Some women are really into pumping their milk to save some milk for special outings.Other women just can’t seem to get into it. Both are great, as all of us are unique with specific needs to our particular lifestyle.The following helpful tips may help be more successful with pumping.
- Check your fit: Make sure the flange or horn is the right size for your areola, they come in all sizes, you want to make sure your nipple isn’t scrubbing the inside of the flange tube.There should be a sizing guide for your particular pump. Once the size is right, you want to be certain the flange is on straight.
- Low and Slow: When you turn on the pump start with the lower suction setting and work your way up to the stronger suction, it should not be painful.
- Keep track of the time: Pump for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, that is long enough any more than that will hurt your nipples, if you find you still have too much milk, you can pump a little longer.
- Use your imagination: Visualize a milk waterfall, or a bath tub filled with milk.
- Heat: Apply warmth to your breasts, through a heating pad, or warm towel, heat encourages the milk let down while you pump.
- Hands on: Massage and squeeze your breasts while pumping, regular circular motions and downward strokes, massage the whole breast and armpit too there are ducts there as well.
- Use your senses: Look at pictures of your baby nursing, or a video with all the sounds your baby makes while nursing, grab a piece of clothing from your baby and smell it, look at nursing pictures. Listen to relaxing music.
- Breathe deeply, relax your muscles, make sure your shoulders are relaxed and your face muscles too.
- If you are pumping and nothing is coming out, unlatch, hand express for a few minutes and try again.
Be patient, be calm, and enjoy the moment, giving your baby breast milk is a great gift for a healthy life.