The Advantages of Pumping Breast Milk

There are instances when direct breastfeeding does not work out for some babies. Sometimes the problems may be temporary and subside after some time, and other times they are more or less permanent.

Common Problems with Breastfeeding

Here are some of the possible issues that mothers and babies may encounter that will inevitably cause them to not breastfeed:

• Having flat or inverted nipples – While babies usually rely on the areola more rather than the nipple when it comes to breastfeeding, it can be harder for babies and mothers when they have an inverted or flat nipple. There are some mothers who make use of special breast shells that can draw the nipple outwards for easy breastfeeding.

• Sore nipples – There will be moments when the nipples are already too sore and as a result, this can be extremely uncomfortable for the mother. Usually, this may be caused by the wrong positioning of the baby when breastfeeding.

• Thrush – There are moments when sore and cracked nipples may be taken for granted just to allow babies to feed but when this happens, mothers are more prone to acquiring yeast infection on the nipple area.

Usually, there are also some babies who have a problem with latching on to their mother’s breasts. The baby may eventually learn how to latch, however for some mother’s that day never comes. Because of this, some mothers choose to use a breast pump instead of breastfeeding because they still want to reap the benefits of breast milk without having to switch altogether to the formula.

What is Pumping Breast Milk?

Basically, this is the process where you utilize a breast pump, whether manual or electric, that will allow your milk to be transferred from your breast to a bottle. The great thing about this is that your milk supply will continue to increase even when you are not directly breastfeeding. But how will I know when the right time is to pump? This is a common question that mothers ask, and the answer is simply to wait for your breasts to start feeling a bit full. More on that later though.

Reasons to Pump Breast Milk

At this point, you may still be a bit sceptical about how this will work out because of course, you do not really know what will happen. You should know however that there are many great reasons on why you should pump breast milk, such as the following:

• It will allow you to store milk for your baby. The time will come when you also have to go back to work and you may not always be available to care for your baby. Having breast milk ready through pumping will allow your baby to be fed on time.

• You would like to release some breast milk because you are already feeling pain because of the fullness. When this happens, only pump until the pain goes away. If you pump too much, your breast may not supply milk anymore.

• If the maternity leave laws in your country allow your company to force you back to work early, you will simply not be able to breastfeed. Pumping is therefore a lifesaver for many working mothers out there.

• You will be able to save more money. If you would rely on formula for your baby, you can expect that you have to pay a lot of money for it as compared when you would just rely on your breast milk. The money you will get to save will be highly evident.

• You would like to increase the supply of your milk. Pumping can help increase the supply that your breasts can give so you will be able to supply your baby more breast milk in the long run.

• You will be allowed to donate breast milk to other babies who may need it. Do remember that this is not always encouraged as breast milk is usually personalized for the baby who needs it the most.

There are a lot of mothers who do not like to pump because it is considered to be “unrealistic.” There are a lot of bottles that would need to be cleaned plus the amount that would be spent on the better pumping machines can be overwhelming. With that said, pumping is not for everyone.

There are some women who are born to breastfeed and they would be able to feed their children directly with ease, but for other women that is just not the case.

When to Pump Breast Milk?

Now that you may be more curious about pumping breast milk, you may be wondering when the proper times for you to pump are. If you would like to store enough breast milk for your baby, here are some of the things that you can do:

• Pump in the morning because a lot of mothers usually have a lot of breast milk stored in the morning.
• An hour before or after breastfeeding can be a great time to pump your breasts.
• Whenever you feel pain because of too much milk, you can start pumping already.

If in case your baby is not breastfeeding at all, you are required to pump a minimum of about 8 times a day. Eventually, you can start to pump less if your baby starts to learn to breastfeed directly from you.

Now that you know more about pumping breast milk, keep it in mind the next time you give birth as a very potent alternative to breastfeeding.

About the Author
Natalie Michele is a general physician and devoted mother of two. Visit Natalie online at her website Maternity At Home.