Breast milk is the best form of nutrition for a baby in the first six months of their life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, mothers can continue to breast-feed for up to 2 years. “Whether you give them this breast milk from your own breast, or through a bottle or a cup, or a combination of both, you are providing your baby with the perfect balance of nutrients,” says Kavita Singh, lactation expert and physiotherapist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, East Delhi. She adds that mothers can choose to pump exclusively or occasionally for various reasons.
“You may have returned to work, or you are going to be away from your baby for an extended period, or the baby is admitted to NICU, is underweight or preterm. Under such circumstances, you may want to pump,” Singh says.
According to the lactation expert, mothers make some common pumping mistakes; read on.
- “The first mistake is assuming you have a low milk supply, because you have low pumping output. You start taking supplements and doing other things. You need to understand that it means that you are trying to pump out the milk that is already there, especially for moms, doing both breastfeeding and pumping,” says the expert, adding that the milk supply is controlled by two things, a baby and a pump. “The body is making the amount of milk according to the demand. And then suddenly, we want extra milk in that pump, which is a new stimulation for the body. When you start pumping, make sure to pump regularly to see good output. Initially, doing it regularly is more important than the output it gives.”
- The second mistake is an “inappropriate pumping schedule”. “When you’re combining breastfeeding and pumping, you are pumping too often. It can lead to exhaustion. So, if you are skipping pumping sessions at work, or you are doing more pumping than breastfeeding and not hitting all of those milk expressions a day, it is not appropriate. Depending on where you are, what you are doing, and what your overall goal is, find a schedule that is most appropriate. And then stick to it,” Singh suggests.
- She adds that the third mistake is that many mothers pump incorrectly, or use the pump settings and techniques incorrectly. “Pumping the right amount, setting it up correctly, using the appropriate parts and products [are crucial].”
- “The biggest issue, aside from the pump, is the flange sizing. So choosing the right size, schedule, and frequency with the right information is important.”
- According to the expert, the next common mistake is “unrealistic expectations”. According to the expert, the next common mistake is “unrealistic expectations”. “Depending on what you are doing, your milk supply and your milk output will look different than someone else’s. An over-supply and storage in a deep freezer is not realistic for everybody. Setting up realistic expectations is important,” she says.
- Singh adds that perhaps the biggest mistake that she has seen is mothers combining breastfeeding and pumping and losing sight of their goals.