Do you really need a breast pump?

Do you really need a breast pump?

Blog Article

Ultimately, all that you need to breastfeed is a baby and a boob! And if all is going well, and you are not going to be separated from your baby for any length of time for the first year or so of life, then the answer to this question is ‘probably not’. However, if you are going to be away from your baby for longer periods than a quick grocery run, or if for any reason your baby is unable to latch and feed, you will need to express breast milk, either by hand or by using a breast pump.

Absolutely nothing. Some women hand express with so much success that they choose this method above using a pump. It is a skill worth learning, because there may well come a day when your pump breaks or its battery dies, and you need to empty your breast without your breast pump flange size. Your hands are available to you at no cost, and you do not need to sterilize their parts. In general, though, most women find expressing with a good quality breast pump to be faster and more convenient than hand expressing.

The first and most common reason would be a mom who needs to go back to work and express milk to leave for her baby. Going back to work and breastfeeding is a topic on its own, and support for this option forms a big part of what we focus on at All Things Breastfeeding. A mom whose baby is not able to latch and suck in the early days after birth. There are many reasons why babies have latching difficulties, and you will really benefit from seeing a lactation consultant. However, expressing breastmilk and establishing supply will ensure that you can successfully continue feeding once the latching problem has been sorted.

If the baby is premature or sick and admitted to NICU after birth it can take days or even weeks before the baby can latch. A mom would need to express to establish her supply and to provide milk for the baby. Moms who are exclusive pumpers, meaning that babies do not feed directly from the breast, but are fed mostly expressed breast milk. Mothers who struggle with milk production (supply), or babies who are struggling to gain weight. Slow production/slow weight gain are almost always interlinked, and there are many contributing factors. Expressing to boost supply and to provide baby with extra expressed breast milk is part of the management of both.