fine with a battery-operated pump. If you're the sort who
can't find the pump each morning, let alone the batteries, you
might prefer another method of powering the pump.
How Often and How Long Can I Pump and Store Breast MilkLike nursing, if you pump your breasts often, you'll get the
most from your milk flow. Experts say the best time to pump your
breasts is in the morning, when milk flow is highest, but since
most women pump their breasts because of scheduling
difficulties, you can do it any time it works for you. Make sure
you have adequate cold storage for milk pumped away from home:
use a small cooler with dry ice to keep the milk cold until you
can get it home to the fridge or freezer.
Babies only take a few ounces of milk at a time, and most women
produce plenty of breast milk to feed their infants. Breast milk
can stay at room temperature for up to ten hours, or if you have
plenty on hand, you can get it into the freezer within an hour,
where it will safely keep for months. If your freezer keeps ice
cream hard, you can expect stored breast milk to last six
months, but make sure you label the freezer bag with the date so
you can check it. Also, when storing breast milk in freezer
bags, don't fill them all the way to the top: only freeze a
single feeding portion at a time, because once it comes out of
the freezer and thaws, it won't stay useful for long—about 30
minutes.
Continue reading more information about
How to Stop Breast Feeding
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 Why Sacrifice Fashion for Function when it comes to Baby Diaper Bags?
We have all seen them . . . those overly-baby diaper bags with pink bunnies or blue cars on them that just scream, "I carry dirty diapers in this bag." Fortunately today's diaper bags are much more hip for both mom and dad. They not only have a compartment for every baby item you might want to have handy, but also come in a variety of styles and fabrics to suit your adult needs and style preferences.
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