I'm with Barbara on this - the need for early pumping if mom has risk
factors for delayed lactogenesis. Here's why:  

 

In a normal birth, the baby would be at breast and feeding well in the first
hour, then again within a couple of hours (6 or less according to Emde),
then frequently for the next few years. If the baby can't suck normally -
and many can't (because of C/S, drugs, immaturity, etc), then the normal
course of physiologic changes postpartum is disrupted. We need to re-create
what the baby would have been doing - cuddling with mom, AND removing
colostrum / milk. A poorly feeding baby can cuddle, of course, and meanwhile
mom should be instituting some form of milk expression to move lactogenesis
along its natural course.

 

We can argue all day whether pumping or hand-expressing is "better" - the
point is that we need to assure that either the BABY is moving milk out of
the breast, or SOMETHING ELSE is moving milk and stimulating the breast.
Tubes placed at breast were originally designed for the rare situation (i.e.
adopted baby) where the baby has a great suck but the breast isn't making
milk. This is not the same situation as early postpartum where the breasts
are making colostrum, and the baby is more likely to have a problem with
suck. Perhaps I have a jaundiced view (no pun intended) because I live in an
area with a high rate of birth interventions. Just about the only "normal"
sucking babies I see these days are the waterbirths and home births.

 

Linda J. Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC

Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre Ltd

6540 Cedarview Ct, Dayton OH 45459

ph 937-438-9458 www.BFLRC.com 

 


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