The Benefits of Breastfeeding

DeeDee Franke R.N., BSN, IBCLC, is a board certified lactation consultant with Mercy Medical Center and expert on breastfeeding and other related issues. Below are responses to a few questions DeeDee has answered on the subject.

What Are the Benefits of a Lactation Massager?

A lactation massager can be helpful to use if a mother has a clogged duct or engorgement. Many women just use their own hands to massage their breasts while others have used an electric toothbrush handle or a small electric back massager in place of a breast massager. What are some things to consider when purchasing a breast massager? Cost, and if options like heating or cooling are offered.

How Do You Wean Your Baby From Breastfeeding?

Weaning a baby from breastfeeding is different for each mother and baby. Before trying to wean, mom should make sure if she is physically and emotionally ready, and assess how the baby may respond. If the baby is under one year of age, can the baby can take a bottle and tolerate formula (if that is the plan)? Weaning should occur slowly to see how both mom and baby are handling the change. A lot also depends on the age of the baby, how often the baby is nursing and how much milk the mother is making per feeding. In general, I would recommend to drop one feeding every three to four days and replace the feeding with a bottle. When it comes to weaning during the night, a lot depends on the baby's age and the expectations of the parents. I would suggest that a mother talk to a lactation consultant about her specific goals and expectations prior to planning and executing the plan.

Taking Iron While Breastfeeding

Iron supplementation is needed if the mother is told by her health care provider that she is anemic. It is safe to take iron and breastfeed, if it is ordered. If a mother is not anemic after birth, just taking her prenatal vitamins is all that is required. Taking iron does not boost milk supply and being anemic is not going affect milk supply in general. If a mom has hemorrhaged and has lost a lot of blood in the delivery process, it could delay her milk coming in.

Also, iron can get into breastmilk and some women who take iron may experience some constipation. It does not cause gas or constipation for the baby. Eating foods high in iron is another good way to help with anemia. Some examples of foods high in iron are red meats, spinach, eggs, lentils, broccoli, liver, cashews and pumpkins seeds. High iron food sources are a good way to boost iron levels. Eating a healthy balanced diet which includes regular intake of high iron foods is good for both mom and baby.

How Long Can You Leave Breast Milk Out?

Would I use milk left out more than four hours? A lot would depend on the temperature of the area before I would consider using it. A mother could smell or taste it before disposing of it, but for safety's sake, it is best to dispose of it in this circumstance. The best tips in storing milk is first washing your hands when handling milk, making sure the milk containers used are cleaned and stored properly, and label the milk with the date and time it was pumped. Another tip is making sure to check temperatures of places you choose to store your milk whether it is a refrigerator, freezer or some type of cooler bag.

Insights on Wearable Breast Pumps

There is some concern about wearable pumps and maintaining a milk supply. I have personally seen this happen where a wearable pump has caused decrease a milk supply. I can also understand a reason for wearable pumps. As with all breast pumps, there may be times when a mother is improperly using her pump or not pumping as she should to protect a mother's milk supply. These pumps are getting a lot of press especially in social media these days. I hear about it through expecting moms in my prenatal breastfeeding classes, in the hospital where I work helping new moms with breastfeeding as well as my weekly postpartum breastfeeding support group. I currently recommend that a mom to have a back-up double electric pump to use in case a drop in milk supply occurs.

There are many things to consider when trying to select a wearable breast pump. Things to consider are:

1. Cost of pump
2. Will your health insurance cover any of the cost of the pump or what is the co-pay
3. Reasons why you feel you need a wearable pump
4. Talk to a lactation consultant to discuss your individual needs prior to the purchase of a pump

A wearable pump and a hands-free breast pump are to me, the same type of pump. The actual pump fits inside a mom's bra so the mom does not need to use her hands to hold her pump to her breasts when pumping. High suction doesn't always mean more milk or faster removal of milk. This is a common myth. High suction can cause some problems such as nipple discomfort or trauma. It is important that each mother learns how to properly use her own pump, have a proper flange fit and understand how often she needs to pump to build and protect her milk supply.

Proteins in Breast Milk Found to be Essential for a Baby's Healthy Gut

There are many women in the early stages of learning to breastfeed who may have some problems. It is recommended to seek out help by finding a board certified lactation consultant to help identify the problem and get the proper guidance during this time. There are many different problems that can occur in the early stages of breastfeeding, and each individual mom needs someone to specifically assess her and the baby to develop a plan to work through them. Some women do not want to physically breastfeed, but are willing to provide breastmilk by pumping and bottle feeding. It has been known for a long time the human breast milk is a prebiotic and probiotic properties. These properties or proteins in human milk enhance and grow a very diverse gut microbiome. The milk or "white blood" contain enzymes, immunoglobulins and white blood cells. These components provide several defenses against infections and diseases. Formula fed parents can improve gut health in their infants by being thoughtful of providing good probiotic foods for the baby in the second 6 months of life. It is not recommended to give babies probiotics as a supplement. Human milk not only provides nutrition to the infant, but has many other properties to it composition which affects the infant's health.

For more information for expectant and new mothers, newborn babies, and pediatric patients, visit The Family Childbirth and Children's Center at Mercy.

A 1981 graduate from the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore, Ms. Franke has worked as a certified lactation consultant since 1989. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Ms. Franke joined Mercy in 2010 and works part-time as the in-hospital lactation consultant, assessing physical and mental health status of new mothers who experience breastfeeding problems. She also evaluates and consoles new families on breastfeeding issues and products to meet their individual needs such as the use of different breast pump products, building milk supply and returning to work following childbirth.