Breast pump is a boon for mothers who are in favour of breastfeeding. You can pump and store milk for your baby with the help of these and hence even when you are away, your baby can be fed. There can be several reasons for not being able to breastfeed directly– may be the mom has to go back to the work or there can be some medical reason that prevents direct breast-feeding.
A good breast pump actually assists a lot in these situations. But it is still not widely accepted amongst people partly because of the lack of awareness regarding this product and partly because of the myths that have cropped up around this product.
So here an attempt is made to bring forward the various myths associated with breast pumps and the actual facts behind them.
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Myth 1:You are not really a breastfeeding mum if you are using breast pump
Fact: If for some reason you end up as a mom who is expressing exclusively or under the current circumstances your child is not feeding from you directly, then a situation may arise when you think whether you are counted as a breastfeeding mom at all. Well, to say that, the issues that you are going through are different and the methods you are using are also different. It is not easy to express exclusively and you are doing all that just because you want your baby to breastfeed in the best way possible for you. You really do deserve a pat on your back for that.
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Myth 2: When fed expressed milk babies are deprived of anti-bodies
Fact: One of the most remarkable things related to breastfeeding is the fact that the mother will manufacture antibodies which in turn will combat against any germs that are present in the saliva of the child. During the time of direct breastfeeding, any germs in the baby’s saliva are transported to the mother. This then triggers the formation of antibodies by the mother’s body which boosts up the baby’s immunity. If your baby is being fed with breast milk through a bottle then this process is being interrupted to a great extent. Nevertheless, you can get a lot of the antibodies injected through cuddling, smelling and kissing and just when the baby slobbers on you. This will help your body comprehend the requirements of your baby.
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Myth 3: It is painful to use a breast pump
Fact: It is true that using a breast pump requires quite some time to get used to but it should not be hurting. If it is still happening then you can be rest assured that there is something that is going wrong and you can fix it. The most common issues include using the wrong size of flange, using a dysfunctional or low-quality breast pump or having damaged nipples. Different women have different sized nipples and many find that the various parts of the breast pumps do not fit them. Make sure you use the right flange size in order to avoid any kind of rubbing or pulling pain at the time of pumping.
You can go for a professional or a lactation consultant to check whether your child is latching in the right way or not if you have a cracked or damaged nipple and if your baby is more than two weeks old. You can also use coconut oil for lubricating your flange and that will make things more comfortable. Whatever may be the case you should not continue with a painful breast pump – either change it or try this to avoid the trouble.
The above are some of the facts behind the myths associated with breast pumps. You should avoid all these pitfalls and always choose a quality product like spectra breast pump for best results.