Breastfeeding Intervention Tools

Have you ever used a nipple shield?  Do you know someone who did?

Have you been told you need to have a pump in order to be successful with breastfeeding?

Are you worried you won’t be able to breastfeed without specific tools to help you?

We are about to squash that information today.  Get ready to learn.

If you are a new listener, we would love to hear from you.  Please consider leaving us a review on itunes or sending us an email with your suggestions and comments to badassbreastfeedingpodcast@gmail.com

WE HAVE TRANSCRIPTS!!  You can also add your email to our list and have episodes sent right to your inbox!

Things we talked about:

Different interventions [4:42]

Why the nipple shield? [6:47]

Flat nipples [8:24]

Why nipple shields can be a nuisance [15:50]

Nipple shields and milk supply [21:39]

Supplemental Nursing System [23:30]

Pumps [28:18]

Shout Out [19:30]

Tanisha Evans Marin

@justforyoudoula – IG

www.justforyoudoula.com

*This Episode is sponsored by Cake Maternity and Fairhaven Health

Links to information we discussed or episodes you should check out!

https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/043-babies-that-wont-dont-latch/

https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/021-latching-101/

Set up your consultation with Dianne

https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/consultations/

Check out Dianne’s blog here~

https://diannecassidyconsulting.com/2021/01/31/how-to-prevent-a-breastfeed-baby-from-overeating/

Follow our Podcast~

• https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com

Here is how you can connect with Dianne and Abby~

• Abby Theuring  https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.com
• Dianne Cassidy http://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com

Music we use~

Music: "Levels of Greatness" from "We Used to Paint Stars in the Sky (2012)" courtesy of Scott Holmes at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott Holmes

Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):

music

dianne (00:21):

Welcome to the badass breastfeeding podcast. This is Dianne, your lactation consultant,

abby (00:25):

and I'm Abby, the badass breastfeeder and today's episode is brought to you by fair Haven health. Are you leaking breast milk in between feedings? Now you can collect that milk rather than throw it away in your breast pads. And today's episode is also brought to you by Cake maternity. Cake, maternity stocks one of the largest ranges of maternity and nursing bras. And we'll hear more about our sponsors later, but these sponsors make this podcast possible. So if you can, and if you would please head to badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com and check out our sponsor page, if you need anything or want anything, check there and see if you can give your business any of our sponsors. And while you're there, you can scroll down and enter your email address and get episodes sent right to your inbox every Monday. And now Dianne has our review of the week.

dianne (01:11):

Yes, this is from Morgan, from Chicagoland right there by you. Yeah. And she says, thank you. Thank you. I'm so grateful for you guys for creating this podcast. I'm nursing my second baby with never having been able to nurse my first postpartum depression, lack of knowledge, et cetera, with this pandemic I'm home all day with my e-learning five-year-old and now seven week old breastfeeding, and also getting ready to go back to work thankfully from home as well. So needless to say, I can be a bit stressed and being so new to breastfeeding. I wasn't sure what was normal. My son was born three weeks early and seems to constantly want to be at the breasts and without having many people in my life who've breastfed. Let's be honest. I have three friends who have breastfed their children, but those are all the people I know. It's been hard to convince my family and husband, that everything is normal and we're all doing fine. I love listening to you guys in the middle of the night and I have to try not to laugh or yell "Yeah that's right!" When you guys are outraged at something ridiculous and you really make me feel like I can do this. And what we're going through with breastfeeding is normal. I love that. I have another resource in my arsenal as well that I can refer my loved ones to when they don't want to accept my word. Thank you so much and keep doing what you're doing. You're both a godsend.

abby (02:26):

What a nice review. Thank you.

dianne (02:27):

I know. Thank you. And congratulations on your success. The second time around, that's really hard when the first time was such a struggle and you know, and you have all the family around, like I know like when your head with stuff and you're trying to e-learn a five-year-old like, Oh, you're the godson girl, because I don't know. That's some hard stuff.

abby (02:52):

So I can't, you know, people are like, Oh, are you like, how are your kids with the e-learning? I'm like, we're homeschooled. We're not doing that. I can't imagine. I cannot even wrap my brain around trying to get my kids to sit in front of a computer all day. I know. And I can't even imagine it. I can't imagine them sitting in a classroom. And on top of it, I can't imagine them sitting in front of a computer all day. It would just, they would be, it wouldn't happen.

