Breast Pumping
Breastfeeding Housecalls can adequately assess your pumping progress, your pump flange fit, and can teach you techniques to optimize your pumping volume and logistics.
Pumping and hand-expression consultations include:
- Proper Pump Flange Fitting (imperative to your milk supply when using a breastpump)
- Education about proper milk storage and handling
- Techniques and tricks for optimizing milk production
- Milk Banking discussion, if desired (www.milkbank.org)
"Is pumping right for me?"
Lets first talk about your breastfeeding big-picture. Is your baby with you? Will you be returning to work? Do you plan on storing milk?
Breast-Pumping Best Practices
It takes about 40 days (6 weeks) for your breasts to be 'programmed' to their milk production potential. Anything that does or doesn't happen during that first month and a half after you have your baby will help set the stage for your breastfeeding relationship. Ideally, a mother's breast should be stimulated (hopefully by baby) within the first six hours after the placenta has been "born". This helps optimize the "hormonal hand-off" from pregnancy to breastfeeding. Think of stimulating the breasts within 6 hours from birth as pushing a runner even harder the last 20 feet before passing of the baton in a relay. Not only does it get the baton to the next runner faster, that extra shove could potentially win the overall race. If your baby cannot come to the breast within the first six hours of life, try hand expressing your breasts or pumping as often as the baby would be feeding (usually about every 2-3 hours).
Hand Expression of Breastmilk
Fortunately, God gave us two (well, three if you count the baby's mouth) free pumps to use: our
right hand, and our left hand!
A lot of moms find that they are able to express much more milk with their hands than they can
with the most expensive pump on the market. Why? Because pumps pull only while your hand can pull AND compress! Hand expression is easy and cost effective. Practice does make perfect.
This is one of my favorite links to learn hand-expression techniques.
Back to breastpumps: Which Breast-Pump is Recommended?
Well...that also depends. How long have you been breastfeeding? Let's break it down:
The first week of breastfeeding is important because this is when your milk will transition from colostrum to transtional milk, to mature milk. In order for your production potential to remain high, its necessary for your milk to be removed either by your baby's effective suck, or a breast pump (learn about what can happen when milk isn't removed). During your breasts' "programming" stage (birth to six weeks) its VERY important to use your baby's effective suck or a hospital grade double electric pump (these are usually available for rent from hospitals and lactation clinics/consultants; these are not to be confused by the "over the counter" pumps seen these at Target, HEB, Babies R Us, etc.).
What's the Difference?
The differences between a hospital grade double-electric breast pump and the ones you can buy at the stores (retail pumps) mentioned above are plentiful. Most hospital grade double-electric breast pumps range in price from $900-$1900, have motors which can hygenically handle multiple users over the lifetime of the pump, are bigger, and have different suction strengths and patterns than their "over the counter" retail, single-user breastpumps who range between $100-$400. Both can be good choices, but have a very different impact on milk supply if they are used during the wrong times. A hospital grade double-electric pump is used for the purpose of establishing milk production potential, and a non-hospital grade pump double electric single-user breast pump is meant for preserving an already established milk production potential/milk supply. Using a single-user double electric breastpump, or a hand pump, during the first six weeks of breastfeeding could compromise milk production potential in some women (not all). If you need to do any kind of pumping the first six weeks of breastfeeding, it is suggested to use a double-electric hospital grade pump.
In the world of breast-pumping, pricing does reflect purpose, and quality. That's NOT to say that you need to run out and by the most expensive pump, but you will notice that the higher quality pumps give you more options in terms of speed, suction strength, etc.
I've heard pumping hurts! How can I avoid this?
Pumping is usually a comfortable experience, however, factors DO exist which could impact comfort-level while pumping. When possible, have an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) assess a pumping session to ensure you have a good pump flange (the part of the pump that touches your breast and looks like a funnel) fit. The way your pump flanges fit can have a positive or negative impact on how much milk you are able to express and continue producing, and on the integrity of your nipples. Also, make sure that you are using the correct suction strength for your breasts. Its recommended that moms turn the pump "volume" up as high as they can handle it without feeling discomfort after initially running it on a low setting for a few minutes. Also, ask yourself "Does pumping hurt, or does it just feel new to me?". Distinguishing between pain and "weirdness" can help relieve a lot of anxiety related to pumping, and can help a mother pump more milk. If pumping hurts, contact an IBCLC immediately.
Laura Gruber, IBCLC
Breastfeeding Housecalls, LLC
San Antonio, Texas
(210) 209-1002
The services offered by Breastfeeding Housecalls do not replace medical advice; please consult your healthcare provider if you suspect you or your child are not well.
