Pumping Breast Milk {Guest Post by Sara From Your Thriving Family}

Sara from Your Thriving Family is not an organic, eco-crazy, exercise fiend - but trying to find a balance in the world we now live in. I am a full-time mama, wife, homemaker, doula, Theatre Tech and adjunct.  And Blogger who writes about family, food, marriage, kids, miscarriage, pregnancy and God. Pushing our family to THRIVE not just strive to survive! She would love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter.

If you don’t know the real story about the differences between Breast Milk and Formula please look into it. Women were created to be able to nourish our children and I say endeavor it at any cost! This brings us to one of the hard things the working out of the house mommies have to do – pump.

For those of you who have not had to pump, I have got to tell you the first time - and even after – it is pretty weird. Sometimes it is hard to not feel like a milking station, especially when you might end up pumping in places like a bathroom stall. And yes I did this for both my babies.

It breaks my heart a little every time I hear of moms giving up and switching to formula because, “it’s just too hard”. It is hard. Parenting is hard. Being selfless for our children is hard. Waking up at 3am to soothe our precious blessing back to sleep is at times agonizing. But taking a few short breaks in our day, even in an odd place, to give our kids a little bit better shot at a lifetime of health is far easier than the others.

Some facts about breast milk - you can read more in depth on the Benefits of Breastfeeding and What’s in a Milk?, (when you finish reading this of course):

• There are more than 100 ingredients in breast milk that just cannot be manufactured in a lab.
  As baby grows their nutritional needs change – so the breast milk changes too.
• The taste of breast milk varies depending on the foods you eat – this means baby is already getting a taste of foods to come.
• Oh! And it’s cheaper! Even if you have to go through a few different pumps figuring out what works the best for you, in the long run you still come out ahead. Most parents end up spending $1200 - $2500 the first year on formula alone. So if you end up having to get a heavy duty electric pump it’d only be a drop in the bucket.

The kind of pump you need can vary dependent upon the volume of your milk supply. If everything is normal and you can express easily a hand pump will do the trick. Hand pumps allow you a little more control and are way easier to transport. If your supply is low or you are working full-time you may want to opt for the electric.

There are plenty of sources online for choosing a pump. Personally I have enjoyed my Medela pump. I actually received this in the hospital to help start breastfeeding. I had what they referred to as an “inverted nipple”, just a bit of time expressing helped our little girl latch on and fix the problem.

Simple is best! Get something with few parts, this will make cleaning MUCH easier. Also, regarding the parts that is does consist of, be sure that they are easily replaceable. This will save you from having to buy a whole new one.

Stay Hydrated! Whether you are with baby or pumping, get in the habit of drinking a glass of water during or after. Technically we should all be drinking ½ oz for every pound you weigh, plus another 8oz per half hour of exercise; then, if you are nursing, another 8 oz per feeding. That’s a lot of water!!!

Storing Breast Milk. I like to use bags to store mine, though some go ahead and use the bottle it will be dispensed in. Whichever way turns out o be easiest for you, be sure to date and label the amount of milk contained. If you don’t have access to a fridge, just pack you bag full on ice packs. As soon as you get home get it in the fridge. It is recommended to let milk cool in the fridge before storing in the freezer.
There is some debate on how long it can be stored. Though it can be stored for a long period, because it does change with baby’s growth I wouldn’t keep more than 2 week’s worth. If you are regularly feeding and pumping you shouldn’t have much of a surplus anyway!

I hope this encourages you to endure through whatever rough patches you might find yourself in. If you feel yourself giving up seek out someone to talk to and keep you encouraged to continue. If all else fails, just picture that precious little face waiting for you at home . . .

If you have questions, I’d love to help you out on your journey! What have you found to help you overcome the hard times of pumping?