To answer the last question first, many women don’t need or want to use a breast pump at all, and that should be A-Okay if your are practicing “baby led” breastfeeding, your baby is breastfeeding at least eight times a day (most moms see that their baby “asks” to nurse 9-10 times/ 24 hours), is gaining weight well, and you are not separated for more than a few hours at a time.
See the previous question to understand a bit more about the different types of pumps out there, but if you are in the first few weeks postpartum and/ or your baby is not nursing well enough to pull enough milk out your breast each feeding, then yes, a hospital-grade pump is absolutely appropriate in your situation.
Hospital-grade pumps are the strongest, most durable pump type available, with a powerful motor that provides a higher level of suction and more efficient pumping. Personal grade pumps simply weren’t designed to establish a milk supply the way that hospital-grade pumps do. Hosptial grade pumps effectively drain milk from your breasts, which not only provides milk at that moment to offer your little one, but it works to adequately increase your breast milk production, and helps your body make the long-term milk-making cells that are “laid down” in the first few weeks postpartum.
There are many different reasons that using a hospital-grade breastpump is the appropriate choice, including (but not limited to):
- Increasing low milk supply
- Protecting and promoting your milk supply if you need to skip a feeding at the breast/ are supplementing with expressed milk or formula
- Building your supply if you have more than one baby to feed
- If your baby is born late-preterm, preterm, or is ill
- If your baby has jaundice
- Induced lactation
← Do I really need to rent a hospital-grade breastpump? Can’t I just use the one I got through my insurance or from a friend? Or, not use one at all?
