How To Use A Breast Pump

Just like breast feeding, pumping is a skill that you learn. When first trying a
breast pump, most mothers are only able to express a few drops of milk. With
the proper practice and knowledge, the mother will be more efficient at
pumping.

Preparing The Breast Pump
1. Read all the instructions in the kit very carefully.
2. Every part of the breast pump will need to be sterilized before you begin
using it.
3. After use, all the parts of the pump will need to be washed in warm, soapy
water, then rinsed with hot water and drained on a clean towel. The plastic
tubing doesn't need to be cleaned unless you get milk into it. If you do wash it, it
should be hung to allow time to dry and drain thoroughly.
4. If your doctor feels the need, the entire kit can be sterilized every day.
5. When you first start with an electric pump, the suction level should be on the
lowest possible setting.

Getting Started
- Warm compresses, gentle massages of the breast and gentle nipple stimulation
will help to stimulate a quick let down.
- You should always relax while doing breast massages during pumping. Some
mothers prefer to close their eyes then think about nursing the baby, imagining
the baby in their arms. The more relaxed a mother is, the better let down she'll
have and the more milk will be dispensed.
- Your first attempts at pumping should be considered practice sessions with
learning to use the breast pump as the goal, not how much milk is actually
dispensed.
- When you use a hand pump, quick, short pumps at the start is stimulating and
will imitate more closely the way a baby breast feeds. Once the let down occurs
and milk starts to flow freely, long, steadier strokes are more effective and less
tiring.
- When you learn to pump, you should practice for 5 minutes on a side at least
once or twice a day. Always pick the least stressful part of your day for pumping
Relaxing and realizing that the pump is your friend is the single most important
thing that a mother can do. There are several things that a mother can do to
help herself relax, such as putting a picture of the baby on the pump, playing
cards or a game with friends, watching television, read books, or talk on the
phone. Simply watching the collection bottle is not helpful and will probably put
more stress on you than you actually need.

Even after six months, it still contains protein, fat, and other important nutrients
which babies and children need.
The fact is, immune factors in breast milk will protect the baby against
infections. Breast milk also contains factors that will help the immune system
mature, and other organs to develop and mature as well.
It's been shown and proven in the past that children in day care who are still
breast feeding have far less severe infections than the children that aren't breast
feeding. The mother will lose less work time if she chooses to continue nursing
her baby once she is back to work.
If you have thought about breast feeding your baby once he gets past 6 months
of age, you have made a wise decision. Although many feel that it isn't necessary,
breast milk will always help babies and toddlers. Breast milk is the best milk
you can give to your baby.
No matter what others may tell you, breast feeding only needs to be stopped
when you and the baby agree on it. You don't have to stop when someone else
wants you to - you should only stop when you feel that it's the right time.

Returning To Work
Once you return to work, you can continue to breastfeed. If you live close to
work or have an on site day care, you may be able to breast feed during
your breaks.
If that isn't possible, you have 2 choices:
1. Keep your milk supply by using a high quality automatic electric breast pump
to express milk during the day. Save your milk that you collect for your baby
sitter.
2. If you don't want to or can't pump at work, you can gradually replace
daytime feedings with formula while your at home but still continue to nurse at
night and in the morning. The milk your body produces may not be enough to
keep your
baby satisfied, even if you only need enough for 2 feedings.

Advantages Of Pumping At Work
Pumping at work will help stimulate your production of milk, so you'll have
plenty available when it comes time to feed. You can also collect the milk you
pump, so your baby will have the health and nutritional benefits of breast milk
even when you aren't there. To make things better, pumping can be an ideal
way to feel a connection to your baby during the work day.
Although it can seem like a hassle, many mothers find that the benefits of breast
pumping far outweigh the inconvenience.
To manage pumping at work, you'll need to have the following:
1. Breast pump, preferably a fully automatic electric pump with a double
collection kit so you can pump both breasts simultaneously.
2. Bottles or bags for collecting and storing the milk.
3. Access to a refrigerator or cooler to keep the milk cold until you return home.
4. Breast pads to help protect your clothes if you start to leak.
Make sure that you get used to pumping before you return to work, so you'll
know what to expect and how it feels. You'll be much more confident with
pumping at work if you already know that you can produce enough milk.
At work, you'll want to have somewhere that's away from everyone else when
you pump, such as an empty office or empty room. This way, you'll be away
from everyone else and you can have the quiet tranquility you need to pump. In
most offices, this shouldn't be a problem.
For the time frame, you'll want to pump every 2 - 3 hours if possible. If you
can't, every 4 hours or so will have to suffice. After you have finished pumping,
store the milk in the bags or bottles, clean yourself up, then go back to work.
When you return home, you can feed the milk to your growing baby.

Other Foods While Breast Feeding
Breast milk is actually the only food your baby will need until 4 months of age,
although most babies do well on breast milk alone for 6 months or better. There
is really no advantage to adding other foods or milks before 4 - 6 months,
except under unusual circumstances.

Water
Breast milk is over 90% water. Even in the hottest days of summer, a baby
won't require any extra water. If a baby isn't feeding well, they still don't
require any extra water - although they will need the breast feeding problems to
be fixed.

Vitamin D
Although breast milk doesn't contain much vitamin D, it does have a little. The
baby will store up vitamin D during pregnancy, and remain healthy without any
vitamin D supplementation, unless you yourself had a problem with vitamin D
deficiency when pregnant.
Exposure to the outside will give your baby vitamin D, even in winter and when
the sky is covered. An hour or more exposure during the week will give your
baby more than enough vitamin D.

Iron
Breast milk contains less iron than formulas do, especially those that are iron
enriched. Iron will give the baby added protection against infections, as many
bacteria need iron in order to multiply.
The iron found in breast milk is utilized well by the baby, while not being
available to bacteria. The introduction of iron should never be delayed beyond
the age of 6 months.

Breast milk is the best that your can feed your baby, as it provides everything he
will need for probably the first 6 months. After the first 6 months, you can
introduce solid foods to your baby if he is taking an interest to them.

Electric Breast Pumps Are Available HERE

To Read About Choosing A Breast Pump Click HERE