As a new mother knows, there are many reasons that you may not breastfeed your baby, but that doesn’t mean your baby can’t drink your breast milk. More usual reasons include, things like you are sick or the baby is sick. As a working woman, you may be going back to work. You may have to be away from the baby for long periods during the day for other reasons. You may want others to have the opportunity to feed your baby and help out that way. So if you want to feed your baby breast milk , but can’t breastfeed, you will need an electric breast pump to express your breast milk.
If possible, try to breast feed until about 3 weeks. This will help your body establish the milk supply. You can start pumping about one hour after you breastfeed in the morning. You can even pump one side while your baby nurses on the other side. This has a couple of time saving benefits. You can pump during those 4 hour long baby naps that start happening a few weeks into the new baby’s life. Also, be sure to pump before you go to bed at night and when you wake up at 3 AM with full breasts. If you are returning to work , you will have to use your breast pump at work and refrigerate the milk. It is hard to say exactly how often you will need to pump, as it depends on your supply. Usually every 2-3 hours is what most people find normal. You should expect it to take about 15 minutes to pump at each session if you are using a double pump. Of course, you will have to pump as long as it takes, if you have a lot of milk. Just pump until you feel comfortably empty, as you will learn. Commonly, you will find more milk in the morning, after you have reasted well.
Here are a few things that will make pumping easier.
1. Make everything is clean
2. Clean your hands and breasts as well
3. If you have a chance to take a warm shower, it will help you relax when you are a beginner.
4. Try using warm and wet cloths on each breast when possible as this also help get the milk flowing.
5. Try to find a comfortable place to pump.
6. You may find a light massage of each nipple will cause your milk to start easier.
Remember, this is natural and you have to trick your body into thinking your baby is there. Remember to drink plenty of fluids, non alcoholic and no caffeine!