Hello! To all the amazing moms and dads, welcome to our Hoopa Baby. New mothers are in concerned about breastfeeding, breast milk. If you want to know more about pumping, storage, and thawing, do read this blog and watch Hoopa Baby video. It will answer all your questions.
Que 1 – 5 ways of Breast Pumping?
What is breast pumping?
Mothers use electronic or manual pumps to take out milk from the breast. This is called breast pumping.
Why breast pumping?
Importance of breast pumping –
- If mothers want to go anywhere, then they can feed pumped milk to their baby.
- Regular pumping keeps both mom and baby healthy.
- Pumping enables adequate quantity of milk production in mom’s body.
When should it be done?
After the birth of the baby, pumping should be done regularly and at appropriate timing. Morning pumping is more successful.
Where should you do pumping?
It takes 15-20 mins to pump, so wherever you are comfortable, you can pump.
How should you pump ?
Moms can attach manual pumps to the breast, and from one hand, she will press the pump so that milk will get extracted. If you opt for electric pump, you only have to attach the machine and switch it on. Pumped milk needs to be stored in a deep freezer.
Que 2: Which is better – Manual or Electric pump?
1. Many mothers do not do regular pumping because they are not far from their babies for long. These mothers can opt for manual pumping who don’t require pumping a lot.
2. On the other hand, many mothers have to start with their offices, and in that time, pumping is to be performed at regular intervals. If you feed the baby every 2-3 hours, you should take out time in the office for pumping. Carrying an electric pump to the office can be difficult, so it’s better to carry a manual pump because it’s small and there will be no problem carrying it.
3. Manual pumps are small in size, light in weight, easy to wash. Even if you don’t have a power source, they can be used.
- Time is saved by electric pumps, especially double breast pumps. You can pursue any activity you wish, while using the same.
- Many moms are concerned about the prices of the manual and electric pumps. The manual pump is cost-effective than an electric one. Electric pump prices start from 2500 whereas double electric pump ranges from 8000-15000. If price is a factor than opt for manual pumps or hand expressing.
- Through a double electric pump, you can pump both breasts at the same time.
- Mornings are the best as a maximum quantity of milk is produced by the body. After feeding the baby, wait for 1 hour and then pump. This gives a signal to the body to produce more milk and increase supply. To know more about the same, read our blog and watch Hoopa Baby video on 25 ways to increase milk supply HoopaBaby/25tipsforbreastmilkincrease
- Every pumping session is around 20 mins. Be comfortable at the time of pumping- watch any series, listen to music and relax. That’s why the electric pump is the practical reason it becomes challenging to pump with hands for 15-20 minutes.
Que 3: What is hand expressing? How is it performed?
1. Hand expression is considered better than pumping, hand expressing means you use pointers instead of pumps for milking.
2. Foremost massage your breast; you can do it from cup and compression technique or through stroking technique. If you feel knots in any area, then massage that area with more care. After that, from hands squeeze breast from outside and move towards nipples and move this is in all directions. It may take around half an hour. Position thumb and fingers in line with the nipple. It would help if you learned this.
3. Your breast may be complete, and it becomes uncomfortable, and you are in a place where you don’t have the pump; you will get instant relief through hand expression.
4. After feeding the baby, you should continue hand expressing so that extra milk in the breast is drained out and it can be stored in a plastic bag and then refrigerator.
5. After the whole milk is empty, you should continue hand expressing as it gives a signal to the body to produce milk.
6. Hand expressing gives relief to blocked and sore nipples.
7. When you feed your baby, you should with soft hands pursue hand express because with that milk is released rapidly, and the baby doesn’t have to put lot of effort. While feeding, you cannot use the pump on the breast from which the baby is fed.
8. If you want to store milk, when you are going to the office or for work outside, you should use a hand instead of a pump. Hand expressing enables you to examine your breast, and if you feel any discomfort, you can go to your doctor. How to solve breast clog problem do read our previous blog.
Que 4 – What is the best way to store breast milk?
1. For storing milk, you must take care of many critical concerns
2. Foremost you should use only hygienic products, but what to use?
3. One best option is glass bottles; however, make sure they are air-tight. Do decontaminate bottle before storing milk. Wash from boiling water and dry from the microwave.
4. In the market, you find several types of bags for storing breast milk, which are already sterilized and disposable. They can also be frozen. However, between the two, it’s best to use glass bottles
5. Every manufacturer says to dispose of plastic bags after the first use, but moms do reuse them after properly cleaning them
6. Store only that much quantity of milk in single bottle/bag as adequate for your baby consumes at single feeding. When you bring deep freezed milk to room temperature, remaining milk shouldn’t be stored again
7. Bags/bottles in which milk has been stored keep them always at the rear end in deep freezer because the coolest and minimum temperature is at rear location
8. A most important point to be taken care of is- freshly expressed milk can be kept at room temperature for about 3 hours, in the freezer for around four days, and in a deep freezer for three – four months. After that, we won’t advise you to use it
9. Milk at room temperature is acceptable for up to 3 hours, but it doesn’t mean you freeze milk after 3 hours. Freeze it immediately after pumping.
10. Keep this in mind to write the date on the storage bag and use old milk first.
11. Do not mix frozen milk with fresh milk.
12. Store as much breast milk as you can. It can be fed anytime during 4 months. Storing a good quantity of milk boosts your self-confidence and peace
13. As a baby grows over time, his/her diet also increases. At that time, your stored milk serves for your baby’s improved diet
Que 5: What is thawing? How to thaw milk?
1.Thawing means how to make frozen milk drinkable for the baby. When you take stored milk out from the freezer, you must keep it in luke warm water until it milk is at room temperature
2. If you regularly feed stored milk to your baby, then you can invest in a bottle warmer. You should avoid using microwave type direct equipment. Also, do not use a natural heating bottle warmer; select a bottle warmer that brings milk to room temperature
3. If your milk is in a freezer at less than 0 degrees, then obviously thawing will take time; plan in advance
4. When you have thawed milk, please do not put it in freezer again; it affects milk quality
5. Use Hoopa breastfeeding pillows for feeding baby comfortably
6. After thawing, check milk temperature on our hand once before using it
Please share your experience as comments on this blog. It will inspire and provide learning to others. Hoopababy/howtopumpbreastmilk&store
Other Hoopa Baby videos are –
25 tips for breast milk increase HoopaBaby/25tipsforbreastmilkincrease
Feeding positions for over 4 month baby HoopaBaby/feedingpositionforover4monthbaby
15 tips for making kid smart HoopaBaby/15tipsformakingbabysmart
Lifting & carrying newborn HoopaBaby/howtolift&carrybaby
Funny baby videos HoopaBaby/Funnybabyvideos
