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Pump and Go, Part 1
One of the things I hear from people who don’t support nursing in public (NIP) is the argument that moms can or should pump their milk to feed to their babies while out.
Violating our children’s and our own rights aside, following this suggestion can lead to a plethora of problems such as differences in the milk, excess lipase, plugged ducts, mastitis, thrush, bottle preference or nipple confusion, contamination, increased risk of ear infections and dental carries and unnecessary frustration for both baby and mom.
While many women successfully pump or have reasons that make pumping necessary, women who do not need to pump should be able to nurse on demand. Opponents of nursing in public who use the argument that women should pump, often do so out of ignorance.
Breastfeeding moms deserve to know that pumping and breastfeeding are not the same, nor is pumping a solution to the problem regarding nursing in public. Education, tolerance and support are the only solution.Pumped milk and the milk a baby receives via nursing are not the same.
In order to best explain the difference between expressed milk and milk that a baby gets via nursing, I have to explain some of the mechanics of breast milk production and delivery.
A mother’s milk is constantly changing in composition to meet her child’s needs. A lot of people don’t realize that each time a baby nurses they get a different meal, and when a mom pumps, her baby is unable to signal to the breast what changes need to be made in the milk to suit his/her needs:
“A surprising fact is that the composition of breast milk changes with each feeding, so no matter what time of day it is, or what season, mother’s milk will adjust to the specific needs of her baby. This is true for the nursing newborn or the nursing toddler- a mother’s body will adjust to provide exactly what is needed nutritionally.
So, as a child’s vitamin and mineral requirements change, so will the concentration of these important nutrients in breast milk. One theory for this is that the baby’s saliva signals specific nutritional requirements to the mother.” (1)
While just one pumping session, or infrequent ones, aren’t likely to affect milk composition in the grand scheme of things, one can see how pumped breast milk vs. nursing at the breast can mean a slight deviation from the baby’s needs.
Suppose a mother wants to go out and bring along some milk she pumped the other day. Maybe baby needed more of a certain vitamin and her body has that “in stock” now, but didn’t when she pumped. Maybe she’s been exposed to a new antibody or germ and her milk is producing some protection for her baby, and baby is missing out on it with what she pumped before. This may not be a problem if she is just going to nurse later, but that’s still one less meal custom made for baby.
Also, something a mom wouldn’t run into when nursing that can become an issue with pumped milk is excess lipase. “Lipase is an enzyme that is normally present in human milk and has several known beneficial functions: Lipases help keep milk fat well-mixed (emulsified) with the “whey” portion of the milk, and also keep the fat globules small so that they are easily digestible (Lawrence & Lawrence, p. 156).
Lipases also help to break down fats in the milk, so that fat soluble nutrients (vitamins A & D, for example) and free fatty acids (which help to protect baby from illness) are easily available to baby (Lawrence & Lawrence, p. 156).
The primary lipase in human milk, bile salt-stimulated lipase (BSSL), “has been found to be the major factor inactivating protozoans” (Lawrence & Lawrence, p. 203).”
When milk is pumped some mothers find that they have excess lipase. Excess lipase causes milk to smell sour or rancid, and if a mom didn’t scald the milk, it’s not fit to give the baby if it has soured.
“Scalding the milk will destroy some of the anti-infective properties of the milk and may lower some nutrient levels, but this is not likely to be an issue unless all of the milk that baby is receiving has been heat-treated.” (2)
A mom that has excess lipase that scalds her milk to give to baby also alters the composition and milk is less nutritious than if baby had simply nursed.
Pumping can Cause Health Issues for Mothers.
A baby (when nursing correctly) removes milk better than even a hospital grade pump. Say a mom pumps before she goes out and intends to feed the baby pumped milk to avoid nursing in public.
When milk is not removed from the breast well enough, a mother runs the risk of getting plugged ducts, or even worse, mastitis. While pumping just once doesn’t guarantee a mother will get a plugged duct, it’s a risk she takes each time she pumps. (3)
Pumping can negatively impact a mother’s milk supply if the breasts are not emptied effectively. Milk production is supply and demand. The more milk removed, the more replaced. Since we know a baby removes milk best, pumping leaves behind milk and therefore signals to the breast that it doesn’t need to make more. Over time this can impact a mother’s milk supply. (4)
Another issue with pumping is that some moms just really don’t respond well to the pump
Pumping is hard work, time consuming, there are a lot of issues a mom could run into and really, it’s just not as enjoyable as nursing, which releases hormones that soothe both a mother and child.
Milk storage is also time consuming and mothers have to be careful with milk so it doesn’t become contaminated. This can cause a great deal of stress on mom, which is unhealthy and ultimately unnecessary.
Please stop by NursingFreedom.org this Wednesday, December 22 for Part 2 of Pump and Go.
- http://www.midwifeanddoula.com/breastfeeding.htm
- http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/lipase-expressedmilk.html
- http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html#usualcause
- http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/milkproduction.html#supply
*Note: Please note this is NOT anti-exclusive pumping (EPing), EPing is very hard and takes a great deal of dedication from a mother, I applaud and commend any mother who has EPed for her child and want to state that breast milk in a bottle is far superior to formula.
This conversation is solely for the purpose of stating what trouble pumping can entail, and if anything maybe give some insight as to what mothers who EP have had to face in their dedication to giving their child the best they can.
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This article is edited from a previous version published at Life’s a Salad Bar.
Anna is an army wife, mother to a “spirited” toddler, fitness coach, future lactation consultant and advocate of natural, gentle parenting. She stays busy and occasionally blogs (or rants) about her ideas and interests at Life’s A Salad Bar.
