I recently worked with a mother; let’s call her “Tina.” She is a second time mom, who breastfed her first baby for over one year. When I met them, Tina’s new baby girl was 7-days-old, and had not latched to her breast since they left the hospital. The baby attempts to latch, but cries and pulls away.
Tina has been pumping and offering breastmilk in a bottle. She was so worried that pumping was the wrong thing to do – she was almost afraid to tell me! She was instructed in the hospital to refrain from pumping until breastfeeding was well established. She searched online and found the same advice: “don’t pump in the first few weeks.”
The fact is, Tina did EXACTLY the right thing! She deserves a huge pat on the back!
Breastfeeding 101: RULE #1 – FEED THE BABY! Lactation consultants and breastfeeding counselors live by this rule. So why are we telling mothers not to pump?
Here’s the dilemma: The pump is designed to stimulate the breast and extract the milk (in place of the baby). If we have an effectively feeding baby, and then add a pump, the body essentially thinks there are 2 babies to feed. This can create an oversupply of milk.
But what if the baby isn’t doing their job? We need to pump to stand in and protect the milk supply. We also need to collect milk to feed the baby. Pumping is the right thing to do in this situation.
What we have to do is change the verbiage. If the baby is breastfeeding well, there is no need to pump. If there is a problem, such as breast refusal or poor weight gain, the pump is an essential backup plan! If all is well, stick to the breast; if there is a problem, pump!
Are you working with breastfeeding mothers and want to know more about pumping and tricks to maximize output, register for a Lunch and Learn session at the BRC on 6/18/2015. Call 215-886-2433 for information.
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