SUMMARY :
The breast pump is a way to reconcile breast feeding with bottle feeding, by feeding your baby (or those of others!) with your own breast milk. To practice breastfeeding pumping, you should equip yourself with a machine more commonly called a breast pump. 😉
In this article, we will give you 4 tips to help you succeed with your breastfeeding pump with complete peace of mind!
Why use a breast pump?
- For women who are not comfortable with breastfeeding, the breast pump is an excellent way to feed your baby with breast milk , through a container, without having to drink powdered milk or buds.
- Expressing milk also allows mothers to to liberate oneself on other daily tasks, to indulge in their hobbies, or to return to work. Expressed milk can be stored cool in a fridge for 2 days , or frozen for 4 months, which allows you to stock up on milk for the child in the event of his mother's absence.
- Finally, the breast pump also allows you to donate milk maternal at a Lactarium. The needs are currently very great; Donation campaigns are regularly set up by the State and maternity hospitals.
To find out where to donate your milk, consult the map map created by the Association of Lactariums of France.
1. Find an electric breast pump to make pumping sessions less tiring
The first step to a successful breast pump is to look for a machine powerful enough to reduce the time it takes to express milk.
Expressing by hand, or manual breast pump, difficult to set up
- It is good to note that you have the option of expressing your milk manually. This method, sometimes difficult to implement, does not allow large quantities of milk to be collected in a short period of time.
- It requires a certain amount of getting used to and not all women are able to express their milk by hand, without an assistive device, simply by pressing the breast with fingers and performing an evacuation action from the inside to the outside.
Renting a breast pump machine can be covered with a prescription
- The cost of the rental can be covered by your mutual insurance company provided you have a prescription from your doctor or a pediatrician.
- It is possible to renew prescriptions as many times as necessary ! A good thing if you plan to breastfeed your baby and use a breast pump for a long time. 😉
- The machine can be rented from a pharmacy.
Which electric breast pump to choose?
Several brands of breast pumps are available on the market. Some breast pumps are single expression, while others are double expression. This means you can express milk from one or both breasts at the same time!
The most efficient machines are equipped with a stimulation mode which precedes the expression mode.
- The mode simulation replicates the sucking action of a baby. Your breast then receives the signal to produce milk in the same way as if you recorded breastfeeding your child. This pattern is therefore more natural.
- The mode expression , for its part, is adjustable and allows you to express your milk more or less quickly. The more you increase the extraction power, the longer and stronger the milk will flow. Your nipples will be put under more strain, which can be painful for some women. It is best to adjust the electric breast pump according to your sensitivity.
The brand Kitett has these two options. Its price being rather high to purchase, try first to contact a pharmacy to rent it as an individual. 🙋♀️
2. Invest in an easily transportable manual breast pump
The electric breast pump is not the only object you can use to make breastfeeding easier. The manual breast pump, like the one offered by Philips Avent, allows you to express your milk manually without the need for a socket current.
- Manual breast pumps are generally smaller in size, they are therefore easier to transport. You can slip them into your handbag and take them out as soon as the milk comes in (or baby asks for a drink).
- It is important to have a nearby water point to always clean your breast pump after use. Take care disassemble each element of your breast pump before washing the device so that the next breast pumping session does not include any bacteria harmful to your little one's health in the storage jar.
❔ Did you know that there are breast pumps compatible with certain baby bottles ? A ring acting as an adapter rests the two objects between them. Thus, the milk collected falls directly to the bottom of the bottle, no transfer required! In terms of hygiene, this is a real plus... The number of milk handling operations is reduced.
3. Assert your rights with your employer
To succeed in your breastfeeding pump, it is not enough to be well equipped! You must also have the possibility of using this equipment in all circumstances. However, most French people spend 75% of their time at work ! This necessarily means having to express your milk outside of your home.
- Inform your employer of your desire to express your milk at your workplace before returning to work. The legislation requires it to provide an additional hour of break per day for employed breastfeeding mothers.
- A room must also be made available to allow them to express their milk in complete privacy. The room must be secure and perfectly clean!
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It is possible to split this time. For example, you can pump twice a day for half an hour, allowing you to maintain an efficient milk supply even while away from your baby.
Trick : It is of course possible to divide your time into 3 twenty-minute breaks, or into four fifteen-minute breaks (especially if you have a double expression machine to save time).
However, take into account the fact that your breast pump will have to be cleaned at the end of the pump and that time passes quickly...⏳ Be sure to always respect the time defined by law so as not to get into trouble, or negotiate with your employer additional time if your reports allow it. 😊
The more regularly you express your milk, the more efficient, regular and abundant your lactation will be!
4. Be kind to yourself during breastfeeding sessions
Expressing your milk should never be seen as a challenge! 😉 It is important to be fully relaxed so that the milk comes out well and lactation is maintained for a long time. A large part of breastfeeding also plays out on a psychological level.
If you fear pain, you risk slowing down production. If, however, your milk seems less abundant on certain days, don't panic! You may pump 200 ml on Monday morning and 150 the next day…
In this regard, it is useful to point out that milk production is often more abundant in the morning upon waking and tends to decline throughout the day. It is therefore not uncommon to find yourself with quantities halved at the end of the afternoon; This should not worry you too much.
What you must remember
Successful breastfeeding requires operating in good conditions! For this, the choice of material is fundamental. At Elhée, we do not sell breast pumps. But we are committed to supporting women in their mixed breastfeeding project, if that is their wish!
→ If you have chosen to pump, but are not yet sure which bottle you will give your child, we advise you to take a look at our store. All our bottles are made of medical grade silicone. 🍼
Note: Medical grade silicone has healthy characteristics for babies' health. It also reproduces the texture of the mother's breast to optimize the experience of bottle-fed babies to the fullest!
