Breast pump
From ArticleWorld
A breast pump removes milk from a nursing mother’s breasts. They can be either manual or electronic.
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Similar use
A breast pump is similar to the milking machine that is used at commercial dairy farms.
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Expressed breast milk
EBM can be stored in order to feed the baby at a later time, according to these guidelines:
- Room temperature: up to 10 hours.
- Refrigerated: up to eight days.
- Frozen: up to six months.
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Donation
EBM may be donated to a milk bank, where it may be used for premature infants or high-risk children whose mothers can’t nurse.
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When to use
One can decide to use a breast pump for a variety of reasons, including:
- To continue breastfeeding once they have gone back to work after maternity leave (to allow a caregiver to feed the child through a baby bottle).
- To stimulate lactation in the case of women who have a low milk supply.
- To eliminate painful engorgement that occurs when the breasts are too full (often this prevents the baby from being able to latch on properly).
- To continue lactation and to continue the production of hormones that help to aid the recovery from pregnancy even if the milk goes unused.
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Types
Breast pumps may be manual or electric. Regardless of which type is used, any portion that comes into touch with the milk must be sterilized in order to avoid contamination.
- Manual pumps work by the woman operating the manual in a repetitive fashion. This allows her to control the pressure and the frequency of the pump.
- Electronic pumps are best for long-term use, and work by way of a small motor that provides a suction action that carries the milk through plastic tubing that is attached to a horn that fits over one’s breast.