Breast Pumps and starter information

[mommato2boys]

I am expecting #3 and having some issues with leaking fluid, so I am on bedrest the remainder of the pregnancy. I am 22 weeks along so this is quite frustrating for me especially when I have had two perfectly healthy uncomplicated pregnancies before this. But there is a good possiblitiy of having a preemie (if I can make it that long, the longer the better!!). So for this one, breast feeding will definately be needed. Most likely, I will have to pump for a preemie. (I am praying that I make it full term, but I have to be realistic too!). Please tell me where to begin, pumps, tips, everything. In a time when I can't control much, I am trying to educate myself about this at least. I don't have any support from family, my mother is against breastfeeding so i have no reference to go by. Please help and thanks in advance!

[Momof3Labs]

There is a ton of information in threads on this board - you can search if you want to narrow things down. www.kellymom.com is good for breastfeeding information, and yahoo has a pumpmoms group that you can read while on bedrest to get more tips about pumping. Also, find a lactation consultant around you who can help with pump rentals and supplies, and other preemie issues.

[kelly ann]

Lori gave you some good info.

My mom was against breastfeeding in the beginning as well. I believe she felt guilty/defensive because when she was my age, it was all about formula and breastfeeding was not the norm. I got so tired of hearing her tell me to wean my son whenever I complained during the first couple of months. Anyway, it was hard for me not to have any local support, but I found reading this feeding forum helped tremendously - even though I was a lurker for a long time.

By the way, my mom came around and was so much more supportive with the 2nd baby. I think she finally realized that just because I don't FF doesn't mean I think what she did was wrong.

I hope your mom ends up being supportive or you can find some friends that can help you out. If not, there are always your cyber mommy friends on this board :)

[tarahsolazy]

Well, the single most predictive factor of having a good milk supply when pumping for a preemie is consistency and an early start. I'm a neonatologist, so this info is based on real medical research.

Start pumping as soon as possible, within the first 4-6 hours is ideal. Many hospitals will DISCOURAGE you from doing this, stating that you need rest. Pumping for 15-20 minutes, every 3 hours is a little work, but its like feeding a baby, which you would be doing with a term newborn, even after a c-section. Don't take no for an answer, get that pump in the room! Pump at least 8 times a day for 15 minutes, round the clock. After 2-3 weeks (if the baby isn't nursing yet), you can sleep longer, but still try to fit 8 sessions in, just cluster a couple closer together, every 2 hours or so.

During your bedrest, call your insurance company and find out if they cover a pump rental while pumping for a preemie. Many do. If not, it is $45 a month or so, and a great investment. Way cheaper to rent a pump for three months than buy formula for a year. Then call the big pharmacies or medical supply places around you and find out who rents pumps. That way, if you were to deliver, you can have your DH go rent a pump before you leave the hospital.

A hospital grade rental pump is really essential during your baby's hospitalization, and until they transition to breast feeding. Some moms can make it with a Medela PIS or an Ameda PY, but most cannot. The rental is really a better choice.

In tiny preemies, human milk can literally mean the difference between a good outcome and a bad one, so congrats on becoming informed proactively.

Good luck on staying safely pregnant for many weeks to come.

[kbrooks]

I used both a rented hospital grade pump (which I kept at home) and a Medela PIS for pumping at work. I honestly couldn't tell a big difference between the two. I did get reimbursed by my insurance company for the one I rented, so you may want to look into that. As for milk storage, I read from a bunch of different sources (including our host authors of Baby Bargains and Baby 411) that storage bottles were preferred to the bags because the milk's nutrients clung to the sides of the bags -- meaning baby didn't get all the benefits of your breast milk. I initially tried the Avent storage bottles (with the light blue covers) because I was using the Avent bottles to feed, but they were terrible (not to mention expensive)! The covers are the problem, e.g., once frozen, they were difficult to get off, and if you weren't very careful screwing them on correctly they would leak. I was always spilling milk all over the counter. My favorite storage bottles were Evenflo's -- they have very user-friendly purple caps that screwed on nice and tight and were just as easy to get off. Other miscellaneous tips: Date your expressed milk and use the oldest first; the more often you pump, the more milk your body will produce; freshly expressed milk can be left out at room temperature for up to 8 hours (this will come in handy when you're ready/able to venture outside the house again); and lastly, never mircowave breast milk because it kills the nutrients (we always warmed refrigerated breast milk in mugs of hot water). Good luck with everything!