Pump breastfeeding

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Freshly expressed breast milk

Pump breastfeeding is a special form of breastfeeding . Here is the infant not directly at the chest of the mother fed, but the mother's milk is using a breast pump pumped out of the breast and the infant directly or later with the baby bottle fed or otherwise. Most women only express milk from their breasts temporarily. But it is also quite possible to feed a child exclusively with pump breastfeeding for months.

Reasons for Pump Breastfeeding

Pump breastfeeding is often performed by mothers who had a premature birth because the babies are often too weak to suckle, have to lie in a children's clinic or have other physical problems. A baby's drinking weakness or other forms of refusal to breastfeed can be bridged (short or long term) with pump breastfeeding. Even if a mother is separated from her child for other reasons, e.g. For example, because she is back to work or when the mother needs to take medication, pump breastfeeding is a good way to keep the mother going. Many mothers occasionally perform pump breastfeeding to e.g. B. going out an evening without the child. Another reason for (temporary) pump breastfeeding is sore and inflamed nipples in the mother. Pump breastfeeding can be performed here until the nipples have healed. A subsequent breastfeeding strike by the baby is then more likely, because drinking from a baby bottle requires a completely different suction pattern than drinking from the breast. If an infant permanently refuses to breastfeed or if the mother suffers from chronic hemorrhagic nipples , permanent pump breastfeeding is a good alternative to normal breastfeeding.

equipment

The most important accessory for pump breastfeeding is the breast pump . There are various manual pumps (hand pumps) and electric breast pumps available in stores. Depending on the design, some allow single or double-sided pumping, pumping with one hand or even hands-free pumping. With electric pumps, the suction pressure, the suction frequency or the suction rhythm can often be set individually. Electric pumps, which allow pumping on both sides, are therefore particularly comfortable for the mother, well suited to stimulate milk production and ensure that lactation is preserved for a long time. It is important for all pumps that the funnel of the pump opening fits the size of the nipple, otherwise friction can cause injuries or the pumping will be ineffective. To prevent this, different sizes or adapters are offered. If there is a medical indication , a breast pump can be borrowed from pharmacies or hospitals on prescription. Some health insurances also pay to buy your own breast pump under certain conditions. Market leaders in Germany for breast milk pumps are Medela , Philips AVENT, NUK and Lansinoh. In addition to the breast pump , the following is also required: Milk bottles (best suited to the pump) with teats, possibly a bottle warmer and a device to sterilize all accessories. However, the parts can also be cleaned in a dishwasher at 65 ° C without any problems. There are also special freezer bags for freezing breast milk that can be pumped directly into.

method

In order to express milk with a breast pump for the first time, it makes sense to approach the matter calmly and without stress, because pump-breastfeeding works differently than breastfeeding and must be learned. The idea of ​​being milked with the help of a "machine" can ensure that pumping fails and lactation does not occur. The most important thing is to have an undisturbed space, to take your time and to sit comfortably. Various things can help to trigger the milk flow reflex more easily: the presence of the baby (preferably with skin contact) or a photo of the baby, warm compresses on the chest , gentle breast massage, sufficient fluid intake and adequate nutrition. First, the pumping process should be rhythmic and fast in order to imitate the baby's sucking phase and to stimulate the milk flow reflex. This takes about one to three minutes. As soon as the milk flows out, the milk is pumped out of the breast with even, longer pulls. The entire process should take about ten to twenty minutes, even if there is no more milk flowing out of the breast in between. This stimulates milk production. If difficulties arise in pumping breastfeeding, it is very useful early on the advice of a midwife or lactation consultant catch up to the lactation maintain.

Milk volume and pumping rhythm

While fresh breast milk is best, it is not recommended to express the milk right before feeding, as an infant crying with hunger causes stress and makes expressing more difficult. Therefore, the milk should be pumped out, cooled and reheated for feeding. For occasional expressions, it is sufficient to express the required amount of milk from the breast with the help of the breast pump. Depending on the baby's age and hunger, 50 ml to 200 ml are recommended. For regular expressing it is necessary that the amount of milk pumped more or less corresponds to the infant's drinking needs. The amount a baby drinks can be very different. Infants usually drink between 600 ml and 1200 ml daily with five to twelve meals. Therefore, the amount of milk expressed should be similar. As with breastfeeding, demand determines the amount of milk you need, ie the more you express, the more milk the breast produces. It is more effective to pump more often than to increase the individual pump times. To stimulate milk production, you should pump very frequently, i.e. every two to three hours (and at least once a night). With one-sided pumping, frequent changes of the breast are milk-promoting. Later, it is enough to empty the chest every four to six hours. Ultimately, you need to pump at least five to six times in a 24 hour period to maintain milk production. A total pumping time of 100 minutes per day is recommended. To reduce the amount of milk, it is sufficient to pump less often and for a shorter period of time. In order to keep an overview of the amount of milk and the pumping rhythm, it makes sense to keep a log of the times and amount of milk. A log can look like this:

