When do you need a breast pump?

By, Sara Steelman, MPH, CLEC

In accordance with the Women’s Health Preventive Guidelines in the Affordable Care Act, non-grandfathered health plans are required to provide breastfeeding support and supplies when needed.   There seems to be mass confusion of when a breast pump is “needed”. Breast pumps, when necessary, serve many purposes! They are especially useful when mother and baby need to be separated for an extended period of time. However, it seems there is a misconception that when you plan to breastfeed, you need a breast pump, end of story. That is simply not the case. Here are some reasons why a mother would need a breast pump:

• Mother and baby will be separated for more than a couple of hours. An example is when a mother goes back to work or school.
• A baby who isn’t nursing well (or at all). Examples include babies who are premature and unable to suck efficiently, babies with cleft palate, and babies with Down syndrome or other medical diagnosis which prevents them from nursing effectively – these infants may be able to nurse, and feeding at the breast should be attempted first.
• A mother who needs to increase her milk supply, or induce lactation for an adopted baby. Feeding frequently at the breast is always the best way to increase milk supply, but occasionally a pump will be needed in between feedings.
• A mother who makes an informed decision to feed her baby expressed milk. If this is the case, it is important to frequently hold your baby skin to skin (the unclothed baby lies on your bare chest). This will increase the mother/baby bond, and aid in the production of milk.

Please keep in mind, you should always consult with your healthcare provider or lactation consultant before deciding to pump your breast milk.

An alternative to a breast pump is hand expression. This method is good for the mother that will be with her baby the majority of the time, and may need to express milk for the occasional separation. This method also works great those first few days of life when small amounts of nutrient-rich colostrum need to be expressed to feed the baby, and for relief from engorgement.

© 2010 La Leche League International, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, Chapter 20.

Things to keep in mind while pumping:

1.  Proper storage is important. Follow these guidelines to store your milk: 

   

   Breastfeeding and Returning to Work or School. California Department of Public Health, California WIC Program

2. Nurse often when you are with your baby. This will prevent a drop in milk supply.
3. Talk to a lactation consultant to see if you need a pump, and how to use the pump. The lactation consultant can show you how to fit the flange for the pump, and set up a care plan for pumping and nursing. The hospitals will have lactation consultants to help you while you are in the hospital, and there are many community groups and organizations that can provide support once you leave the hospital. La Leche League and Baby Café Bakersfield are great community resources open to everyone. The Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) program also has lactation consultants, breastfeeding peer counselors, and trained nutrition counselors on staff to provide breastfeeding support.

For a detailed list of all the breastfeeding support available in Kern County, please refer to our resource directory: 

Reviewed and edited by Priya Khullar, RD, IBCLC 1/5/2016