What is a Breast Pump?

Breast pump, ^[1] refers to the device used to squeeze out breast milk accumulated in the breast. It is generally applicable when the baby cannot directly breastfeed, or the mother has a problem with the nipple, and still wants to breastfeed despite working hard.

Breast pump

Breast pump, ^[1]

1. If the breast pump doesn't suck, it's out of milk

   The mother's breast is like a warehouse, the milk is transported through the mammary glands to the sinus, and then squeezed or sucked out. When Ms. Zhao used the breast pump, she only sucked out the milk in the sinus. Frequently, the ducts of the mammary glands were not smooth, and a lump gradually formed.

   Baby sucking is the best way to stimulate nipples and increase milk volume. Newborn babies have weak sucking power. Mothers should not worry, slowly push from the root of the breasts to facilitate breast milk discharge. If you must use a breast pump, use This method assists, otherwise there are only two cases over time. Either it is gradually no milk, or there are more and more milk cubes, and the breasts are getting bigger and bigger, but the milk cannot come out, and the nipples are broken and infected. Causes mastitis.

2. It s okay not to feed the child with night milk

   Prolactin, also called prolactin, is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. Women's prolactin secretion is strong during late pregnancy and lactation to promote breast development and lactation. The secretion of prolactin varies greatly throughout the day. Generally, the amount of prolactin secretion is maintained at a high level during sleep. At 3 and 4 in the morning, the serum prolactin secretion concentration is about double that of noon.

3. Too much milk, use a breast pump to evacuate

   The correct method is that when the breast is enlarged, it is enough to discharge some breast milk. It is best to squeeze it by hand. Use a breast pump if you really do not operate it. Slowly increase the interval between discharges and slowly reduce each time. The amount of milk discharged will gradually reach the "balance of supply and demand" after a period of adjustment. ^[1]

   Breast injury caused by misuse of breast pump

   Misunderstanding 1: breast pump instead of sucking

   When you first start feeding your baby, most women experience nipple pain.

   Doctors recommend that if mothers cannot breastfeed for any special reason, they should insist on breastfeeding as soon as the baby is born. If you can persist through the first few days, your mother's nipples will usually quickly adapt to your baby's sucking. "Breastfeeding is actually like turning on the faucet. Mothers should remember to put the entire areola into the baby's mouth when feeding. As long as the 'faucet' is turned on in the correct way, the water will flow out smoothly."

   Misunderstanding 2: Excessive use of breast pumps to damage nipples

   Some mothers think that the breast pump is a panacea, and they do not know that if the breast pump is used improperly, the breast pump will also be damaged. If you use the breast pump without unblocking the breast duct, it may become more and more blocked.

   Doctors recommend that: postpartum physiological breast swelling occurs on the second day after delivery and on the third day after cesarean delivery. At this time, as long as the baby is sucked properly, the breast duct can usually be unblocked. If you want to use a breast pump, you must first ensure that the breast duct is unobstructed. If the breast pump has caused severe edema of the nipple, even manual massage must be stopped, and the nipple can only be fully rested first. Also, mothers use breast pumps to pump milk. Do not take too long. In general, the breasts on both sides should not add up for more than half an hour.

   Misunderstanding 3: Excessive milk does not need to be squeezed out manually

   Some mothers have so much milk that they can't finish eating, but they don't know how to squeeze out the excess breast milk with a breast pump. If milk is blocked in the mammary ducts for a long time, it is easy to breed bacteria and cause pathological breast swelling. The breast feels particularly painful to the touch. In addition, when the baby starts to breastfeed, if too much milk accumulates in the mother's breast, the milk ejection reflex appears, causing the child to swallow too late, and it is easy to choke, or simply refuse to suck.

   The doctor recommends that after breastfeeding, the excess milk should be sucked out, especially for mothers who are very milky, they can squeeze out the front milk with a breast pump before breastfeeding, and let the baby suck until the breasts become slightly softer. If you feel breasts are still bloated after breastfeeding, and you still feel that your milk is not finished, the mother can also use a breast pump to squeeze out the remaining milk.