Why do you need a breast pump when breastfeeding?

Question

I'm planning to breastfeed my baby and has got the recommendation to get a breast pump. How often and why do you use them when breastfeeding?

Answer 1

Any time you have to be away from your baby so that you can supply milk and keep your supply up.  I use it daily but I also work full time.  If you don't work, I would recommend getting a manual pump to have just in case.

Answer 2

I agree with Obber.   I'm SAHM who's never needed a pump!!  Obviously it'd be important for a working mother.  :)

Answer 3

i breastfed my son until he was 18 months. he never ate from a bottle at all. the only time I used a breastpump was in the beginning to relieve engorgement if my son didn't eat enough from the engorged breast.  The hospital gave me a cheap breastpump that was quick and easy to use that I only needed my hands to use it.

Answer 4

You actually do not need one if you plan to stay at home and don't plan to be away from baby for any significant amount of time. If anything, breast pumps complicate nursing.

If you do plan to go out for a bit you can always hand express some breast milk into a cup or bottle.

Edit: Agree with Nina, a hand pump would be a convenient thing to have on hand just in case.

Answer 5

Make sure breastfeeding is working out with you and your baby before making the purchase. Some moms only need to pump a little extra to store away for emergencies, Other mothers pump to relieve engorgement. And some pump daily while working, or for babies that cannot latch. You may need it often or very little, therefore wait to find out the demands of your baby before buying one because you may need an inexpensive one, or an expensive hospital grade double pump

Answer 6

You don't *need* a breastpump unless you expect to be apart from your baby for significant periods of time. (i.e. you will be returning to work outside the home.)  If you will be with your baby most of the time, you can just breastfeed -- or for an occassional time-away you can hand-express if necessary.

In the rare situation where you would NEED to pump early on (i.e. a premie or sick baby who can't breastfeed or a newborn with very poor latch) you would want to rent a hospital grade pump anyway -- so no real need to buy one.

Of course some women who dont need a pump opt to buy one -- so daddy can 'help' (but there are more sensible ways for daddy to 'help' or 'bond' that don't make more work for you;) or to avoid having to nurse in public (but it's 100% possible to nurse in public discreetly, so there's no real need to give bottles when away from home) -- so the choice is yours.

I never owned a pump and never missed it.

Answer 7

One other reason you might want a pump is for when your little one starts eating solids.  You will have to either buy and use formula to mix with the baby cereal or you can pump and mix the breast milk with cereal.  That is when I pumped the most was in the morning while my son nursed on one side I pumped the other for his cereal.  If you are planning on having more than one child the pump will probably pay for itself in the amount of money you will save on formula you would have to buy.  Also, if something were to happen and you had to be on medication and weren't able to breastfeed you could keep a couple bottles of frozen milk for emergency purposes such as this.    

Answer 8

You only need a pump if you plan to be away from your baby for any significant length of time (over an hour or so).  If you are going back to work, then I recommend a double electric pump (Ameda Purely Yours/Lansinoh Double Electric).  If you just want to pump a little occasionally, a hand pump would probably suffice.  If you don't plan to pump at all, then I really wouldn't bother.

Answer 9

Many women don't use a breast pump.

However, those who do use it for many reasons:

- helping with engorgement between feedings

- expressing bottles for going out or for daddy to feed baby

- helping with a strong let-down

- storing milk for when they have to go back to work

- to "pump & dump" if drinking or taking temporary medications

- to store milk for nursing strikes

Answer 10

If you ever want to have some time away from the baby =)  

I used mine when I wanted a date with my husband (that was during the time he would take a bottle), or if I had an appointment I couldn't bring him along to.  I also used the pump when he was sick and not nursing much, so I could keep my supply up.  Or if he randomly decided to sleep through the night, I would pump to relieve the pressure.  I used the pump more than I thought I would!

Answer 11

There will be a time when you will want or need to be away from the baby for a few hours. You'll need a way to pump and store some milk for whoever is watching him to feed him. Also, while you are away you will still need to pump at the regular feeding time or it can be really painful until you do.

If you're not planning to be away much you can just get a smaller, inexpensive pump. You don't need the big fancy double-pump with the carrying case unless you plan on going back to work and pumping all day.

Answer 12

If you plan on working, a pump would be necessary.  If staying at home, you won't need one.  When I would go out without my baby, I just had sitter use powder formula.  Sometimes I would have to hand express to be comfortable, but your body will adjust to the need.

Answer 13

Even though you are breastfeeding you may want to teach your baby to drink out of a bottle once he/she has properly learned to breastfeed. I was advised that my son should drink at least one bottle per day, so that when I needed to go back to work, or leave him with his father for any reason, he would drink a bottle. You will need a pump so that you could have breast milk available for these daily bottle feeding.

After a two months I started to exclusively breastfeed my son and now he won't take a bottle. I've tried five different brands. It would be nice to have his dad be able to feed him with a bottle or to be able to go to the grocery store without worrying about what he'll eat. It's a pain in the butt.

Also, it is common for a baby not to latch right away at first. In this case, you would want to pump and feed with either a dropper or bottle so that your baby gets your colostrum. This happened to me. Most women give up on breastfeeding when their baby doesn't latch, but if you really want to breastfeed a good pump comes in handy.

Answer 14

You need a breast pump for different reasons. First, To pump the feeding in case you are away from baby, the baby is sick, or is sleeping a longer period of time. If you do not have a pump for these situations you might get engorged and then slow down your supply ,because not pumping or not nursing for long periods of time is telling your body that you don't need that milk and slows down milk supply. Secondly ,having a pump can really help get you a great milk supply. Pump after feeding the baby until 5 min after the last drop . At first you won't get much but in a few days you will have a whole bottle. Lastly you need a pump in case you ever want anyone else to watch the baby or for anyone else to feed the baby such as daddy or grandma.You can have the breast pump there to make it convenient or you will have to express it by hand. Please get a breast pump. You need a Medela Pump In Style. I got mine off of ebay because you can get it so much cheaper.  

Answer 15

"Why do you need a breast pump when breastfeeding?"

You don't.

"Many women are under the impression that it is necessary to own or use a pump to breastfeed.  This is not so.   You do not need a breast pump to breastfeed; uninformed use of a breast pump can lead to premature weaning. There are very few circumstances under which it is necessary to express your milk.  Certainly, if baby is not yet latching then mother needs to pump.  However, it seems that women are being encouraged to pump their milk and give it to baby via bottle for the most unnecessary reasons: Weddings, doctor’s appointments, shopping…why not take the baby with you?  How can babies not be welcome at weddings?  Or, if it is necessary to leave the baby with someone else, why not use a cup (handout Finger and Cup Feeding)?   We often hear that the father or partner would like to feed the baby.  While this is very noble and often offered to give mother some rest, there are other ways partners can help.  Giving a baby a bottle is not one of them and may often interfere with mother’s hard-earned efforts to breastfeed.  Fathers and partners can help mother by sitting with her during the feeding, doing breast compressions to help the feedings be more efficient, and cup feeding the baby who does not yet latch.  

The pump should not replace the baby as mother and baby receive numerous benefits in addition to nutrition by breastfeeding.   There is more to breastfeeding than the breastmilk.  Do note, a pump is not as efficient as a well-latched baby and so a baby who breastfeeds well is the best pump, but, granted, some babies don’t breastfeed well.  

¨       Obviously, if you can pump a lot, you are producing a lot, but if you cannot pump a lot, this does not mean your milk production is low.  Do not pump to find out how much you are producing.  This is an inefficient way to judge milk supply and often results in emptier b*****s for baby to feed."

http://drjacknewman.com/help/Expressing%...