dianne (03:18):

I know, I know you'd be called to the principal's office every day.

abby (03:22):

I'd be sending them to the principal's office. You're in detention.

dianne (03:29):

So thank you for the review. We love it. Um, she put this one on iTunes, which is great. It really helps the podcast a lot. So if you can do that, that's awesome. If not, you can always send us an email at breastfeeding podcast, gmail.com. And we get those too. So thank you so much. Today We are talking interventions, nipple shields. People ask us about those all the time. I think we've talked about them, but it's never been like an actual episode, right? Maybe. I don't know. We have like how many, like 180 episodes. I don't know, like, Oh yeah. Back in like this date, we talked about nipple shields. Um, so yeah, so we're going to talk cause I mean, it comes up quite a bit.

abby (04:17):

Yeah. And then when people ask, we can be like, Oh yeah, here's this episode about that. That's what I always say. Sometimes I'm like, we need to do an episode on this. I can refer it to people when they ask. Cause people ask about this a lot. So it's like, actually the podcast becomes a resource for us too.

dianne (04:30):

I know. Yeah. It's really helpful. You guys, aren't the only ones that get a use out of this. It helps us help you, help us help you. So the nipple shield thing, we're going to talk about that. And also other interventions that are being used out there. So like interventions, like the supplemental nursing system or pumps, see, I consider pumps a tool and people might disagree with that because some people I think have the idea that pumps are a necessity, but I really feel like pumps are a tool. Um, hakaa's, milk savers. All those things are great tools to use for breastfeeding, but they're, you know, they're just something that we have to kind of help us along interventions to help us along if we need them.

abby (05:21):

Yeah. And certainly pumps. If you have to work the tool that you have to have and you have to learn and you have to, you know...utilize

dianne (05:28):

Yeah. But they're not like necessary,

abby (05:31):

Not necessary for breastfeeding.

dianne (05:33):

No, you don't need to have one. Um, so let's start with nipple shields. We're going to talk about those first because they seem to be, I mean, they're kind of popular.

abby (05:43):

They're very popular. There's a lot of people using nipple shields and I don't...do people, are they overused? Are they, they're very hard to get off of. I've heard from that's the big thing that I hear is like people trying to once start using it, then They're like, how do I stop using it? And I, and I feel like then there's a kind of a lack of support there or something or a lack of education to wean off or whatever.

dianne (06:08):

Well, I think one of the important things to remember with nipple shields, and this is really important to remember is that you really should be working with a lactation consultant. If you have one or if you're using one and sometimes you'll get it, Like if you're in the hospital, they'll say, Oh, here, here's your, you know, we'll give you a nipple shield. And I'll talk about more about that in a minute. But then, you know, obviously you're not in the hospital for your whole breastfeeding duration. So you leave the hospital and you're on this nipple shield. And then you're like, okay, now what do I do?

abby (06:40):

Well, it's like the same thing with supplementing here. Just supplement your milk will come in and everything will be fine. Right? And then when you're like, how do I stop?

dianne (06:47):

That's right now, what do I do? What happens now? Now that I have this, you know, nipple shield, now that I'm doing this supplementing, like what, what do I do with this? So you should be working with a lactation consultant. What I have seen as, when breastfeeders come out of the hospital with a nipple shield, they often do not know why they even have it. And there are specific reasons why we use them, one of them for pain. So if you're having a lot of pain with a latch or you have like nipple damage, that can be very helpful. But why are you having that pain? That has to be figured out. You can't just like, it'd be like putting a bandaid on it. And then you just keep reinjuring yourself because I'll just keep putting that band-aid on. Instead of figuring out why you're bleeding, you know, you can't, it's just a band-aid until we figure out what's going on. So if like, does the baby have a tongue tie? Is that a situation where maybe we need to use a nipple shield until we get that tongue tie fixed or revised? If that's what you choose to do, the nipple shield can be helpful. So pain is one thing. If the baby's really having a hard time latching, that can be a helpful thing too. But why is the baby have a hard time latching? We need to figure that out. The thing that I probably the number one reason why I see them being given in the hospital is because they say the, uh, breastfeed, her has flat nipples. That's the number one reason that I see and probably the majority of the time that person does not have flat nipples. So what happens is a lot of times it's a lot of fluid. So you get a lot of fluid and you know, during labor, your body gets fairly swollen. Your breast tissue gets very swollen and the baby has a really hard time latching when you're swollen up like that. So they give you a nipple shield, which is very helpful. But what they're saying to you is, Oh, your nipples are flat. So now we have to give you a nipple shield. So what if it's that person's fault now we're blaming the breastfeeder because her nipples aren't perfect. That drives me crazy.

