Breastfeeding Pumping

Breastfeeding pumping  is done by many mothers for a variety of reasons.  Some moms need to pump because their babies are born prematurely, and are in intensive care away from them for a while.  Pumping, in these cases, is necessary to initiate and maintain lactation.  Other moms may pump for a short period of time if they are experiencing cracked nipples.  Furthermore, other moms pump so that their babies can be provided with a bottle of breast milk when they are away for their child for a few hours or during a day at work.

Some moms who are concerned about not having enough breast milk for their babies may want to pump, in addition to nursing their babies, right from the start.  But if you are like I was, this would not be a good idea as I had more than enough milk and pumping in addition to nursing would have resulted in even more problems of engorgement and plugged milk ducts for me.  So if you have a healthy, nursing infant and no problems with milk supply,  you may not want to begin pumping until your milk flow and production is well-established.  This is around the four to six-week mark.  Remember that your body is determining how much milk it needs to make for your new baby, and the more stimulation there is, the more milk it will produce.

So as you can see, breastfeeding pumping can be done for a number of different reasons. Pumping allows you to provide breast milk to your baby when you are away from him/her for a period of time.  It also can help you maintain or increase your milk supply.  In future posts, I will be providing you with more information on different types of breast pumps, tips on pumping, and so on.  Until then, enjoy your time with your baby!