I haven't used my breast pump for about 16 months now.
The first 6 months of B's life were highly stressful. When I wasn't breastfeeding her or administering a top up of formula, I was expressing in order to give her a top up of my own milk each day, and in the hopes of increasing my supply.
I was lucky if I got 40-60mls over the course of 24 hours, but I dutifully gave it to her each evening.
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| I was so proud of myself the morning I pumped 1.5oz in one go because I woke up before B! |
When she reached 6 months, I made the decision to stop pumping, partly to give myself a bit of extra time in the day, and partly because I figured that she must be nursing effectively enough to get that amount of milk out of me herself!
So, I was expressing to give top ups and to increase my supply.
Some other reasons to pump breastmilk are so that baby can still have breastmilk when mum goes out or back to work; for a baby that has difficulty latching; for a poorly baby being tube fed; or to donate milk to a milk bank or mother who can't supply her own to her baby.
There really is very little point in pumping breastmilk purely to check how much you're making, as a pump is nowhere near as effective at draining the breast as a baby is. Some women have great milk supplies, but cannot express very much. My mum exclusively breastfed 4 children, and yet she could hardly express a drop.
If you are just going to be expressing the odd amount here and there for a night out, or to relieve engorgement, then it is worth learning how to hand express, or using a simple manual pump, rather than investing in an expensive electric double pump.
However, if expressing is vital to keeping your breastfeeding relationship going, or for maintaining supply while baby is unwell, etc. then there are some brilliant pumps out there. I used a double pump that enabled me to attach the pumps to my nursing bra so that I could pump hands-free. I won't recommend a particular brand or style, as different people like different types. It's worth asking around and seeing what others have used and how they've got on with them.
In order to boost supply, one recommended technique is Power Pumping. I used to do this once a day while B was sleeping after our walk. I would pump for 10 minutes, then stop and make myself some lunch during the next 10 minutes. Before eating, I would pump for another 10 minutes. During the following 10 minutes I would eat some lunch, before pumping for a third and final time for another 10 minutes. You can read more about low supply and Power Pumping, as well as other ways of boosting supply, here.
Storing breastmilk is another issue that I never really encountered, as I always used the milk that I had pumped that day. The Kellymom site has a brilliant page full of information and links about storing and handling expressed milk. I just kept mine in the fridge and added to it each time I expressed during the day. Be aware: breastmilk separates, because it isn't homogenised like the milk we buy in the shops. Don't panic and think that it has gone off. Mine got chucked out once, because someone thought they were being helpful!
And if you've ever heard the saying, "There's no use crying over spilled milk," then you can be sure the person saying it had never spent time and effort expressing breastmilk! Before serving, swirl it back together; don't shake it.
One final tip: I think it is definitely worth having a taste of your own breastmilk, so that you know what it tastes like when fresh. That way, if you do have any doubts about previously expressed and stored milk, you'll be able to tell if it has gone off or not.
Check out some more of the Scavenger Hunt bloggers:
Red Rose Mummy - Tales of life, love and laughter in Lancashire with Bud and Little Miss. Breastfeeding second time around with my daughter having nursed my son until he was 25 months old.
Smiling Like Sunshine - I am passionate about natural childbirth, breastfeeding, babywearing, gentle discipline, green living, organic and local foods, sustainable living and informed healthcare decisions. Here I write about natural family living, early years education, play, food, literature, music, design and cinema.
Oh So Amelia - A family parenting lifestyle blog, full of parenting, pregnancy and baby advice, DIY's and reviews. I also blog about my 1 year old daughter.
The Brick Castle - A blog with the aim to introduce and share play and entertainment ideas fro children and young people from tiny to teen and beyond. Skilled at Lego building, mending all things broken or trodden on and waking up teenagers.
Mum2BabyInsomniac - I started this blog nearly two years ago when I was a sleep deprived new mum. It covers a range of parenting related topics such as birth stories, my breastfeeding experience, toddler troubles and pregnancy updates, as well as some non-parenting related topics such as how many kisses to leave at the end of a text message. There are even a fair few crafty posts thrown in to add a bit of variety!
And please visit one of the Scavenger Hunt sponsors:
Ardo Breastpumps - At ARDO, we are passionate about breastfeeding, breast milk and supporting expressing mums. Our new and innovative range of breastfeeding products have been developed with the intention of meeting the personal requirements and individual needs of mothers and their babies. Ardo are offering a prize of a Calypso Electric Breast Pump.
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