Breastfeeding Tips & Breast Pump Guide | Lactation Connection

Once your newborn is at least 6 days old, there are some guidelines to help you be sure of your milk supply.  Note that insufficient milk supply is rare.  What is more common are practices that can hinder your milk supply or baby's feeding which I will detail at the end of this post. To assess good milk transfer, answer the following: Is the baby  wetting 6-8 diapers in 24 hours ? (Disposable diapers are so absorbent, that it might be hard to tell.  If you are unsure, take a clean diaper in one hand and the removed diaper in the other and you should be able to tell by the slight weight difference.) Yes  |  No Is the baby having  3-4 bowel movements in 24 hours  that are mustard yellow with curds in them? (These shold be silver dollar size or larger, not just a stain.) Yes  |  No Do the  breasts feel full before feeding  and  softer after feeding ?  Yes  |  No Do you  hear swallowi...

Recently, we have been researching the effectiveness of small breast flanges for moms who are trying aftermarket brands in 15mm.  Most manufacturer's do not offer flanges that small.  This mom in particular was having difficulty because even a 15mm was too large.  A smaller flange can often be too large if too much of the areola is being pulled in and the milk sinuses are not being compressed properly at the breast shield. This problem can ofte be solved with a silicone insert or silicone breast shield.  So where a 15mm plastic flange may be too large, a 15-19 mm silicone breast shield such as the x-small and small super shields by Pumpin' Pal will work very well.  The reason is the material.  Silicone helps hold the breast tissue in place whereas the hard plastic flange will allo the tissue to be draw in too far. If you have tried a silicone shield, and still need to the areola to be held in place more efficiently, rolling the silicone so that it suc...

If your breast pump is not suctioning the way it used to, the problem often lies in one of two breast pump parts.  Most breast pumps have a valve plus a diaphragm, filter or backflow protector.  The number one cause of low suction is a dirty, torn or worn out valve.  If you valve is the type that has a valve head and membrane shown here, it is imperative that you remove these parts when cleaning.  The valve membrane will retain a build up that decreases the suction.  Taking the membrane apart from the head is essential to remove this build-up.  If you see that the membrane will no longer close completely with the head or if it has a tear, replace it as soon as possible. If your breast pump has a duckbill valve (shown below) which in most cases is a clear or white valve, the tip of the duckbill must be able to close completely.  If it remains open, the amount of pressure your pump can provide is decreased.  As a rule, if you are pumping thre...