How To Use The Breastpump

The breast pump is increasingly used by mothers. The reasons for using this device are many, it may be a necessity, for health or work reasons.

The truth is that it is not easy to adapt to the pump or, to a large extent, to the prejudice it can generate. To learn how to use the breast pump, you have to practice a lot. In this article, we want to give you some usage advice that we hope will be helpful to you.

Who needs to use the breast pump?

Although there is a certain prejudice against bottle-feeding the baby, some conditions must be considered. For example, giving a bottle does not mean that we are going to harm the child in any way. We know that breastfeeding has countless benefits, however breast milk is more important than the action of giving the breast. That is, even when we do not breastfeed the baby, it is essential that he drink breast milk.

That said, we must recognize that certain situations prevent us from giving the breast to our little one. For various reasons, sometimes the mother needs to be separated from the baby for a few hours or simply has the right to decide not to breastfeed. In this sense, when the mother cannot or does not want to breastfeed, it does not necessarily mean that the baby will not be fed with breast milk.

Milk extraction is a valid option in special circumstances. It is useful when mother and child are separated; therefore, it is a pioneer in donating milk and feeding the neediest babies. The breastpump has been a useful solution for over 150 years.

Not all women need to use the breast pump, even when they buy it as a precaution. Only women going back to work, or mothers of premature or sick babies need to use this object to feed their baby. However, we are free to choose to use it in other circumstances.

How to use breast milk pump?

Extracting milk through this device is not simple at first. Lack of practice prevents obtaining satisfactory results in the first attempts. Perhaps the extraction is slow and insufficient at first, not to mention the discomfort it can cause. It is recommended to be patient and practice a lot. Other aspects to consider are the following:

• When using the breastpump, look for a quiet, stress-free environment. It is well known that a lot of noise or the presence of many people prevent the milk from rising.

• The baby itself stimulates the rise of the milk, so we can keep our little one, a photograph or an object that belongs to him nearby.
• Massage the breast before starting the extraction.
• Pay attention not to hurt yourself, even when you don’t get the result you expect, this activity should not cause pain. If you experience any discomfort, you are not using the extractor correctly.

When can we extract milk in this way?

When and how often to use the breastpump depends on how we breastfeed. For example, if we never breastfeed, we should perform the extraction more often, three to four times a day.

In case we alternate between expressing and breastfeeding, the moment of expressing the milk must follow the rhythm we plan for breastfeeding. In other words, if we’re not with the baby, but it’s time to breastfeed, it’s time to use the pump.

The morning is best suited to carry out these processes. During the night, the breasts fill with milk, especially when the baby does not nurse at night. It is also suitable to use when the baby takes milk from only one breast because we can extract milk from the other after this stimulation.

How to clean and maintain the breastpump?

Although the pump is not a product that has contact with the baby, it must be properly sanitized to be able to store the milk safely. Also, because it comes in contact with the breast, it needs to be kept clean.

Before using this device, your hands must be clean. Likewise, it is convenient to sterilize all the components of the pump to avoid product contamination. In some cases, the devices are accompanied by disposable bags that can be filled directly into the extractor. It is also possible to put the extracted milk in separate containers.

Cleaning the extractor is similar to that of a baby bottle. As it comes into contact with milk, the device must be sterilized to prevent the proliferation of bacteria.

Regarding collected milk, it must be kept in the fridge or freezer, depending on the time for which we are going to conserve. If it is not going to be used within the next 24 hours, it is recommended to date it and freeze it. All containers in which the milk is to be kept must also be sterilized.