All mothers who have given birth in a hospital know that when preparing for delivery, the nanny will ask, "Do you have an electric breast pump?" Note: not a manual breast pump, but an electric one! If the mother says no, then the dad will be asked to buy one immediately. The world's first medical-grade breast pump was born in 1942 and has a history of 75 years. It is constantly innovating to meet the needs and comfort of mothers! So why do new mothers need to use a breast pump?
1. The electric breast pump helps to clear the breast ducts and start milk production as early as possible.
Early milk production helps the baby to get the colostrum in a timely manner without having to start with formula. With the pumped milk, a mother can clearly know the amount of milk produced, determine the baby's milk intake for each meal, and see the baby's milk intake increase. This helps avoid choking the baby due to sudden breast milk overflow or not having enough milk for the baby to get full. A mother who directly breastfeeds is always worried about not producing enough milk and does not know how to determine if the baby is full or the growth rate of the baby's milk intake. By pumping milk with an electric breast pump, mothers can compare the relationship between the baby's age and the milk intake. If there is insufficient milk, formula can be supplemented in a timely manner. For some mothers whose milk is abundant and spray-like, pumping milk helps to avoid choking the baby.
2. The electric breast pump helps the baby develop good habits.
The baby does not suckle for too long during each feeding, and each suckle is effective, which avoids the habit of biting and sleeping with a nipple. Direct breastfeeding can cause the baby to become dependent on the nipple and suckle for a long time. It can easily lead to the habit of sleeping while sucking a nipple.
When a baby is introduced to a bottle at an early age, the baby will not refuse it, making it easy to feed water to the baby and allowing mothers to easily go out during the breastfeeding period or even after returning to work. Many babies become accustomed to the mother's nipple and refuse to use a bottle, making it difficult to add complementary foods or water. With an electric breast pump, mothers can pump and store milk in the refrigerator before leaving home, and it can be heated up for later use when the baby needs it.
3. The electric breast pump helps the baby avoid sucking only the foremilk, missing out on the nutrient-rich hindmilk.
The foremilk is usually clear and the hindmilk is relatively thick. The nutrient content in the foremilk is not as rich as the hindmilk. Babies generally only effectively suckle the first few minutes, which means they usually only get the foremilk. Many mothers stop allowing babies to feed if the baby falls asleep or stops sucking much, causing the baby to miss out on the nutrient-rich hindmilk. Pumping with an electric breast pump avoids the need for mothers to feed their babies at all times and in a fixed position, which can cause back pain and leg pain. It makes it possible to empty the breast every time and reduces the pain caused by breast engorgement. Pumping with an electric breast pump makes it easier to judge whether the breast has been emptied, and only empty breasts will not affect milk production.
Babies are less likely to develop breast milk jaundice or get their clothes wet. Direct breastfeeding can make breast milk cover the baby's face and neck, leading to eczema, among other reasons. Mothers will not have cracked nipples, avoiding the pain that goes along with it. A baby's sucking can cause a mother's nipple to break and easily cause inflammation, which can lead to the cessation of breastfeeding.
4. Using an electric breast pump makes it easier to wean the baby.
It does not create breast dependence and allows mothers to gradually introduce other foods to the baby and ultimately wean the baby. Some babies refuse to eat other things when weaning, causing great distress to mothers.
Nowadays, the government is promoting breastfeeding for the health of babies. Most mothers only have four months of maternity leave. When they have to return to work, in order to ensure breastfeeding, they can still express milk using an electric breast pump according to the feeding time. Thus, preparing a breast pump is definitely necessary.