Pump and Go, Part 2
Bottles Create Problems for Babies and Mothers.
“There is no reason to offer bottles on a daily basis if you are not routinely separated from baby just so that he will continue to accept one. Doing so may also compromise your milk supply and make it more likely that your baby may begin to prefer the ease of the bottle.” (1)A common issue with bottles and the breastfed baby is that a lot of breastfed babies will refuse a bottle when mom is present or simply won’t take one at all.
Moms know that a hungry baby can mean an angry baby. Fighting to give a baby a bottle he/she doesn’t want isn’t something anyone wants to do, and as someone who may be in a restaurant with a mom in this situation I can say I’d MUCH rather see a mom nurse her baby than hear a hungry baby refuse a bottle.
A video from my friend, her son was born prematurely and had to have bottles in the NICU, she successfully got him to the breast and he has no problem telling you he’d rather have that:
On the opposite side of bottle refusal is nipple confusion. This can be a huge issue, particularly early in a breastfeeding relationship and it’s a problem that sabotages a lot of mom and baby pairs.
This problem can occur with just one bottle or many and although it is of utmost concern when baby is just learning to nurse, the risk remains as they grow as well. The differences in the nipple and the flow can create confusion or preference in the child that can lead to him/her refusing the breast.
“During breastfeeding a baby’s tongue, jaw, and mouth work together in a coordinated rhythm. This unique sucking action is one reason why breastfed babies overall have better oral development than bottle-fed babies. Once the baby latches on, the tongue comes down and out as it cups the breast.
The lips must be flanged out resembling a rose petal or a fish’s lips. Letdown can sometimes takes several seconds to perhaps more than a minute to occur. The baby learns that he does not get an instant reward; he must “work” for mother’s milk.
With bottle-feeding, the baby is instantly met with a flood of milk as a bottle will allow milk flow without active sucking. This sudden gush forces the baby to flip his tongue upward to help regulate the flow and prevent him from choking. His lips are pursed tightly around the firmer artificial nipple and no work is required of his jaws.
One study found that 95% of babies will become confused if given a bottle during the first 3-4 weeks of life. For some babies it may take many bottles before they show any nipple confusion; for others it can take only one or two. For this reason it is best to avoid offering your baby a bottle before he is 4 weeks of age.” (2)
A bottle can become contaminated in a number of ways and once milk is expressed it is no longer guaranteed to remain sterile. Milk from the breast is naturally sterile as is the nipple which delivers it. “Within the areola there are sebaceous glands (which secrete oil to soften and protect the skin), sweat glands, and Montgomery’s glands, which are believed to produce a substance that lubricates the nipple and protects it from germs.” The breast has its own system of cleaning, meaning the nipple remains clean for baby to nurse from (to a certain extent of course, hygiene also plays its role).
Nursing a baby therefore is a guaranteed way of delivering uncontaminated milk whereas the risk is always there that a pumped bottle can contain bacteria either to poor sterilization, improper milk storage or exposure to contaminants.
Bottle feeding increases a mother’s risk of contracting thrush. Thrush is a yeast infection found either in a baby’s mouth or on a mother’s nipple, often times both. Like any yeast infection, moist, sugary environments are possible breeding grounds and a bottle is no exception. Breast milk is high in lactose, a sugar, and a baby’s mouth or a bottle and pump are both places thrush likes to grow, as well as on mom’s nipple.
A baby can pass thrush to mom, having picked it up off their bottle. Now thrush is not exclusive to bottles or pumps and a breastfeeding mom is not exempt from catching it if she avoids pumping and bottle feeding (pacifiers also can pass thrush). I’m merely saying that a mom is giving thrush another place to grow if she pumps and bottle-feeds and for moms (or babies) that are on antibiotics this further increases their chances of getting thrush.
Also, as with formula feeding, bottle-feeding (when done incorrectly) breast milk can lead to increased ear infections, dental caries and all of the other bottle-related issues. (3)
In conclusion, nursing really is what is best for a mother and baby and moms shouldn’t have to feel like they need to hide that. While the average person may not see the issue in a mother pumping and bottle-feeding, there is plenty of information that proves that breastfeeding is far easier and preferable to pumping and bottle-feeding.
Moms shouldn’t feel pressured into doing something they don’t want to do, and if a mother decides she would rather pump that’s fine too. Moms deserve to go into it knowing the facts on both sides. If a mother prefers to pump because she really doesn’t want to nurse in public, for whatever reason, I’ll support her as well. But no mother should be bullied into hiding or pumping beforehand just because someone else takes offense to her nursing in public and thinks that is the “solution.”
- http://www.motherandchildhealth.com/Breastfeeding/Becky/breastfed_bottle.html
- http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/avoidingnipple.html
- http://www.bottle-feeding-baby.com/bottle-feeding-problems.php
*Note: Please note this is NOT anti-exclusive pumping (EPing), EPing is very hard and takes a great deal of dedication from a mother, I applaud and commend any mother who has EPed for her child and want to state that breast milk in a bottle is far superior to formula. This conversation is solely for the purpose of stating what trouble pumping can entail, and if anything maybe give some insight as to what mothers who EP have had to face in their dedication to giving their child the best they can.
________________________
This article is edited from a previous version published at Life’s a Salad Bar.
Anna is an army wife, mother to a “spirited” toddler, fitness coach, future lactation consultant and advocate of natural, gentle parenting. She stays busy and occasionally blogs (or rants) about her ideas and interests at Life’s A Salad Bar.
