A Breast Feeding Mom's View

So there is so much to know and learn throughout a pregnancy that I figured I would help you out with some information that I have gathered and some of my experiences. Think of this as my compiled mini review of a breast pump.

I have chosen to exclusively breast feed. I went this route for many reasons including it is best for the baby it has great health benefits for mom and nice bonus of it all FREE! Feeding your baby for free is always a bonus.

When you make the decision to breast feed the next thing that needs to be determined is if you will want or need anyone else to feed your child. If you choose to or are required to work then this is most likely a necessity. I went back to work but would like to keep nursing my little bit for a year, this means that I needed a Breast Pump. I read a lot of reviews and talked to a lot of people about this and ultimately choose the Medela Pump in Style Advanced, Metro Bag. There are a couple other Pump in Style Advance (PISA) on the market including the Backpack, the On The Go Tote, and the Shoulder Bag. The only difference between these breast pumps is essentially the bag that they come with. There may be a couple of accessory differences however you are able to purchase any extra bit you would like later.

The metro bag came with the soft fit breast shields, I am not sure if this is what is standard with the other PISA pumps. I found this pump to be very easy to use and efficient and comfortable. I have not had any problems with it in the four months I have been using it. It has a knob to gradually increase/adjust suction strength and automatically starts at a faster cycle until you reach let-down and then you can press a button which switches the pump into a longer suction cycle. With this pump you have the option of pumping both breasts at the same time or just one.

I could go on and on about this pump and why I choose it as well as what I have found to work best for me but for know I would like to see what questions you have so I can steer the information in the right directions. So please add a comment or question and I will answer it to the best of my abilities!

Hope this helps some!

There are so many different ways that breast milk benefits both mom and baby it really is amazing! Your milk is tailored to your baby and give them exactly what they need at any given point in their development.

Lower incidence of diabetes

Lower obesity rates

Lower risk of childhood cancer

Lower rates of common colds

Lower rates of multiple sclerosis

Less allergies

Children receive the most complete and optimal mix of nutrients & antibodies

The varying composition of breastmilk keeps pace with the infant's individual growth and changing nutritional needs

Have fewer incidences of vomiting and diarrhea in the US (20-35 million episodes of diarrhea occur in children under the age of 5, resulting in over 200,000 hospitalizations and 400-500 deaths in the U.S.)

Protection against gastroenteritis, necrotizing entercolitis

Reduced risk of chronic constipation, colic, and other stomach upsets

Reduced risk of childhood diabetes

Protection against ear infections, respiratory illnesses, pneumonia, bronchitis, kidney infections, septicemia (blood poisoning),

Protection against allergies,   asthma, eczema, and severity of allergic disease

Reduced risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) Statistics reveal that for every 87 deaths from SIDS, only 3 are breastfed.

Protection against meningitis, botulism, childhood lymphoma, crohn's disease and ulcerative entercolits

Decreased risk of tooth decay (cavities)

Nursing promotes facial structure development, enhanced speech,  straighter teeth and enhances vision.

Breastfed infants develop higher IQ's, and have improved brain and nervous system development; IQ advantage of 10-12 points studied at ages 8, 12, and 18.  (Breastfeeding is considered the 4th trimester in brain growth and development...there are specific proteins in human milk that promote brain development))

Reduced risk of heart disease later in life

Increased bone density

Breastfeeding plays an important role in the emotional and spiritual  development of babies

Breastfed babies enjoy a special warm bonding and emotional relationship with their mothers    

Antibody response to vaccines are higher

Are hospitalized 10 times less than formula fed infants in the first year of life

The colostrum (first milk) coats the GI tract, preventing harmful bacteria and allergy -triggering protein molecules from crossing into baby's blood

Decreased risk for vitamin E and Iron deficiency anemia

Decreased risk for acute appendicitis, rheumatoid arthritis, inguinal hernia, pyloric stenosis

There are factors in human milk that destroy E coli, salmonella, shigella, streptococcus, pneumococcus....and many others
One of many good articles can be found HERE

Many of the benefits that I have listed here come from Mothering From the Heart

There are also LOTS of benefits of breastfeeding past the first year, I have included the best FACT SHEETI have found on that subject too.

Mothers who nurse also benefit from it in many ways! And to top off all the major health benefits it is FREE!!!!! Many women are concerned that nursing will ruin their breasts, well ladies I hate to break it to you the changes that happen to your breasts are not due to nursing they occur during pregnancy so you might as well get the benefits to those changes.

A nursing mom enjoys the following benefits along with many more!

Lower risk of ovarian cancer

Lower risk of uterine cancer

Lower risk of endometrial cancer

Lower risk of diabetes

Lower risk of osteoperosis

Reduced risk of anemia

Protection against osteoporosis and hip fracture later in life

Reduced risk of mortality for women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been associated with total time of lactation

Helps the mother's body return to its pre-pregnancy state faster - promotes weight loss...1/2 of calories needed to manufacture milk is pulled from fat stores... can burn from 500 - 1,500 calories per day.

Helps delay return of fertility and to space subsequent pregnancies

Develops a special emotional relationship and bonding with her child

Breastfed babies are sick less thus reducing healthcare costs to family in Doctor office visits, prescriptions, over the counter medicine purchases, and hospitalizations

Moms miss less time off from work due to child related illnesses

Helps the uterus contract after birth to control postpartum bleeding

Many of these benefits are noted on this WONDERFUL page.

For some it would seem self explanatory and for others not so much. I have been lucky and for me pumping is not as arduous as it is for some. Most of the questions that I had were in regards to how frequently and how to be most efficient. I work 12 hour shifts so if I want to continue to nurse pumping is a must do for me.

When I first returned to work I nursed before I left for work and pumped so the first bottle of the day would be left for my husband. This was convenient for both of us as your milk can be left out for over EIGHT HOURS at room temperature! This was also helpful for me because it increased the time before I would have to pump at work. I should mention that this worked for me because my child mostly only nursed off one side and is content with the meal she gets.

While at work I tend to pump about twice. What I have begun doing instead of pumping one side at one session and then the other 3 hours later I pump both sides about 4-5 hours after getting to work and then about 4-5 hours later I pump both sides again. This has worked out well for me so far and is how I have been doing it for about a month now. If I am too full when I get home I might lightly pump one side after nursing my little one on the other.

On my off days I try to pump at least one side once because I am trying to build up a stash in the freezer just in case.

Recently the government also updated what they require of employers!

All employers that are required to follow FMLA guidelines are now also require to made accommodations for nursing moms to pump until their child is a year old. This is a HUGE break through for moms and babies!

And here it is;
Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Section 7(r) of the Fair Labor Standards Act - Break Time for Nursing Mothers Provision
Effective March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act amended the FLSA to require employers to provide a nursing mother reasonable break time to express breast milk after the birth of her child. The amendment also requires that employers provide a place for an employee to express breast milk.
Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 207) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(r)(1)
An employer shall provide-
a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child's birth each time such employee has need to express the milk; and
a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.

(2)
An employer shall not be required to compensate an employee receiving reasonable break time under paragraph (1) for any work time spent for such purpose.

(3)
An employer that employs less than 50 employees shall not be subject to the requirements of this subsection, if such requirements would impose an undue hardship by causing the employer significant difficulty or expense when considered in relation to the size, financial resources, nature, or structure of the employer's business.

(4)
Nothing in this subsection shall preempt a State law that provides greater protections to employees than the protections provided for under this subsection.
And HERE is a link to their page.