abby (09:11):

What's a perfect nipple. I mean, babies can latch on to nipples.

dianne (09:15):

It's not nipple feeding. That's what I always tell people. It's breastfeeding. It's not nipple feeding it shouldn't, it shouldn't have anything to do with that really. I mean, it really, we shouldn't be scared of a flat nipple. But in the hospital, they're not necessarily trained for all problems, right? They just, and they want your baby to feed. They're not there to nurture your breastfeeding relationship. They're there to make sure that your baby is feeding. So they don't have to worry about blood sugar and jaundice and all of that other stuff that goes along with a newborn, not feeding,

abby (09:51):

Right? They need to get things evened out as quickly as possible because they want you out. Right. You know, they bring you in, they want your birth to go a certain way and then they need your recovery to go to certain way. So you can get out. I mean, they have like policies, procedures, protocols to like make all of that happen as quickly as possible. So when there's bumps in the road, they use these tools instead of they don't have the time to be like, well, you know, let's, let's get a whole team in here and figure this out. Like that's not what happens in hospital.

dianne (10:23):

No. And often the nipple shield is given by somebody who is not the lactation consultant, because you might not have a lactation consultant to see number one, they might not be there all the time. Number two, they might be busy and can't see you, number three. And your nurses when you're going to be

abby (10:44):

There's one for a whole hospital.

dianne (10:47):

Yeah. Often that's the case. If they have one at all, right. So now you're, you know, the nurses are the ones that are helping you and they can be trained in every single thing. So they want your baby to get on. And if you're struggling to get your baby latch and they're like, okay, let's try this because it's like a guarantee. But now we don't know what is the real reason why your baby needs this? Why, why is this, why do we have this? Because it's probably not for the reason they tell you.

abby (11:16):

Yeah. That's like with any intervention, if you're like, if you're just kind of stepping in and putting a bandaid on it, as we say, then the problem that, that is whatever the issue is not, is not getting addressed. And it doesn't just go away on its own. So whenever you decide to take this nipple shield off, that issue is still going to be there,

dianne (11:37):

which is why families have a hard time coming off of them. And that's why you hear that. And I, I firmly believe it. I could be totally wrong, but I've worked with a lot of families that have had nipple shields. If we solve the problem of why the baby has the shield to begin with or why the baby needs the nipple shield to begin with, then we won't need it. But if we haven't solved the problem, they're not going to come off of it. So where people are like the baby's addicted to the nipple shield. No, we probably haven't figured out why they have it yet. It hasn't been, we haven't figured out the problem. So when they send you home with it and say, this is one of my favorite things, they'll send them home. And then they'll be like, don't use that for very long, because it impacts your milk supply and it's bad. So don't use it. Good luck to you. And then they like send you home. So now you have this family, this new family that is like, what do we do here? We got to get off the nipple shield. I can't get off the nipple shield. It's going to ruin my breastfeeding relationship, which isn't true by the way. And then they're stuck trying to figure things out for themselves and they don't even know why they have it to begin with. I mean, it's crazy. There's no help with this whatsoever. So if you have one, you should be working with lactation consultant to figure out what is going on there. And sometimes I'll have people that just go out and buy them on their own because you can just get them. So now if you have a baby that's not latching, well, mom might be like, Oh, let me go grab a nipple shield. Okay. So why do we have it like what's happening here? So you really should be working with somebody to make sure that the problems are solved. Now, the other thing with the nipple shields that they work really well with early babies with preemie babies, you know, and preemie babies are really struggling to latch or they don't have the strength to feed well. Those nipple shields can be very, very helpful. So whereas some people kind of really discourage the use of nipple shields. They can be really, they can keep breastfeeding going while we figure out the problem of what's happening. So they're not all bad, but they don't get the followup that they need because it just isn't encouraged. And they're not used the way they should be used, I guess, is what I'm trying to say with that. The other thing I see a lot with the nipple shields is that new parents are told if you're using a nipple shield, you have to pump all the time because the baby does not stimulate the breast supply or the milk supply well if you're using a nipple shield. I have yet to see good research on that. Like, I really, there's really not good research on that at all. And if anybody else out there has any, I would love to see it because I have looked and I really can not find any good research on that. In fact, I find just the opposite to be quite honest. But if you are using a nipple shield and you're feeding your baby and you're pumping on top of it, then the families that I have seen up with a huge oversupply problem. And that's not something that we want either. So there has to be like a really good balance. You need to really be knowing what's going on here. And we have to just figure out the, the main thing is to figure out why do we have this nipple shield to begin with? It's helpful to keep your breastfeeding relationship going, but you need to know why, why do we have it? Why are we using it? And we need to fix that problem. So do people come to you a lot with nipple shield issues?

