Monday 23 February 2015

Using a Breast Pump – Guidance for Mothers

For working women, a breast pump is a godsend that allows them to express their milk and store it for use in the course of the working day when they might not be around to feed their babies. This allows mothers to express quickly, without the tedium of manual expression, and saves time, which is often scarce.

Kiran Manral talks to Cee Kay*, Mother of two children aged 12 and 4 now, about her experiences with a breast pump. She used the breast pump for her second child.

Why did you start using a breast pump? How old was your child then?
I started using breast pump to augment supply by day 15 or so (I don’t remember exact day). I was having lactation problems.

Did you research the models in the market before buying one? What were the parameters you looked for?
I first rented a pump from the hospital for about two months to see if it would help me at all. Once I verified that pumping did help my supply, I bought Medela’s “Pump in Style” because my research indicated that it was one of the best models available. A friend had it as well and she highly recommended it.

This one also comes with dual shields/pumps which save time as you can pump both breasts at the same time. The features I looked for were:
  1. Dual pumps.
  2. Hospital grade.
  3. Had to have graduated suction levels.
  4. Had to be easy to carry since I planned to pump at work.
  5. Had to have a discreet case that I could carry to and from work without it being too obvious. I bought the backpack style for easy carrying option.

For how long did you use the breast pump and why did you stop?
I used it for a little over three months and I stopped after my supply dwindled to about three ounces for the whole day. I grudgingly realized that I wasn’t lactating and that it was just not worth the stress.

What would you advise women who want to start using a breast pump?
My Ob-Gyn strongly dissuaded me from using one after my first delivery. If I had used one, my first daughter could have gotten at least a few months of breast milk. I regret that. Get a second opinion if that happens to you.

Second, there is no shame in using a breast pump. Don’t let anyone tell you that.

Third, don’t overdo it. The guidelines usually allow for pumping for 20 minutes on each side. I ignored that once and over-pumped. I got swollen ducts as a result and my supply went further down. I still regret that.

How did using a breast pump help you?
It made me feel like I gave it my best shot. I know I worked hard and tried my best – if it didn’t work even after that, then so be it. Frankly, my daughters have thrived on formula too, so in the event of not having enough milk, it is okay if you need to supplement with or switch over to formula.

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