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Breastmilk has huge benefits for premature babies. It offers the best nutrition to help them gain weight and gives antibodies that fight infection. While your baby is in the NICU, giving bottles of pumped breastmilk can help you feel connected to your baby. And, when your baby is ready to come home, you will be all set to breastfeed. 
Dr. Sonny Riviera
Learn to Pump - If you’ve never seen anyone use a breast pump before, the first time might seem a little strange.
Pumps work by suction – drawing your nipple and surrounding breast tissue into a plastic shield. This puts pressure on the nipple the same way that baby’s mouth does, which causes milk to flow into the collection bottle. Pumping should not be painful, but many moms are surprised by how much their nipples stretch. Some pumps can only pump one breast at a time, while others can do both at once.
You might find it easiest to pump right after baby eats or between feedings. Some moms get more milk when they pump one side while baby is nursing on the other side. It may take you a few tries to figure out the right time to pump. Some moms can pump right after feeding baby, while others have to wait an hour or so.
If you don’t get much milk at first, don’t get discouraged. It will get easier to experience the let-down reflex as you get more comfortable using your pump. And, as you continue to pump, your body will respond by making more milk.
- Each pump is a little different, so follow the instructions that come with yours. Each time you use your pump, start by washing your hands. Then assemble the clean, dry pieces of the pump.
- Place the breast shields over your nipple and begin to pump. Pumping should not hurt. Make sure your nipple doesn’t rub on the side of the shield, which can cause damage to your skin. If it does, switch to one of the larger breast shields that come with your pump so that you have plenty of air space around your nipple. If you need a larger one than comes with your pump, call WIC about a larger size.
- When you first begin pumping, you can encourage the let-down reflex by using a quick speed and light suction to stimulate the nipple.
- After your milk has begun to flow, slow down the pump’s speed and increase the suction to get long, strong draws. You may need to vary the settings to find a combination that works best for you.
- Most women need to pump for at least 15 minutes using an electric pump or 45 minutes if using a hand pump in order to fully empty their breasts.
- After pumping, be sure to wash the shield and milk collection bottle in hot, soapy water and dry them on a clean cloth to prevent bacteria growth.
When you pump, you control two factors: the speed of the suction and strength of the suction. With a hand pump, you control this by how fast you squeeze the pump and how hard you squeeze. With an electric pump, dials allow you to adjust the speed and suction strength. You want to set the speed and suction to copy the way a real baby eats during a feeding—fast and light at first, then longer and deeper as the feeding continues.
Breasts come in all shapes and sizes, and so do breast pump flanges (the plastic cones that you place on your breasts). Make sure your nipples have plenty of space and are not rubbing against the sides of the tunnel (which can make them sore and reduce your milk output). If you need a larger size flange, be sure to contact your WIC clinic or call the manufacturer.
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