abby (15:24):

So most of the time when I hear about nipple shields, people are saying I'm using a nipple shield and I'm trying to get off of the nipple shield. And they always seem to be kind of confused about why it was, why they were using it to begin with, you know, they just got it in the hospital. Yeah. They've been on it since the beginning, but they want to stop using it, but they don't know how.

dianne (15:50):

Yeah. That's hard. Yeah. And you feel like they're kind of, they're a pain. I mean, there's, they're very helpful. They said they really can help to keep your baby at the breast, but then you're kind of dependent on this other thing to help you feed your baby and in the middle of the night. And it's another thing to wash and then, Oh, the dog ate it and it's just like, you just have to, you can't just stick the baby on. And that's it. You have to mess around trying to make sure you have your shield with you. And it's, it's really hard. Right? I mean, I have definitely had babies where I was like, the mom was like, I have a nipple shield. I'm like, okay, let's try without it. And the baby goes on great. And never needed it to begin with. But the nurse in the hospital couldn't get the baby latched well, or couldn't guide the mother to get the baby latched. Well, so they used a nipple shield. So now this mom for the first three or four days of the baby's life is thinking, I can't do this on my own. I need help.

abby (16:51):

Yes. And let's talk about more about that after a word from our sponsors.

dianne (16:54):

Yes.

abby (16:58):

Today's episode is brought to you by Cake Maternity. Cake Maternity is a nursing bras specialist, passionate about breastfeeding and the many benefits it offers for parent and bub and the environment. Breastfeeding, while natural doesn't always come naturally to everyone. That's why they have made it their mission to empower breastfeeders as they mindfully navigate the world of Parenthood and help make breastfeeding easier through experience driven innovation. Cake Maternity stocks one of the largest ranges of maternity and nursing bras, which includes seamless sleep, flexible, wired, non wired, a sports padded plunge t-shirt and fuller busted bras in sizes ranging from 38 to 42 K with 13 years of experience under their belt. Cake maternity is renowned for their quality fit and support. Cake has you covered for your maternity and nursing brand, head to Cakematernity.com and use code badass15 for 15% off of your purchase. Today's episode is also brought to you by FairHaven health. The original milk saver is designed to wear on the opposite breast while breastfeeding, but sometimes we're leaking in between feedings when we're on the go or at work, the milkies milk saver on the go is a discreet and comfortable breast milk collection system That requires zero effort on your part. You simply simply slip them into your bra while your milk collects inside of them. When you are ready to empty them, you pour your milk into a storage bag to add to your stash or to use for any of the dozens of uses of breast milk. They can not be seen under your clothes. They are small enough to carry in your purse and they're reusable. These can also be used to protect sore or cracked nipples while they heal. As they create a small open and protected area around your nipples, save your precious breast milk, money, and the environment by cutting down or even eliminating the use of breast pads. Breast milk is worth saving. Checkout The milkies milk saver on the go at FairHaven, health.com. That's F a I R H a V E N health and use code badass for 15% off of your purchase. These sponsors and their promo codes can be found in our show notes. Under this episode on badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com our show notes also include further information about things we talk about in this episode, and also at badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com You will also find breastfeeding resources, all of our other episodes and information about scheduling your very own on one-on-one online lactation consultation with Dianne and I have a shout out of the week. Um, a shout out goes to Dianne's new friend, Tanisha Evans Marin. I think it is. Yeah. Um, you can find her on Instagram @justforyoudoula she's, uh, Dona certified doula, CLC and childbirth educator in Harlem, New York community-based doula. Um, and there's more information @justforyoudoula.com and this is a beautiful newsfeed of breastfeeding information. Awesome. Um, um, um, not just breastfeeding, breastfeeding, um, birth and, um, pregnancy information, um, from Tanisha Evans Marin.

