Many novice mothers cannot always be with their children to breastfeed because of work and other reasons, but they still want to insist on breastfeeding to provide their children with the most natural nutritional supplement. At this time, an electric breast milk pump is a good helper for these novice mothers. So what is the correct posture for using an electric breast milk pump? What should be noted when using a breast pump?
The correct posture for using an electric breast milk pump
1. Wash your hands first. The newly purchased breast pump parts need to be sterilized by scalding in hot water, and then assembled according to the instructions.
2. Relax. Take a few minutes to take deep breaths, close your eyes and imagine the scene of feeding the baby in your arms. This helps with milk letdown reflex.
3. Start pumping. Press the horn of the electric breast milk pump tightly against the breast, start the breast pump, and increase the suction if necessary to extract more milk. You can also use your hand to massage the breast from the breast to the areola. At first there may be only a few drops, but after the milk letdown reflex is triggered, milk will spray out from the nipple. If you are unable to pump milk, do not continue using the breast pump for more than five minutes. Try again at a different time.
Moms should gradually use the breast pump step by step, starting slowly and increasing speed. When you feel nipple pain or unable to extract milk, stop using the breast pump.
4. Stop pumping. Continue pumping until the milk stops flowing. For normal milk supply, it is sufficient to pump each breast for 10-15 minutes.
5. Store the milk. Pour the milk into a storage container (bottle or milk bag), seal the container tightly, and label it with the date. Store it in the refrigerator or freezer according to the intended use time.
6. After pumping, pay attention to:
After pumping out breast milk, it should be immediately sealed tightly and placed in the refrigerator for refrigeration or freezing. After using the electric breast milk pump, it must be soaked in hot water or sterilized in a microwave oven. After pumping, wipe the breasts and use breast pads to keep the breasts clean and dry.
Precautions when using an electric breast milk pump
Hygiene
Before pumping or handling breast milk, prepare by washing hands with soap, making sure to wash them thoroughly. Also, use a damp towel to clean the nipples to prevent contamination of breast milk.
Sealed storage container
After pumping, do not directly place the electric breast milk pump in the refrigerator for storage. Instead, pour the breast milk from the breast pump into a dedicated storage container with a sealed lid.
Refrigeration time
Breast milk should not be refrigerated for more than 72 hours. If breast milk has been refrigerated for more than 72 hours, it should be promptly discarded and not fed to the baby.
Do not mix fresh and old breast milk for feeding
Do not feed the baby a mixture of refrigerated breast milk and fresh breast milk. If a can of refrigerated breast milk is not enough for one feeding, feed the baby with that can first before offering breast milk from another storage container. Do not mix different containers of breast milk for feeding.
Warming up
Warm the refrigerated breast milk along with its container in a bowl of warm water before feeding the baby. You can also use a dedicated breast milk warmer. Do not thaw or heat the breast milk directly in a microwave to feed the baby, as the heat distribution is uneven and can easily scald the baby's mouth. In addition, high-temperature heating can also destroy some nutrients in the breast milk.
