Breastfeeding Is Nice. Will a Pump Suffice?
There is no question that breast milk is the ideal way to feed a newborn baby. All the nutrients that a newborn needs are there—no supplementation is needed until the baby reaches the age of 6 months. Parenting magazines depict soothing images of mother and baby feeding-- all is serene, and baby is happy. In reality, breastfeeding can be an arduous, often tedious process. While many believe breastfeeding is a “natural process”, it may not always begin easily. A myriad of factors may prevent breastfeeding after childbirth including the gestational age of the baby, the health of the mother, the mother’s ability to produce breast milk, and the ability of the baby to latch properly.
When babies fail to latch properly or are suckling poorly, mothers who wish to provide breast milk to their children will often turn to breast pumps in order to maintain their milk supply. Breast pumps come in several varieties and price points. A basic manual pump will cost around $30 whereas a deluxe electric pump will run you about $200 or more. It is also possible to express breast milk by hand, that is, without a pump-type mechanism.
A study published in the medical journal Archives of Disease in Childhood—Fetal and Neonatal Edition examined the differences in outcomes between mothers using breast pumps versus hand expression breast milk. Specifically, the researchers wanted to know if either method would be more significantly related to better breastfeeding outcomes two months after the babies were born. 68 mothers of healthy newborn infants (12-36 hours old) who were sucking/latching poorly were randomly assigned to either express breast milk manually or using a breast pump. The volume of expressed milk, ratings of maternal pain, and breastfeeding confidence were not significantly different between the two groups.
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