dianne (20:12):

She also trains Doulas. So if you are in the New York city area and you are looking into becoming a doula, Reach out to her, she can hook you up.

abby (20:28):

Yeah. Just for you doula. So you can get your training, their head too, just for you, doula.com. Awesome. And that's all I got. And so what I wanted to say about the nipple shields is like people say to me, I'm not a lactation consultant. So like, when, when things like this come up, I'm like, I, you know, I got, I'm going to refer you on, but People say, I can't get off of the nipple shield. You know, I'm trying to get off of it. So then it's like, well, why are you on it? Well, I mean, he was having some latching issues in the hospital and somebody gave me a nipple shield. Okay. Well, what were the latching issues? Well, I don't know. just wouldn't latch. Okay. So this is the thing is that there was a problem from the beginning that is still here. Hasn't been dealt with. So it's not just like let's use a nipple shield and then let's have information about weaning off the nipple shield when we're ready, because for whatever problem you're using the nipple shield for that problem needs to be solved. Otherwise you can't just get off it, right. Because the baby still won't latch. I mean, the baby has a tongue tie or something, then there's still not going to be latching well, and that doesn't go away just because you're using a nipple shield,

dianne (21:39):

it's just shielding the problem. But the other thing with it too is, you know, they say, okay, nipple shields can impact milk supply. That's one of the, one of the big arguments about nipple shields, nipple shields can impact milk supply. And like I said, I've, I've really not seen good research on that, but you know, what will impact milk supply ? a baby that's not feeding well. Right. So how, how do we know is that the nipple shield that's really causing the problem? Or is it the problem of why the baby has a shield to begin with that's causing the milk supply problem? Like we'd need to fix the problem that is the bottom line. And you really do need to be, if you were to leave the hospital with a nipple shield, if you choose to get one on your own, because your baby's not latching and you didn't have help in the hospital. So you just, you know, happened to get yourself a nipple shield, that's fine, but make sure you're working with a lactation consultant to determine what is going on there and why you, why you need it. Because that is a really important piece of things. And I know people that have used them throughout their entire breastfeeding relationship, whether it's six months, nine months, 12 months, and that's, and they did fine and they were fine using it. And they never, you know what, without it, that was, you know, totally up to them. But a lot of, lot of breastfeeders I know just want to be done with it and want to get off of it.

abby (23:06):

Yeah, I know. And I think they're told, they're told like, well, you can just use this for a little while and then when things get better, you can take it off. Yeah. But stop using it. Yeah. So then people think, well, okay, I'm ready to get rid of this. And then there's no information about how to move forward.

dianne (23:23):

Yeah. So bottom line is, you know, we just need to, we need to figure out what the problem is. So that's what it comes down to now supplemental nursers, we'll talk about those real quick. Those are a little bit more complicated because those are the ones like with the tube and you've got like the, you know, the milk, you put the milk in the, in the little bottle and the little syringe type thing. And you've got the tube that goes to the breast and then the baby latches at the breast and can nurse getting milk from the tube while they're latched to the breast. So the idea behind a supplemental nurser, we call them SNS. The idea behind those is wonderful. Like in theory, it is a great idea because you're supplementing your baby right at the breast. It's a, time-saver, it can help. It keeps the baby at the breast, stimulating your supply. Like it can really be fantastic. We've seen families use those for adopted babies. We've seen them use them for newborn, you know, for like early, early newborns that need that extra supplementation. Um, but when you're putting it into practice, it can be really overwhelming because there's just like, it's just stuff, you know, like you're trying to figure out this tube and you're taping it to your nipple. And you've got this bottle here and that's up on your shoulder, like clipped your clothing and, or you're wearing it around your neck. And like, you know, this bottle around your neck and you've got the tubing there and it's really hard to manipulate on your own until you really get the hang of it. So it can be very overwhelming. And I don't see a lot of families able to keep up with it for very long because it's very overwhelming. So that is one of the reasons why people ask me sometimes, well, do you recommend a supplemental nurser? Like, you know, I don't most of the time because I find that families who are already overwhelmed get even more overwhelmed and then they feel like I need all this stuff to breastfeed and you really shouldn't need a lot of stuff to breastfeed. But if you are using a supplemental nurser, that is another situation where you really should have help from a lactation consultant. You need to know what's going on there so that we can, we can you know, get rid of that as soon as possible. So they're, they're kind of hard. They're, you know, they're, they're a challenge for sure. Sometimes you only use it in the hospital. You see it more with, you know, like I said, with maybe early babies, you're maybe you're in the NICU. Um, they might help you with something like that in the hospital, but going home with it by yourself can be really a difficult task to try to keep up.