pumped (time + amount) fed (time + amount)
2:00 am - 210 ml (a) 5:50 a.m. 150 ml (a)
6:08 am - 190 ml (b) 10:31 a.m. 60 ml (a) + 90 ml (b)
10:03 am - 180 ml (c) 12:46 p.m. 100 ml (b) + 50 ml (c)
2:13 p.m. - 175 ml (d) 4:12 p.m. 130 ml (c) + 25 ml (d)
5:56 p.m. - 160 ml (e) 19:39 150 ml (d)
10:01 p.m. - 170 ml (f) 10:06 p.m. 150 ml (s)
1:48 p.m. 160 ml (f)
total - 1085 ml total - 1065 ml

Excess milk can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours. Freezing milk portions of different sizes is also recommended, for B. not having to resort to milk powder when the child grows spurt .

Weaning

Weaning is easier with pump breastfeeding, as there is no need to take into account the infant and its drinking habits. To stop breastfeeding, the pumping duration and the pumping frequency are simply reduced step by step. This can be done over a longer or shorter period of time. With slow weaning, the time intervals between the pumping processes are simply increased, so that instead of five times a day, only four times a day, later then three, twice and finally once a day. In this way, the weaning process can be controlled naturally over weeks or months. If the feeling of tension in the breasts is too great in between because of the amount of milk, only enough milk is pumped out until the feeling of tension disappears. In this way, the weaning process can also be accelerated: A little milk is only pumped out briefly when there is a great feeling of tension in the breasts. However, the risk of congestion in the milk is greater.

advantages

  • The baby is fed real breast milk instead of breast milk substitutes, which is good for their health.
  • Saves money because there is no need to buy a breast milk substitute.
  • The mother's lactation is maintained so that she can later breastfeed again.
  • The baby gets to know different taste nuances (see taste (sensory impression) ).
  • The amount of water the child drinks and their own amount of milk become transparent.
  • Weaning is easier because there is no need to take into account the child's drinking habits.
  • Expressing reduces the chance of congestion and is good for maternal health.

disadvantage

  • A wide range of accessories must first be purchased and then rinsed or sterilized regularly.
  • It takes time and rest to express. This is sometimes difficult with an infant .
  • Expressing regularly requires self-discipline. Otherwise there is a risk that the amount of milk will be reduced unintentionally.
  • Like any other food, breast milk only has a certain shelf life and therefore has to be chilled, frozen or fed promptly in the refrigerator.
  • The infant has less physical contact with the mother when feeding, unless you are feeding (if you are bottle feeding) from the bare breast.

literature

  • Hannah Lothrop: The Still Book. 32nd edition. Kösel-Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-466-34498-7 .
  • Remo H. Largo: Baby Years: Early Childhood Development from a Biological Point of View. Piper (paperback); 17th edition. 2008, ISBN 3-492-23319-8 .
  • Regina Masaracchia: Cleft lip, jaw, palate: a parent's guide . 1st edition. 2005, Oesch Verlag Zurich, ISBN 3-0350-3007-3 , pp. 78–91.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hannah Lothrop : The Still book , Kösel-Verlag GmbH & Co., Munich 2008, Issue 32, pp 147th
  2. ↑ Hill, et al .: The effect of sequential and simultaneous breast pumping on milk volume an prolactin level: a pilot study. In: J Hum Lact. 12, 1996, pp. 193-199.
  3. ↑ WB Pittart, et al .: Bacterial contamination of human milk: container type and method of expression. In: Am J Perinatol. 8, 1991, pp. 25-27.
  4. ^ Hannah Lothrop : "Das Stillbuch", Kösel-Verlag GmbH & Co., Munich, 32nd edition 2008, pp. 147-148.
  5. ↑ P. Meier, et al .: Breastfeeding for mothers and low birth weight infants. In: Nurs Clin North Am. 3, 1996, pp. 351-365.