There are occasions that arise which may prevent a mom from being able to nurse her baby. A mother who has a baby who cannot or will not latch, for whatever reason, may assume there is no choice but for her to use infant formula. There is another option however, and one that doesn’t seem to get the support or acknowledgment it deserves – exclusively pumping, also known as “EPing“. Now infants can get In most cases, a mother who has made the decision to exclusively pump has not done so “lightly”. She is aware of the irreplaceable benefits of her milk, and she wants her baby to have the best, so the most logical conclusion for her is to pump and provide her milk to
baby by bottle. Sadly, many (including health care providers) will tell mom that this is crazy idea, and “it’ll never work”; “you’ll run out of milk”; or will say “you simply will not be able to keep up”. Without the support and information she needs, a mom may simply give up. Those who don’t give up often are faced with other issues to overcome. They often feel like they are in a class by themselves, excluded from the usual groups of moms who typically form into “support groups”
either for breastfeeding mothers, or for formula feeding mothers. They may feel they must explain “why” they are “bottle feeding” breastmilk – even to their health care providers who often ask.. “breast or bottle” assuming “bottle” is formula. While everyone does agree that there are irreplaceable benefits to nursing baby directly from breast, everyone also must agree that breastmilk itself is irreplaceable. When faced with providing breastmilk, or not, then whenever
possible it should be breastmilk regardless of the method of delivery. There is no room or need for guilt here – the mother who has done all she can to bf “normally” isn’t a failure – she is just doing the best she can in the situation she is in. Mothers who choose to exclusively pump are very dedicated mothers – determined to do the best they can for their precious babies, and they deserve respect and support. Here are some tips and information regarding exclusive pumping: (italicized info shared by Shanna) First and foremost – one should have a good quality, double electric pump. Some mothers rent them, others buy pumps such as the Hygeia EnJoye. The quality of the pump can make all the difference in the world! A normal newborn baby nurses on average 8 to 12 times in a 24
hour period. Most experts suggest it is best if mom can come close to matching what the normal nursing baby would do at the breast, and recommend she pump about every two hours, not going longer than three hours between sessions. Understanding how milk production works can help moms in their efforts to establish good milk supply. The more frequently the breasts are emptied, the more milk mother should have. Therefore,
if she were to pump at least every 3 hours, for about 20 minutes, she should establish and maintain a good milk supply. In the first couple of weeks, she may also want to pump at least twice at night, but not all mothers do this.
PUMPING – HOW LONG?Most experts agree that whatever the reason for pumping, moms should pump for about 20 minutes. Most agree its best to pump at least 15 minutes, and to avoid going much longer than 20 minutes. Experts also encourage pumping about five minutes past when the milk stops flowing, often by doing so mom will elicit another letdown, and at the very least will maintain production as well as encouraging increase in supply if needed.
Pump Settings
HOW MUCH MILK PER BOTTLE?Moms may find it surprising that the breastfed baby often takes less milk in the bottle than formula babies take in. This is because breastmilk is so well utilized by the baby’s body that less is needed. Since breastmilk is so easily and completely digested, the breastfed baby needs to eat more often, but they don’t need as much per bottle. When a baby is nursed from the breast, research shows us that baby will vary their intake of milk from feeding to feeding, and the length of time at the breast doesn’t always correlate with the amount of milk taken from the breast. Overall, the average bf baby takes in between 19 and 30 oz (or 570 – 900 mL) per day (24 hrs), but the amount taken per bottle may vary somewhat from feeding to feeding, just as it does at the breast, depending on baby’s need at the time. ” According to the most current breastfeeding research, exclusively breastfed babies take in an average of 25 oz (750 mL) per day between the ages of 1 month and 6 months. This may vary a little from baby to baby, but the average range of milk intake is 19-30 oz per day (570-900 mL per day). To estimate the average amount of milk baby will need at a feeding:
This gives you a “ballpark” figure for the amount of expressed milk your exclusively breastfed baby will need at one feeding. Example: If baby usually nurses around 8 times per day, you can guess that baby might need around 3 ounces per feeding every 3 hours when mom is away. (25/8=3.1). NOTE: Current breastfeeding research does not indicate that breastmilk intake changes with baby’s age or weight between one and six months.” You can find a quick and easy expressed breastmilk calculator here. HOW TO BOTTLEFEEDIt is important to remember that it is very easy to overfeed a baby using bottles. This is because the way a baby drinks from a bottle is very different than how a baby would nurse from the breast. A baby cannot control the flow of milk from a bottle thus experts recommend using slow flow or “newborn” type nipples, to reduce the risk of overfeeding. The breastmilk should never be warmed in the microwave, since doing so not only creates hot spots that cannot fully be distributed evenly even when the milk is mixed (the heat adheres to the fats which “glob” together, and can result in scalding of a baby’s mouth and throat), but it actually alters the composition of the breastmilk, damaging some of the nutrients. Shaking breastmilk is also not recommended (gently swirl to mix, instead). Ideally bottlefeeding the baby should mimic how a mother breastfeeds her baby. The baby should be fed on cue, or demand, and not according to a rigid schedule. Breastmilk digests in about 90 minutes, so one would expect the feedings to be anywhere from 1.5 hrs to 3 hours apart. (younger babies often need to eat more frequently than older babies). The bottle should be offered gently, in a non-stressful manner, with the baby drawing the nipple into the mouth. The type of bottle or nipple is not as important as the manner in which the bottle is offered. A typical nursing session lasts about 15 to 20 min, and care should be taken to allow baby to take his/her time to drink the bottle, not “rushing” through a feeding as quickly as possible. Changing position mid-way through a feeding is
often recommended, as is holding baby is a more upright position. Propping a bottle is also not recommended. INCREASING YOUR SUPPLYThere are wonderful tips on increasing milk supply below – those that work for nursing mothers also work for mothers who exclusively pump, the biggest “difference” is that nursing mothers are encouraged to put baby to breast often, and pumping mothers are encouraged to pump often. Probably THE most important thing to remember is to pump often and pump long enough to soften (or “empty”) the breast. “Some little tips to help increase your supply if you really need it. It’s nice to have these on hand just in case:
PUMPING TRICKS & More Tips For EPing Moms by EPing Moms(aka “Tricks of the Trade” shared by Shanna)
Should I pump every time I breastfeed?Ideally, you would pump as often as your baby would nurse. This may not be possible with your work/ school schedule. Most mothers find that pumping every 2-3 hours maintains their milk supply and does not cause them to become uncomfortably full.
How many times a day should I pump to maintain supply?Pump every three hours around the clock or at least eight times in 24 hours until you build a good milk supply. Some moms find it helpful to set an alarm on their phone to remind them it is time to pump. Pumping usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
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