abby (26:00):

I can see, like, that would be something that could also be over prescribed because if you have, um, you know, if you don't have any reason why a milk supply would be a problem for you, then again, we're just trying to work on helping the baby to breastfeed, You know? And, and, and if you do have some sort of issue where, where a full milk supply is not possible for you, like you have the IGT condition where you just body just does not make, which is very rare. But if you do have that, that would obviously be really helpful if you want to have the breastfeeding experience. Or For adoptive parents. Like that could be amazing, you know, too. I mean, there is like ways to induce Lactation for, you know, an adopt adopted situation, but that can be really complicated too. And if you want to use, um, I've heard of situations where somebody who is adopting, giving up a baby for adoption will actually pump for that baby, send the milk to the family. And then that baby can actually breastfeed the milk that was made for them from their parent. You know, that's, that seems like amazing to me and what a wonderful way to be able to do that. Or it doesn't have to be breast milk from the, from the biological parent. It could be whatever it is, but then you can have the breastfeeding experience with a, with an adopted baby and what a wonderful thing. But if it's just like, well, you know, we think, cause I can, like, in my experience in the hospital, I don't know if this is, if this is true, but I can see it being like, well, your milk's just not coming in or you're not, you know, and then just kind of throwing this tool at somebody.

dianne (27:49):

Yeah. That happens.

abby (27:50):

Instead of actually again, like just dealing with whatever, getting help that you need to actually breastfeed if. That's what you're trying to do.

dianne (27:57):

Yeah. Yep. That's how it happens a lot of the time. Well, let's see if we can get, you know, like your baby needs more because you happen to have birthed a very hungry baby.

abby (28:09):

as opposed to fasting their final trimester. So now they need extra food, tell you it's something else.

dianne (28:18):

So those are really the two biggest intervention tools that I see being used. Um, and then you've got like, you know, your pumps and stuff like that. And of course those, like I said, I feel like those are kind of a tool to use as well, but they're so popular and just out there for the whole world to have, um, that, you know, and then the thing with the pumping, I think everybody, when you're pregnant, you're like, Oh yeah, I'll pump. And you know, it sounds like this great idea I'll pump. So other people can feed. I'll pump when I'm at work and it's going to be great. And then you have this baby and it's like, Oh my God, I don't want to pump. You know, it's just one more thing and you have to pump at work. So why would you want to pump at home? And it's just, Ugh.

abby (29:13):

Well, I feel like this is one of the things that's over prescribed too, because you get into the hospital and then they're like, okay, well, so breastfeed for, you know, 10 minutes on each side and then pump, which is ridiculous, but why you're taking your baby. That is the most efficient breast stimulator known to man. And we're putting on a machine because this is somehow supposed to help your milk come in, but that's Not how it works. And that's like, that's, you don't need a pump in order to make breastfeeding happen. If you work and you need to be away from your baby, for any reason that you need to be away from your baby, while they need to have milk during the day, then you need a pump. You have to have that. That's the tool that you're going to use to function to give your baby breast milk while you're not there. But we have taken pumps and making it, making it, made it into, made it into a thing that everyone that we just tell everybody they need. Okay, you're a breast. Okay. You're planning to breastfeed. Okay. So we'll get you a pump. Why? what's the reason because you're breastfeeding and then you're going to pump in between feedings to help your milk come in. And it don't do that

dianne (30:31):

So that everybody else can feed your baby.

abby (30:34):