- Proper Pump Flange Fitting (imperative to your milk supply when using a breastpump)
- Education about proper milk storage and handling
- Techniques and tricks for optimizing milk production
- Milk Banking discussion, if desired (www.milkbank.org)
"Is pumping right for me?"
Lets first talk about your breastfeeding big-picture. Is your baby with you? Will you be returning to work? Do you plan on storing milk?
Breast-Pumping Best Practices
It takes about 40 days (6 weeks) for your breasts to be 'programmed' to their milk production potential. Anything that does or doesn't happen during that first month and a half after you have your baby will help set the stage for your breastfeeding relationship. Ideally, a mother's breast should be stimulated (hopefully by baby) within the first six hours after the placenta has been "born". This helps optimize the "hormonal hand-off" from pregnancy to breastfeeding. Think of stimulating the breasts within 6 hours from birth as pushing a runner even harder the last 20 feet before passing of the baton in a relay. Not only does it get the baton to the next runner faster, that extra shove could potentially win the overall race. If your baby cannot come to the breast within the first six hours of life, try hand expressing your breasts or pumping as often as the baby would be feeding (usually about every 2-3 hours).
Hand Expression of Breastmilk
Fortunately, God gave us two (well, three if you count the baby's mouth) free pumps to use: our
right hand, and our left hand!
A lot of moms find that they are able to express much more milk with their hands than they can
with the most expensive pump on the market. Why? Because pumps pull only while your hand can pull AND compress! Hand expression is easy and cost effective. Practice does make perfect.
This is one of my favorite links to learn hand-expression techniques.
Back to breastpumps: Which Breast-Pump is Recommended?
Well...that also depends. How long have you been breastfeeding? Let's break it down:
The first week of breastfeeding is important because this is when your milk will transition from colostrum to transtional milk, to mature milk. In order for your production potential to remain high, its necessary for your milk to be removed either by your baby's effective suck, or a breast pump (learn about what can happen when milk isn't removed). During your breasts' "programming" stage (birth to six weeks) its VERY important to use your baby's effective suck or a hospital grade double electric pump (these are usually available for rent from hospitals and lactation clinics/consultants; these are not to be confused by the "over the counter" pumps seen these at Target, HEB, Babies R Us, etc.).
What's the Difference?
The differences between a hospital grade double-electric breast pump and the ones you can buy at the stores (retail pumps) mentioned above are plentiful. Most hospital grade double-electric breast pumps range in price from $900-$1900, have motors which can hygenically handle multiple users over the lifetime of the pump, are bigger, and have different suction strengths and patterns than their "over the counter" retail, single-user breastpumps who range between $100-$400. Both can be good choices, but have a very different impact on milk supply if they are used during the wrong times. A hospital grade double-electric pump is used for the purpose of establishing milk production potential, and a non-hospital grade pump double electric single-user breast pump is meant for preserving an already established milk production potential/milk supply. Using a single-user double electric breastpump, or a hand pump, during the first six weeks of breastfeeding could compromise milk production potential in some women (not all). If you need to do any kind of pumping the first six weeks of breastfeeding, it is suggested to use a double-electric hospital grade pump.
In the world of breast-pumping, pricing does reflect purpose, and quality. That's NOT to say that you need to run out and by the most expensive pump, but you will notice that the higher quality pumps give you more options in terms of speed, suction strength, etc.
I've heard pumping hurts! How can I avoid this?
Pumping is usually a comfortable experience, however, factors DO exist which could impact comfort-level while pumping. When possible, have an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) assess a pumping session to ensure you have a good pump flange (the part of the pump that touches your breast and looks like a funnel) fit. The way your pump flanges fit can have a positive or negative impact on how much milk you are able to express and continue producing, and on the integrity of your nipples. Also, make sure that you are using the correct suction strength for your breasts. Its recommended that moms turn the pump "volume" up as high as they can handle it without feeling discomfort after initially running it on a low setting for a few minutes. Also, ask yourself "Does pumping hurt, or does it just feel new to me?". Distinguishing between pain and "weirdness" can help relieve a lot of anxiety related to pumping, and can help a mother pump more milk. If pumping hurts, contact an IBCLC immediately.
Laura Gruber, IBCLC
Breastfeeding Housecalls, LLC
San Antonio, Texas
(210) 209-1002
The services offered by Breastfeeding Housecalls do not replace medical advice; please consult your healthcare provider if you suspect you or your child are not well.
