Breastfeeding and Pumping

Archive for the ‘Using Breast Pumps’ Category

Once as a mother of a breastfeeding infant, I found myself in a circumstance where I was in need of a serious breast pump. I rented a hospital grade breast pump of a major brand. The first time I used it, I did not know whether I should be sick or faint. I wish someone had warned me that I would see my nipples assume a pointy shape that I had never dreamed they were capable of. I immediately wondered why they could not design a breast pump to work like a baby’s mouth. From what I observed, the baby compresses the areola and nipple with mouth and jaw action. Although I cannot see what is going on inside the baby’s mouth I am skeptical that a breast pump replicates that action. Breast pump design harkens back to machines that were intended for milking cows. Most breast pumps tug or pull on the nipple in a suck and release rhythm. What you see is the nipple going “point, relax, point, relax” like some enthusiastic member of an aerobic exercise class.
Now enter the newest innovation in breast pump design: the massaging breast pump. Some breast pumps claim or seem to have more of the massage element than others. The Playtex Embrace Breast Pump, the manual Dr. Brown’s Natural Comfort Breast Pump and the Whittlestone Breast Expressers are all pumps that express milk without stretching the nipple in the tug-and-pull style. The Avent Isis breast pumps, manual and electrics, have funnels with Let-down Massage Cushions, which have massaging petals or bumps on it. These massaging petals move in and out with the suction rhythm of the pump. Medela and Ameda are the longest established and most reputable makers of breast pumps. Their most recent innovations have been in areas of design not related to massage: the 2-Phase Expression in the Medela Symphony, Medela Pump In Style Advanced, Medela Harmony and Medela Swing breast pumps and the Hygienikit feature in the Ameda Purely Yours and Ameda Elite breast pumps. These companies have each made one small contribution to the massage trend: the Medela SoftFit breast shield and the Ameda Flexishield flange. These parts work with any of their breast pumps and massage by flexing in a more static way, accompanied by the traditional tug-and pull suction.
Are these massaging breast pumps more comfortable, more effective at expressing breast milk, or at least, do they feel more like a baby nursing than other pumps?
I have read hundreds of breast pump reviews and I find the two major complaints against breast pumps are issues of comfort and effectiveness at removing breast milk. Addressing just the comfort issue, there can be many causes of discomfort and it is important that women investigate and eliminate those causes in their breast pumping where possible, to prevent injury and to expedite milk let-down. However, I am inclined to believe this unnatural tug-and-pull motion can be the cause of emotional and physical distress to women until they get used to it or overcome it with persistence.
Now who can object to massage as a concept? Of all these massaging breast pumps on the market only one has received enough independent consumer reviews to satisfy me that consumers have reached a positive, though not unanimous, consensus about it. The other breast pumps are just too new or have not been marketed extensively enough to know whether women will find them more comfortable or more effective than traditional vacuum-only pumps. I applaud efforts to redesign and improve the breast pump, but I can only now hope for a time that most breast pumps will deliver on their promise of feeling just like baby.
See the full article on the massaging breast pump trend for more information and updates.
About the Author
Matia Bryson is a mother of seven previously breastfed children and wants to help other mothers to nurse their babies for as long as they desire. –
“Breast milk is still best for babies under two years,” the pediatrician says. And a mother must believe it because not only is it advisable for her child’s health, it also lessens the chance of her getting diabetes.Women who breastfeed have less chances of suffering from diabetes. A study conducted by the World Health Organization shows that more than 1.5 million babies die because they are not breast-fed. These are babies from third world countries. Their mothers’ health are also in jeopardy that they don’t have enough nutrition or milk in their bodies to save neither themselves nor their babies.These social workers who educate mothers often travel to the developing countries such as Nigeria and teach them the proper way to care for themselves and their infants. Good parenting at a young age would also result to the proper mental development of their baby.That’s why people must be educated when it comes to how important breastfeeding is for the infant and the mother. Not only is this beneficial for the baby’s health, it will also have a good effect on the emotional aspect of the mother-child relationship. Breastfeeding is an early form of mother-child bonding that could occur at this young stage of the baby’s life.Some mothers prefer pumping their milk to a machine because it hurts them when the child bites into their nipples. That must not be the case. It takes some getting use to. Breastfeeding will give the child the nurture, the love and the care that she deserves to have. Activists on the situation are suggesting a movement to a decree that announces neglect on mothers who stop breastfeeding their children who are less than two years old.There are some mothers who rush on to their daily activities that they prefer the bottle-feeding than breast-feeding. This often applies to a high-powered career woman. As much as possible, she must also fit into her schedule the time for her child.Some mothers believe that the good thing about bottled milk is that it has water and breast milk has less. However, breast milk also has water. The water contained in breast milk is in fact healthier for the infant than water that us adults drink. Notice also that babies sleep better after they are breast-fed than after they are bottle-fed.Breast milk prevents diarrhea. Diarrhea is a disease that often attacks babies. Developing countries lose a lot of their newly-borns to this disease.Breast milk also helps the child grow properly making him less prone to infections. The child will also be more intelligent because his being breast-fed allowed his brain to develop better.As for the women, there is a link to diabetes and breast-feedings. Women who engage in breast-feeding their child will not have diabetes. While they’re feeding their babies, they are lactating. Therefore, the hormones they release in this process protects her against anemia and cancer.To sum it up, breast-feed your child. Not only will you and your child be healthier, you will also have bonding time together. It helps to start training your child now at a young age because there’s a lot of room for improvement and development. Also, the mother has something to benefit from this practice. She wouldn’t have diabetes.If scheduling is the problem, it’s all about time management. When your child is about to go to college and off to an Ivy League school, you know your hard work paid off.Karen Newton is a registered nurse and acclaimed author with over 25 years of health care experience. Her newest book, Diabetic Diet Secrets, is an easy to follow guide to losing weight and getting control of your diabetes. Karen offers a free Diabetic Tips Course at http://www.diabeticdietsecrets.com/diabetictips.htm.