Breast Pumping for Premature Babies

The best food for premature babies is the mother's breast milk. Many mothers of premature babies are afraid that their bodies will not make enough milk, since the baby came early.

It is more likely that they are just under so much emotional stress and physical drain, that their bodies aren't making the milk as easily.

It is important to express as much milk as you can, even if it's only a few cc's, as this will start the body processes to make milk. It will likely take a good breastpump to help you get the proper action needed for the milk production. The best decision will be a dual pumping and powerful electric breast pump as it will be the most effective at stimulating the mother's body to release "prolactin", a hormone that results in more milk production.

There many good breast pump choices such as, Medela Symphony, Medela Classic and others in the Medela line of pumps. Most mothers find that an initial schedule of about every 2 hours is necessary to get things going.

photo credit: jdsmith1021

If your baby was nursing, that would be about the schedule that would naturally happen.

Try to make the session of breastpumping last about 10-15 minutes, even if you don't produce much milk, as this physical action will stimulate the prolactin production. Always go a couple of minutes past the last milk you see flowing into the collection cup. Almost all women will have no milk after 20 or so minutes of pumping.

If you try to go longer, you risk risk causing very sore nipples, and this won't help the overall process. You will probably find that you will pump about 8 - 12 times a day, and yes, that seems like a lot.

Here are a few simple hints to help you increase or maximize your milk production. Get plenty of rest. Accept when others offer to do things for you, so you can take a nap. There is a huge impact on milk production when you get enough rest, and that is what you need to do for your premature baby. If you have pain, take the medicine. A mother that is in pain, will not be able to produce as much milk. Your doctor should prescribe the best pain medication and the doctor understands that you are breastfeeding. If he does not, be sure he/she knows.

Breast milk is the best food for a premature baby and can help them mature more quickly and stave off viruses in the fist critical days of their lives. You will be the best thing you can for them by learning to use a good breast pump and providing them God's designed food.

Advice on Finding the Right Nursing Bra

Finding the right bra fit is hard enough, and with pregnancy and babies it becomes almost impossible. There are so many things to consider in shopping for a great fitting nursing bra. You may even be still pregnant , trying to guess what your size will be when you are nursing your new baby. You also need to decide whether you will be nursing full time or, as this affects your bra size as well. It may come as a surprise, but every woman's body reacts a little differently to nursing and pregnancy, so some go up a half a cup size, some go up 2 cups, and others hardly any.

When you are shopping for your first nursing bra, try to follow these suggestions. It is especially hard to know what to expect if this is your first baby. The best guidelines say to wait to as close as possible to delivery, so you can be closer to the correct size bra. Since you are nursing, you will expect to have milk starting in 2-3 days from delivery. As soon as your milk comes in, your breast size will get a huge temporary increase. However, as your hormones settle down a bit, and your milk supply gets more stable, your size will also stabilize.

Of course, your size will fluctuate during the day as you milk, so it is best to get something that will stretch and be comfortable while still supporting your heavier breasts.
The next guideline is to wait to buy most of your nursing bras until after your milk gets well established, maybe a few weeks. You will not need but 2-3 bras at most initially. The best advice may be to try several that you think you will like, but be sure they are stretchy enough to fit your uncertain size. Many rave about the Bravado Original Nursing Bra. It comes in 12 different size combinations; 4 band sizes and 3 categories. This bra has a wide T back design and no hooks in the back, so you can sleep in it if you want to.
Sleeping in a bra is very important during this time, and you can find some nursing bras that are just for night time and sleeping. One bra, called the Majamas Easy Bra may be a fine choice for a sleep bra. This bra has a simple style. Pull down for nursing and no hooks in the back. The Easy Bra can be found in organic cotton, which makes it very comfortable for night time use.
Now that you have made it through the first few weeks of nursing, you will likely want to find a bra that gives you a bit more support, for wearing under t-shirts and other tight fitting clothes. A brand called Melinda G has a great selection to choose from. The Melinda Tee Shirt Soft Cup Nursing Bra is an excellent choice and will give you a clean look. As you may know, underwire bras should be worn seldomly due to the risk of mastitis, and this bra gives excellent support without the underwire. It stretches really well and can accommodate a range of cup sizes. Now if you happen to be on the larger busted side, Melinda G does carry an underwire version of this T-shirt Nursing bra. As with the Tee Shirt soft cup bra, the underwire version has a great smooth look and you can wear it under those thinner shirts, such as tee shirts, now that you don't need those maternity t shirts anymore. It comes in a large range of sizes 34C to 38F and the band size is specific, so you need to wait until you have a pretty good feel for what is the right size for you. There are hooks on the cup that will allow for some adjustment for cup size.

As you may have suspected, there are also some great bras to help you get back into shape at the gym. Both Bella Materna and the Bravado nursing bra are highly respected manufacturers of bras and they have a great selection of Nursing Sports Bras that can stretch and accommodate up to 2 cup sizes for your normal fluctuations as you get back into shape. They are made from the Italian Lycra fabric that is so quick drying. It does have a 4 hook fastener in the back to give you maximum support and a clip for nursing access. Also check out the Anita nursing bra line.

Some people love the way this bra fits so much, they want to wear it even after they stop nursing.

Nursing a baby requires many adjustments to your life and your clothing. Getting the right nursing bras will help makes those adjustments just a bit easier. Breastfeeding is worth all the inconveniences!

Breastfeeding and the Workplace

The most natural and healthy means to feed your baby is by breastfeeding, however, with so many women returning to the work force while breast feeding, utilizing a
photo credit: crimfants
breast pump may be the answer to both a healthy baby and a happy mom. Unless you are fortunate enough to have your baby’s care giver at your work place, many breastfeeding mothers have to decide if they are going to continue to breastfeed when they return to the work place.
Those that choose to continue breastfeeding will inevitably have many challenges to keep up with their baby’s nutritional needs, work and how to balance a breastfeeding schedule and a work schedule at the same time. The breast pump can allow the mother to collect breast milk when they are at work, thus being able to keep their milk supply healthy and give the best nutrients to their baby when they are not available for natural breast-feeding. The breast pump comes in many sizes and styles such as a hand breast pump or an electric breast pump for convenience and discretion.
The new mother will need to figure out a place and means to be able to use a breastpump at work and then store the milk in a sterile container that can be kept refrigerated until it is brought home for baby. Many breast pumps have sterilized bottles that connect to the pump directly or sterilized bags that connect to the electric breast pump for safe and easy breast milk collection and storage.
Returning to the work place after having a baby creates new challenges for any mother, but especially for the breastfeeding mom who wants to continue to be able to provide their baby with the best natural nutrition. A breastpump allows the mother to be able to collect their breast milk safely, and discreetly when they are away from their baby.