Frederick Jace
Breast Pumping Can Be A Life Saver
Your new baby is beautiful, a miracle, hungry, and slightly difficult. There are times when he or she is fussy, times when the only term you can use to describe the little tyke is “darling”, and times when you have to deal with a little pain. When you’re nursing for the first time, you may be unaccustomed to the pain in your paps.
The baby has never eaten before, you’ve never nursed before—and even if this isn’t your first child, different babies have different personalities. Some learn to “latch” more quickly than others. The thing is, if you get latching figured out, you still might have to deal with raw nipples. If you’ve had three kids and are on number four, what if the child is born with a tooth?
Very few children are born with teeth. It happens, but it’s rare. Still, it does happen. Even if you’re a mother who has some experience, the pain of the little tyke latching on may just be too much. So what do you do about it? You buy a breast pump, get in the habit of pumping at the right time, and forego the pain altogether.
Even if you’re not nursing a child with a tooth, associated rawness can make feeding your newborn very difficult; especially if you’re not used to the discomfort. At minimum, pumping breast milk can give you time to heal before nursing the old fashioned way again. Not only is breastfeeding healthy for children and their mothers, it’s healthiest when done as naturally as possible. Still, you may have to pump. Here’s how to do it best.
Best Practices In Breast Pumping
There’s going to be a little breast pump kit you need to put together. Lanolin is excellent to soothe nipples, and it can also assist as a flange seal. A photo of your baby helps get your milk flowing, as do recordings of your child either making the suckling sounds of nursing, or fussing a little prior latching on. Clothing can also help owing to the associated smell.
You’ll want a washcloth to wipe things down, an extra shirt is advisable, and you’ll need breast pads. Get something to read, and you can use baby socks or something similar to cover the bottles. Also, pack the charger for your cellphone, you’ll likely need it.
If you’re having trouble getting milk even after you give your body the sensory details necessary to lactate, here’s some more information on how to increase milk supply; the issue could be a lack of production. There’s a hands-on pumping technique which may also work. A warm washcloth or breast pad may also help.
Give your breasts a light massage prior pumping. Relax yourself, and it’s good to lean forward a bit. Keep the sounds of your baby going. Gentle music may also help. If you’ve got everything together in one place, when you feel you can pump, then you’ll have no trouble doing so.
Getting It Down To An Art
Your body and mind have subconscious triggers which stimulate breast milk production. For some mothers, it’s not going to be very hard to get a flow going. Others are going to have a more difficult time. That said, when your body thinks your baby is near, and you’re at peace, it’s a lot easier to nurse; so that’s what you’re going for.
Breast pumps may not be ideal, but they can be quite convenient, and give you a much needed break.
