Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Advice

Storing your breastmilk

• Once you have expressed using your Pumpd pump you can leave your breast milk in your pump at room temperate for up to 4 hours. We always recommend making sure your lid is securely attached so no nasties can fall into your milk, and to prevent spills. In hot summer months we suggest no more than 2 hours.
• Transfer your breastmilk into a sealed container from your pump and this can last up to 2 days in the fridge. Once your milk is in the fridge, do not add any freshly expressed milk to this until it has cooled to the same temperature.
• If you wish to freeze your milk and start building a stash for later, we recommend freezing your milk as soon as possible and keep your milk as close to the back of the freezer as possible. Breastmilk will last up to 6 months in your usual separate door freezer and up to 1 year in a deep freeze.
• The fresher the better with breast milk, so we suggest dating your stored milk and keep on top of rotating your frozen supply. Ensuring you as using milk quickly keeps those bacteria fighting properties, vitamins and antioxidants strong.

Defrosting and heating breast milk

• While microwaves are great for many things, we do not suggest using a microwave to defrost or thaw out your breast milk. Microwaves can cause uneven heating, encourage leaching from certain storage containers into your breast milk and break down precious qualities of your milk.
• Breast milk can be defrosted in the fridge which usually takes around 12 hours. Taking some out that night for the following day is a good way to remember. Do not leave your breastmilk on the bench or in your baby bag to defrost at room temperature. Also keep in mind, once defrosted it is recommended to use your milk immediately at room temperature, or a maximum of 24 hours if left in the fridge.
• Alternatively, hold your container under running warm water (not boiling as this can damage your breast milk and create hot spots similar to the microwave) until thawed through.
• Never re freeze breast milk once thawed.

How to warm up my breast milk for my baby to drink

• Babies who are full term and of great health can drink defrosted breast milk at room temperature or warmed to body temperature by placing your bottle or container in a bowl of warm water for a few moments, or alternatively a bottle warmer.
• Before feeding your warmed milk to your baby, make sure you gently swirl your milk, without shaking or stirring to mix any separated milk. Shaking your expressed breast milk can affect the proteins in the milk.
• Same with defrosting, make sure you are not using a microwave or boiling milk for your warming. This can not only break down your break milks nutrients but create dangerous hot spots which can burn your baby’s mouth.

Mastitis, what to do and how my Pumpd Pump can help me?

• Mastitis is caused by a blocked duct becoming inflamed and can lead to infection. The symptoms are an area of breast tissue becoming hard, painful and red. Your temperature may be up above 38 degrees making you feel unwell like you are getting ‘the flu.’
• The effects of mastitis on your breastfeeding journey can be a reduction in your milk supply, needing to take antibiotics for up to 10 days; it can lead to a breast abscess which needs to be surgically drained. Therefore it is important to get this sorted as soon as possible to prevent these effects. Either contact your Midwife/Lead Maternity Carer if baby is under 6wks or contact a Plunket Nurse on Health Line for advice or see your GP.
• With mastitis it is important to move the blocked milk/lump in your breast. If you are able to breastfeed baby can help move the milk but if you have damaged painful nipples as women often do with mastitis (this is how the bacteria gets in to cause infection) you may need to withhold baby from feeding until the nipples heal a bit. This is when your Pumpd pump can help by using it to drain your breasts as you massage behind the lump. This helps resolve the mastitis and keep you producing milk for baby which can be given via bottle and teat (or other ways discussed with your midwife or LC) until you can comfortably latch baby back on the breast. If your milk isn’t flowing use warm cloths and gentle massage first. Then after expressing or feeding place cool packs over the painful area for 20 minutes to help reduce pain redness and the swelling.

Sore cracked nipples, help me!

• The Cracked Painful Nipples are caused by baby’s incorrect latch so do seek help with this once the nipples are less painful to reduce reoccurrence. Use pure lanolin ointment or/& breast gel pads to help with the healing.

Blocked ducts: what do I do and how can my Pumpd Pump help me?

• A precursor to Mastitis is a blocked duct. This is a firm tender area of the breast. It won’t be red as yet & your temperature won’t be elevated but the milk is not moving down that section of the breast so mastitis can develop. Again gently massage behind and down that blockage in the direction of the nipple. This can be done while you are using your Pumpd pump especially if baby is not able to feed. If you are not able to clear the blockage within 24 hours see your Midwife or GP, sooner if you feel unwell before then.

How to increase and maintain my supply?

• If you are not producing enough for baby and have been told to give baby extra milk your Pumpd pump will be useful to express extra milk that can be given to baby as a top up. If baby is able to breastfeed have baby take as much milk from you as possible then an hour after feeding express 10 minutes each breast and refrigerate to give to baby after the next feed. Try to express up to 5 times during the day while building up your supply.
• Maintain your supply by not letting more than 6 hours go between milk removal. This may mean waking baby if baby needs more frequent feeds or using your Pumpd pump to empty your breasts. During the day 3-4 hourly feeds or expressions will maintain your supply. This may be necessary if you have returned to work and need to express once during the day or you are attending a long social occasion for example and can’t feed baby. In this situation use your Pumpd pump to keep comfortable and maintain your supply.

If I have an oversupply, will my Pumpd Pump increase this?

• Yes it can do. What is advised is only taking off enough milk to make you more comfortable, taking off a little to make it easier for baby to latch or taking off the first fast flow to make it easier for baby to cope with the flow.
• Sometimes a Lactation Consultant may advise a full breast expression followed by a feeding regime but please only do this in consultation with a Lactation consultant or you may make the problem worse.

Engorgement and how can my Pumpd Pump help me?

• It is normal to have full, firm breasts when your milk first comes in but if they become very hard, uncomfortable and hot this is engorgement. You may feel hot and have a slightly raised temperature. Baby may be having trouble latching deeply at the breast. Your milk may not be flowing. Engorgement is usually caused by the baby not feeding well or frequently enough.
• Seek help for correct positioning and attachment. Wake your baby if your breasts are too full and uncomfortable. If baby doesn’t want to feed this is when you can use your Pumpd pump. Avoid using heat or massage with engorgement but gentle expression to soften around the nipple and help the milk let down. Hand expression is good to know and do in this situation but if this doesn’t work well for you then gentle expression with the Pumpd pump is beneficial. If your breast is dripping while feeding on the other side gently collect the milk with your Pumpd pump. Cold cloths or cabbage leaves on the breasts (not on the nipples) after feeding. Ask your midwife about pain relief or anti- inflammatory medication.