Intermountain Health Lactation Consultants Can Help Make Pumping More Comfortable and Effective

Breastfeeding has been around as long as there have been babies. National Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August is a time to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding for both moms and babies.

All Intermountain Health hospitals in Utah with labor and delivery departments have received a five-star rating for being breastfeeding-friendly facilities from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services by completing all ten steps of the department’s ‘Stepping Up for Utah Babies’ program.

Breastfeeding has health benefits for babies and their moms. According to the CDC, infants who are breastfed have a lower risk of:

• Asthma and severe lower respiratory diseases.
• Obesity.
• Type 1 diabetes.
• Ear infections.
• Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID).
• Gastrointestinal infections (diarrhea or vomiting).

And mothers who breastfeed their infants have a lower risk of:

• Breast cancer.
• Ovarian cancer.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• High blood pressure.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend continued breastfeeding along with introducing appropriate complementary foods for up to two years or longer. Breastfeeding is also convenient, inexpensive and is good for the environment.

Women are encouraged to breastfeed their children for at least one year. The longer an infant is breastfed, the greater the protection from certain illnesses and long-term diseases. If mutually desired by the mom and baby, the longer a woman breastfeeds, the greater the benefits to her health as well.

When and why to pump breastmilk

“Not all breastfeeding moms need to pump breast milk. We recommend you pump milk if you are separated from your baby either because your baby has to stay in the hospital or you need to go to work,” said Laura Rowbury, a registered nurse and certified lactation consultant at Intermountain Health American Fork Hospital.

“Pumping is also recommended if you have had breast surgery, infertility, a history of low milk supply, or are experiencing breast engorgement. Some mothers choose to exclusively pump and bottle feed rather than feed at the breast. Many moms choose to do a combination of pumping and breastfeeding so their partner can help with feedings,” she added.

Importance of proper flange fit when you pump breastmilk

Proper flange fit (the part of the pump that goes over the nipple) can make a big difference if you have to rely on pumping to express milk for your baby. Taking time to measure correctly can help you find the right flange size and impact how successful you are at expressing milk from the breast. A certified lactation consultant can help you find the right flange size.

Flange fit is best done with an in-person lactation consultant. But many other breastfeeding concerns can be addressed through telehealth lactation consultation visits.

“In recent years there has been a push on social media to size the flange smaller in order to improve comfort and increase the effectiveness of pumping,” said Rowbury. “However, if you use a flange size that is too large or small it can make pumping painful, cause nipple damage and/or lessen the amount of milk you express, potentially limiting your milk supply.”

According to Rowbury, in addition to making sure the flange is the correct size, adjusting pump settings, reading your pump instructions and lubricating the inside of the flange can make a big difference. She also mentions that there are many free tools online as well as a nipple ruler you can purchase to measure the nipple to help get the right flange size.

Rowbury recommends measuring at the base of the nipple and making sure there is a small amount of space (like the thickness of a dime) around the nipple,” she added.

“Pumping should be comfortably uncomfortable, which means the tugging sensation is normal, but you should not experience pain or a burning sensation with pumping. Pain can inhibit your body’s ability to release the milk and lead to a decrease in milk supply, plugged milk ducts and mastitis,” said Rowbury.

Safe breastmilk storage

If you are pumping breastmilk how, when and where you store it can determine how long you are able to use it. Current lactation guidelines say freshly expressed breast milk is safe to store under the following conditions:

• At room temperature for up to six hours,
• In a cooler with blue ice for 24 hours,
• In the refrigerator for up to five days, although it’s best to freeze it after two days.
• In a regular freezer for six months
• In a deep freeze for 12 months.

It’s recommended to never mix milk from different pumping sessions unless they are at the same temperature.

Intermountain Health hospitals and clinics offer in-person lactation consultations and telehealth lactation consultations. Visit the breastfeeding support page on Intermountainhealth.org for tips and videos and check with your local hospital’s labor and delivery department for specific local breastfeeding resources.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, over 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/.