Many mothers are interested in the question of whether they need a breast pump? After all, many women, nursing their children, never once taking advantage of the breast pump, and if necessary, expressed the milk by hand. However, there are those who applied breast pump, and were satisfied with their use.
Do I need a breast pump?
There are opinions that a breast pump is needed, since regular breast milk is necessary for successful breastfeeding, but there are opinions that it is impossible to express milk under any conditions. The conclusion can be made the following: to express milk it is necessary, if it is necessary.
In the female body, milk production takes place when there is a need for it. If a child consumes milk, completely emptying the breast, then it is produced as much as it needs, or slightly more. If the child uses a little milk, then its quantity decreases accordingly.
Expressing milk is done after each feeding in order that it does not become smaller, but opponents of decantation may notice that the child does not need a surplus of milk. That is, he is able to suck as much as he needs, and in the future, milk will be produced only according to the needs of the child.
But there are cases when the expressing of breast milk is really necessary. For example, if the child is under medical supervision, and there is no possibility of breastfeeding, and it is extremely necessary for weak children to eat mother's milk.
In this case, you can do a pumping and feed the baby already expressed by the mother's milk from the bottle. This will also be a good stimulation of lactation, because if the milk does not express itself at all, then it can stop producing.
More milk is decanted to maintain lactation. Sometimes breastfeeding becomes temporarily impossible, for example, due to maternal health problems. In connection with hospitalization, or taking some medications, you can not breast-feed, and in order for the baby to be fed later on, it is necessary to express milk regularly to maintain lactation.
In young mothers who gave birth for the first time, sometimes it happens that the breast is simply not ready for feeding. Therefore, to prevent milk stagnation, it is necessary to develop milk ducts. In case the child is already full, and after feeding, lumps in the chest, causing pain, are felt, it is necessary to do breast massage during feeding.
If the seals remain, massage should be done after feeding, and express the milk until the breast becomes soft. When all the ducts are developed, decantation can be stopped.
Ways of expressing milk
Milk can be expressed by hand and with the help of a breast pump, depending on the need for decanting.
Expressing a hand is a time-consuming procedure that requires a lot of effort. Expressing with the help of a breast pump is more rapid and convenient, but if pumping is not regular, then you can refuse using a breast pump.
Technique of expressing breast milk by hand
Slightly massage your chest to warm it up. Then put the palm on the chest in the halo area so that the thumb is above the others. After that, press your hand against the chest, reducing both the thumb and index finger, but so that they do not slip on the nipple. When a trickle of milk appears, start rhythmically repeating this movement, moving your fingers in a circle to engage all the milk ducts. Then repeat the procedure with the second breast.
Expressing the breast pump
Expressing the breast pump is a quick and convenient procedure, as opposed to manual pumping. But which is better, manual or electric breast pump?
If you are planning frequent expression of breast milk, it is better to purchase an electric breast pump. And for an irregular pumping perfectly suits a mechanical breast pump.
In any case, the best breast pump for you will be the one that will meet your requirements.
In order to determine which breast pump is better to buy, let's see what kinds they are.
Types of breast pumps:
- Breast pump with rubber pear. Expressing the milk comes from squeezing the pear. Regular use of such a breast pump can lead to the appearance of cracks in the nipples. The most commonly used for expressing milk from overcrowded breasts. Use it is inconvenient and ineffective.
- Vacuum breast pump. No more effective than a breast pump with a pear, but the advantage is that only one hand is needed to express the milk. Women with weak hands such a breast pump will not work.
- Syringe breast pump. This is the most common breast pump, the most convenient to use, easy to clean, portable, and suitable as a feeding bottle. It consists of two cylinders, one of which is nested in the other. The inner cylinder is applied to the nipple, and the outer cylinder moves forward-back, creating a vacuum, due to which the milk is absorbed.
- Reciprocating breast pump. The breast pump acts quickly, silently and effectively. Silicone diaphragm and a petal massager provide a comfortable expression of breast milk, easily adjustable by pressing the fingers on the handle of the breast pump.
- Universal breast pump. Universal breast pumps are convenient to use away from mains sources, since they can work on batteries. But at the same time, if you want, you can connect to the network, for more efficient use.
- Electric breast pump. Electric breast pumps differ from the others with more power and convenience. The use of an electric breast pump allows the mother to release both hands and is able to reproduce the baby's suckling movements.
You can also contact the rental of breast pumps, and take a breast pump for rent on time. If you will like the work of the breast pump, then you can buy yourself a personal breast pump.