Breast milk is the best food for babies: it contains nutrients that strengthen their little bodies. However, breastfeeding throughout the day is a very complicated task. Therefore, breast pumps are the best option, both for their comfort and for the practicality they offer when it comes to attending to other tasks.
First comes the baby and then breastfeeding. After welcoming your baby, your main responsibility is to make sure that he has a good diet. For this, doctors recommend breastfeeding for the first six months, before introducing artificial milk and other foods. Even before six months of age, what is known as the "extrusion reflex" tends to act, causing the baby to return all food, whether liquid or solid, other than breast milk. However, this can prove to be quite a challenge, especially for a new mother. And it is that, often we do not know where to find the time to dedicate to breastfeeding. And this is where breast pumps come in; These are a dream come true for mothers!
What is a breast pump?
A breast pump is a device that nursing mothers use to express breast milk through the nipple. The pumping motion stimulates milk production, which is collected through a funnel. In this way, your baby can feed on that same milk for days or weeks, depending on your storage style. In turn, it should be noted that there are two types of breast pump: electric and manual. The former depends on electricity for its use, the latter works by hand.
Breast pump benefits
The benefits of using a breast pump are multiple. Some of them are:
1. Comfort. Even if you are on maternity leave, you will surely have to run errands and take care of housework, not forgetting many other chores. If the baby is attached to your breast 24 hours a day, doing all these activities can be very difficult. For this reason, most parents end up introducing artificial milk. However, you can avoid frustration by using a breast pump: they are ideal, since, even if you cannot dedicate time to breastfeeding your baby, the baby can continue to feed on breast milk.
2. Increased milk production. When it comes to breast milk, babies feed like adults: you can breastfeed for hours and stop only when they fall asleep. Therefore, it is necessary to have a constant supply of breast milk on hand. According to research, breast pumps can increase milk production, since the breast pump activates the mammary glands giving the illusion of suction, which helps to generate more milk.
Keep in mind that you should also maintain a healthy diet, drink plenty of fluids, and massage your breasts frequently, as these activities also improve milk production.
1. Affective bond between the baby and the father. As a mother, it is inevitable to create a special bond with your baby while he is growing in your womb. After delivery, this bond is further strengthened by breastfeeding. Therefore, giving the baby expressed milk can be a very good way to strengthen the baby's relationship with the father, since the bottle can promote that relationship. And it is that, the feeding style does not matter: the baby will stare into the eyes of the father, regardless of the way she is feeding, and thanks to that, she will feel more attached to him.
2. Allows feeding premature babies. Premature babies, given their conditions, need a series of special care to achieve optimal and correct development. And one of these fundamental elements is breast milk. Thanks to this, they manage to strengthen their muscles, activate their organs and obtain energy. Therefore, they need, more than anything, breast milk. However, when babies are in the NICU, breastfeeding becomes challenging; In addition, it must be added that premature babies tend to show difficulties when it comes to properly latching onto the breast, so expressing milk and giving it through other means can be a very comfortable way for them when feeding. And, instead of choosing to offer your baby formula when you are not with him, you can opt for the use of the breast pump, storing enough milk so that he can feed himself while he is in the NICU.
Although breast pumps are comfortable, while you prepare the milk you must keep hygiene habits in mind and carry a classification or labeling of the storage containers, in order to know how much milk you have and when it was expressed. And, babies are very sensitive and prone to infections, since their immune system is still Is developing. Therefore, it is vitally important to be as careful as possible when using the breast pump. However, the option of supplying the baby with adapted milk must also be taken into account, although, yes, always under medical prescription.
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