Introduction:
There are certain situations when direct breastfeeding is unavailable for the infants. In cases such as premature birth, some congenital abnormality like tongue-tie, some breastfeeding problems with mothers like sore nipples, low milk supply, or death of mother at the time of delivery. Human breast milk fulfills nutritional needs and protects babies against infections. Despite many advances and research in formula milk, human milk still remains the best nutritional supplement for the baby for the initial six months of their life. According to WHO (World Health Organization), stored breast milk is the best alternative when direct breastfeeding becomes impossible. Breast pumps play a significant role in overcoming these unavoidable circumstances by helping the mother extract milk.
What Is a Breast Pump?
A breast pump is a device that is used by lactating mothers to extract milk from their breasts which can be used later for feeding the infants. Various advancements have been made to imitate the mother's breast by making a breast pump. Breast pumps can be manual, where milk extraction is done by manual pulling, or maybe electric, where the entire process of extracting milk is automatic.
What Are the Parts of Breast Pumps?
Beast pumps are made up of a few essential components:
The components are:
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Breast Shield: A breast shield is a cone-shaped cup covering the nipples and areola (the darker area surrounding the nipple).
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Pump: The pump can be either attached to the breast shield or may have a plastic tube that is connected to the breast shield. It creates a vacuum that helps to express milk from the breast.
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Milk Container: A milk container is a detachable container that fits below the breast shield. It collects and stores the breast milk when pumped. The container can be a reusable bottle or disposable bag.
What Do You Understand by Breast Pump Flange?
A breast pump flange is a plastic material and is formed in a funnel-shaped that is made to fit over the nipple. It creates a vacuum seal around the areolar area around the nipple. The nipples lie inside the funnel which helps to extract human breast milk. The size of most of the pumps come with a standard 24 millimeter (mm) flange dimension. However, the availability of these flanges are variable and are distributed in wide ranges, starting from 21 mm to 36 mm. The size describes the diameter of the small tube on the flange's narrow edge.
Why Is Flange Size Considerable for Breastfeeding Mothers?
There are variable sizes available for breastfeeding mothers. It is a difficult decision for all the breastfeeding mothers. The selection of the right flanges can help the mothers in expressing the maximum amount of breast milk. The right flange makes the process efficient for breastfeeding mothers.
The dependent factors in the selection of the flanges are breast tissue and skin elasticity. If the fitting of the flange is too tight, it affects the breastfeeding by constricting the breasts tissue, as it leads to the formation of clogged milk ducts, which ultimately restricts the breast milk removal.
However, if the flanges are too loose, it can affect the breast milk removal which ultimately affects the milk production rate as it can lead to lower milk production. It may aggravate the nipple pain and can even lead to nipple injury. The fact is that if the breast pumping hurts it could lead to decreased breast milk supply.
When Does a Mother Need a Breast Pump?
The breast pumps are used in the removal and collection of breast milk from a woman's breasts. Following breast milk collection, it can be immediately fed to the baby when hungry or can be stored in bags and containers. Hand expression technique can also be used to extract the breast milk but pumps are more efficient for extracting the breast milk. There are certain situations when a mother needs a breast pump to feed their infant.
Breast pumps can be chosen by a mother under the following circumstances:
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When the mother’s nipples are flat or inverted in shape.
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When a mother is returning to work.
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When the mother is out for a short period of time, and the baby gets hungry.
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If the baby is in a neonatal care unit (NICU).
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If the mother is suffering from breast engorgement, she needs relief from pain.
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It can be used to increase the breast milk supply.
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When a mother desires to temporarily wean the infant.
Why Is Getting the Accurate Size Breast Pump Flange So Important?
It is essential for a mother to get the right size flange in order to avoid any rubbing or punching on the nipples. If the flange size is inappropriate, it can hurt the nipple and make the extraction process painful for the mother. Additionally, it can also affect the amount of breast milk secretion. It can have a negative impact on breast milk secretion. It can also lead to a clogged milk duct if the flanges are ill-fitting and it is too tight on the nipple. Also, if the flange loosely fits the nipple, it could not provide adequate suction. This can also lead to improper removal of the milk from the mother’s breast.
Conclusion:
Breast pumps are helpful for working mothers, premature infants, critically ill infants, or infants born with some abnormality that restricts their suckling ability. Whatever may be the reason, usually, most breastfeeding moms find it useful to have a pump on hand. There are various types, styles, and brands of breast pump available, so it may be difficult or overwhelming to pick the right one. You may seek the help of your lactation counselor or breastfeeding specialist in choosing the accurate breast flanges for your needs.
