What if I’m unsure about making a breastfeeding commitment at this point?
Many families have not made a definitive choice about feeding at the time their infant is born, especially if born preterm. Since science has shown that breastmilk is the best food for your baby, even a few days or weeks of your milk can make a difference. Expressing milk for your baby now does not commit you to long-term pumping or breastfeeding but it does give your baby a great start. Beginning the process of milk expression leaves all feeding options open to you and your baby in the future.

What is colostrum?
Colostrum is the first milk that is fed or expressed from the breast in the first few days after giving birth. It is often yellowish in color, and has extra high levels of several very important substances. These substances protect your baby from infection and promote the growth of your baby’s intestines. The colostrum of mothers of preterm babies has even higher amounts of these valuable substances.

When should I start expressing colostrum for my baby?
Your baby will be receiving colostrum as soon as you express the first drops. Even babies who are not able to receive feedings can benefit from tiny amounts of colostrum in their mouths and on their lips and gums. The anti-inflammatory, infection fighting substances in the colostrum are absorbed from the GI tract, and start working to protect your baby right away. Therefore it is important that you start pumping your breasts as soon as possible after your baby is born, hopefully no more than 6 hours after the birth of your baby. The sooner you start pumping, the more milk you will make. Your nurse will explain how to use the electric breast pump and double pumping kit.

How often should I pump my breasts once I get started?
Research shows that the more often the breasts are stimulated either by pumping or feeding in the first two weeks, the greater the milk supply overall later in lactation. Even if you are only planning on pumping for the first couple of weeks to provide colostrum for your baby, it is important that you pump frequently to stimulate the breasts to make that colostrum. We recommend that you pump 8-10 times per day in the first two weeks to establish a good milk supply. It is important that you pump at least once in the middle of the night to stimulate prolactin, the hormone that stimulates your body to produce breastmilk.

What do I do with the milk after I pump?
Because colostrum has so many important substances for your baby, we want to make sure that you save every drop. Your nurse will provide you with cups to put you colostrum in, as well as labels with your name and hospital number stamped on them. Just write the date and time pumped on the label. We also provide you with orange stickers numbered 1-28 to put on the containers so that we use them in the order that they were pumped.