How do I use breast pumps, breast shells, and nipple shields?
Once you've finished breastfeeding, you may want to pump to remove any access breast milk. Talk with your nurse or lactation consultant on how to find an adequately fitting pump. This is a double breast pump. It will press both breasts at the same time, cutting your pump time in half.
What's important to note is the flange size. You want to make sure that it's the correct size for your nipple, so that your nipple is not rubbing up against this part of the flange when you are pumping.
You are going to center your nipples in the flange and lean forward. This will help the milk to flow down into the bottles. The pressure is regulated on the pump by a switch. You don't want the pressure to be too high, otherwise it will cause damage to your nipple or to your breast. You want the pressure to be just high enough that your nipple goes in and out of this comfortably without any discomfort.
If you've been pumping wrong or the baby has not been latching right, you may have sore nipples. There are a couple of different things you can use. Breast shells fit in your bra over top of your nipple and you put them in before the feedings. They help keep the pressure of the bra off your nipple and keep the pressure from causing pain. They are also good if you are engorged, it helps pull the fluid back into your breast and away from your nipple, producing a better nipple for the baby to latch on to.
The last thing I am going to show you is called the Nipple Shield. So silicone form that fits over your nipple and allows the baby to have something more to grasp, if you have flat nipples, or it also takes away the pain if you have sore nipples, the baby is grasping onto that more than onto your nipple. It will reduce the pain. All of these products are readily available.
However, if you have a plan to use them, you should talk with your healthcare professional or lactation consultant. They all come with potential side-effects and risks.
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