You want to go back to work but would like to keep feeding baby the best food possible- breast milk. Is exclusive breastfeeding possible if you are away from baby eight hours a day? Yes, here is where pumping milk comes in.
Why pump breast milk?
Most moms pump breast milk to collect and store it for their babies while they are not around. However, if you have engorged breasts you can express some of your milk to ease the discomfort. If your baby is premature or cannot latch on to your breast for some reason, pumping breast milk might be recommended for her.
I have no clue how to proceed!
Well, the first thing to do is to decide what method you will be using. Will you be pumping milk regularly? If you plan to do this, then investing in a breast pump will save you a lot of time and energy. Where will you be pumping milk? There are fancy battery operated pumps that will let you pump milk while you work. Do you need one of those? What are others doing? Though it is not a good idea to compare babies, comparing pumps can help you choose the best one for you. Discuss your options with your healthcare provider too.
Choose the right method
Expressing breast milk by hand is a long and painful process. If you will be pumping only once in a while to ease engorgement, provide a relief bottle or store milk for emergencies, this can work for you. Electric breast pumps can extract milk from both breasts at the same time, and they are much faster. Battery operated breast pumps might not be too cost effective but if you want to pump on the go, they are your best bet. Whatever method you choose, it is important to learn how to pump milk.
Storing your precious breast milk
Refrigerate expressed milk immediately if you - continued below ...