Oh, well, okay. So if somebody chooses to do that fine, I'm not going to speak on what people choose to do, but yeah, but you don't have to do that. No, it's not even, it's not a necessity. It's not even the best way to get your milk to come in. It's not even the best way to create an establish your milk supply. Right. Which is, I think is what we're told pump in between feedings to help your milk come in.

dianne (30:55):

And the pumps are ridiculous. Now. It's like, they are, they're so unbelievable that I'm surprised they don't come with milk. Like they're so unbelievable. Now there are these pumps that you have wear them, and nobody knows you have them on. You can just be pumping 24 hours a Day. Like, Oh, it makes it so easy. You can pump while you're doing all the things you need to do. And it's, it's great. And you know, they have made it like this. We have made breastfeeding a billion dollar industry because of these pumps and they're not cheap. No. And you're, you know, now you're stuck with more things to wash and more things to do. And it feels like you have to have it. Like, you have to have it. You choose to, like you said, you choose to breastfeed. You have to have this pump. And not only just a pump, you have to, you better have the top of the line pump because that's what, that's what we have now. Like every year we get more and more and more established with these pumps.

abby (32:02):

That's capitalism, man. It's here. And it's here inside of breastfeeding, full force.

dianne (32:07):

And I can see if you do have a job where you need to have something like that, but it's just like, okay, so we expect you to multitask. We expect you to wear your pump and pump milk for your baby while you were doing all the other things you need to do.

abby (32:25):

It's the, it's such a, it's such a telling thing of our culture that like, we glorify all the things we can do at the same time. Yeah. Right? Like, look at the eight things I'm doing at the same time. If you sit down, you're a lazy, M-Fer. like, you know, if you, you look at, look at this super look at this super parent, like running around with their Cape on doing eight different things at the same time and pumping too, like it's exhausting. We it's totally overwhelming the expectations that we put on ourselves in each other. And that's just all, it's like, again, it's all capitalism. It's all just this marketing of these products that you need to have. Um, and you need to get this done. You need to be doing that and you need to be doing that. And don't, you don't, you need to be doing this. And you know, you need to be doing that. And so you can buy this and this and this and this and this to get these things done. I mean, the best thing you can do is lay down with your newborn baby and lay there and do nothing. And I realized that that that's also unrealistic because we all think that we need to be while all these things. And there's many things that we do need to be doing. Um, but as close as you can get to, that is the direction that we should be going.

dianne (33:30):

And it's, it's heartbreaking to me when I see new parents that are breastfeeding pumping, you know, it's just enjoy your baby. You're handing your newborn baby off to somebody else to hold while you attach yourself to a machine.

abby (33:44):

Yeah. Right. I mean, the bottom line is you do not need a pump to make breastfeeding work. You need to, you need a pump to make being away from your baby work. If that's something that needs to happen, but you do not need a pump to make breastfeeding work.

dianne (33:56):

Yeah. If you're doing all those things, definitely consult with lactation consultant and find out why you need to be doing all those things. You know? And if you're like, okay, breastfeeding is established, it's working. I want to get myself a stash for when I go back to work, that's fine. Like, that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about, you know, families that really have the idea in their head, that the minute that baby comes out, they have to start pumping or breastfeeding is not going to work for them.

abby (34:20):

That's not even a good idea, cause you're going to end up over supply and it's going to be all messed up. And the other thing is that we think that we need to have a giant stash before we go back to work and you don't need to have that giant stash. You do not need to have the picture on Instagram of the thousands of ounces of milk and the re in the freezer that is an over supply. That is probably somebody who's donating the milk. Um, you need to have, literally, if you're going to be pumping at work, the amount of work you need to have amount of milk you need to have is that days. Yes. Because then you're pumping the next day's milk. If you want to have an extra day in there, fine, but you do not need to have the entire giant freezer stash. And that's another thing that starts to be, I got to start pumping now I got to go back to work.

dianne (35:06):

Oh no, that's too much to do. Enjoy your baby. Sit back and enjoy your baby. But bottom line, if you are using some kind of tool or intervention to help your breastfeeding along, make sure you're consulting with somebody and find out like, why you, why you're needing to do that because we want breastfeeding to be as seamless and easy as possible for you.

Speaker 1 (35:30):

Yup. Perfect. Thanks for listening. Thank you. [inaudible].