Breast Pumping as an Alternative to Breastfeeding

Video Transcript

" Greetings! My name is Asma Hanif. I am a certified nurse midwife with a private practice in Baltimore, Maryland and on behalf of Expert Village, this segment is on pumping your breast. The most common reason to pump your breasts is to collect your milk, so that your baby can have it when you are not around, and to maintain your milk supply for when the two of you are not together. This is essential if you are going back to work but want to continue nursing. Pumping every 2 to 3 hours is ideal. This timetable should provide all the milk your baby will need while you’re gone, and allow you to keep up your milk supply, so that you can continue to nourish your baby in the morning and in the evening and on weekends. To store the milk that you have pumped, it’s best to put the breast milk in plastic or glass feeding bottles with secure caps to seal in their freshness. You can also use plastic bags made especially for storing milk, or disposable baby bottle liners; although, these may break more easily because the plastic is thin. Remember to write the date on the bottle or the bag before putting it in the refrigerator or freezer so you can know when you have pumped it. You may be surprised to see what breast milk looks like. It is normal for the fat to separate and flow to the top, and sometimes the milk may have a bluish hue. Use fresh refrigerated milk within 72 hours. Milk can last at least 3 months in the freezer or 3-6 months if you have a stand-alone freezer. On behalf of Expert Village, my name is Asma Hanif thank you for watching. "