Manual Breast Pump Technique

Many nursing mothers find that they need to pump at some point during their nursing relationship. For some, pumping is necessary upon returning to work, while other moms want extra milk for an evening out or they need to relieve some of the pressure of engorged breasts. While double electric pumps are ideal for pumping, sometimes budget or circumstances (like the power being out) dictate using a manual breast pump. Practice and being aware of technique can help manual pumping to be more successful for you and your baby.

Relax

The most important part of successful pumping is practicing relaxation. When you are getting ready to pump, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, releasing tension each time you exhale. Some moms find that sniffing a piece of their baby's clothing or holding a baby toy helps them to feel more connected to their baby as they relax and get ready to pump.

Massage

Once you have relaxed, you will need to prepare your breasts for releasing milk. You can help the breast to soften in preparation for let-down by practicing breast massage before you pump. Move your hand in circular motions all the way around your breast. Be sure to stay relaxed and breathe deeply.

Visualization

When you are pumping, be sure to use visualization to your advantage. Visualize your baby nursing at the breast or think about flowing rivers of milk in order to encourage your body to release milk. If you can trick your body into responding to the pump in a similar way to the way it would respond to your baby, you should be able to collect more milk during your pumping session.

Speed and Suction

When you first attach the manual breast pump to your nipple, begin pumping with fast, shallow motions. These motions will resemble the way the babies suck at the beginning of a nursing session in order to get you to let-down. Once you feel your breasts let-down and see milk beginning to drip into your collection container, begin pumping with slower deeper motions. This will help to draw out as much breast milk as possible during your pumping session.

Multiple Let-Downs

Many moms find that they can achieve more than one let-down while using a manual breast pump. Once you have experienced a let-down, go back to using the shorter, faster motions while pumping. Continue visualizing your baby nursing and within three to five minutes you might find that you have a second let-down. When you do, go back to using the slower, deeper pumping motions. If you find that you leak from the other breast while pumping, be sure to place a collection receptacle beneath the breast that you are not pumping so that you do not lose any precious breast milk.

How to Tell How Much Formula a Baby Needs

Knowing how much formula to feed your baby can be confusing. Take your cues from your baby. Pay attention to how she behaves after she eats. Every baby is different but you can also use her age and weight to follow general feeding guidelines. Read on for some general rules for determining how much formula your baby needs.

Instructions

1

Pay attention to your baby's behavior. Your baby's appetite will change from day to day. When she is hungry she will eat. When she is full, she will stop. Common hunger cues are crying, lip smacking, sucking, rooting and putting her hand in her mouth. If your baby finishes her bottle quickly, and uses any of the above cues, chances are that she is still hungry and needs more formula.

2

Consider your baby's weight. If your baby is not eating solids, multiply his weight by 2.5 ounces. In other words, for every pound he weighs, he should drink about 2.5 ounces of formula per day. If your baby weighs ten pounds, he will probably eat about 25 ounces of formula in a 24 hour period.

3

Consider your baby's age. Most newborns will eat every two to three hours. Start by giving your new baby 1 to 2 ounces at eat feeding. As your baby gets older, her tummy will get bigger. She will begin to eat less often but eat more formula at each feeding.

4

Count your baby's diapers. If you are using cloth diapers, he should have six to eight wet diapers a day. If you use disposable diapers, it should be five to six due to the fact that they hold more liquid.

5

Refrain from over feeding your baby. If she vomits after her bottle, you may have overfed her. Tummy pain is also a sign of over feedings. If she cries and draws her knees up, her tummy may be too full.

How to Avoid Sore Nipples During Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is the best way for your baby to receive optimal nutrition; however, sore nipples can put a screeching halt to effective breastfeeding. While most mothers feel some degree of soreness in their nipples upon initial latch, it should not remain painful throughout the feeding. If this happens, sore nipples are most likely to blame. Although sore nipples may not be completely avoidable, you can take preventive measures to alleviate the intense irritation.

Instructions

1

Take a lactation or breastfeeding class during pregnancy. Taking a class is essential in understanding the anatomy and physiology of the breasts, how lactation works, the most effective positions to nurse in, and how to avoid complications. Lactation classes are taught at hospitals, clinics and pregnancy centers and through independent instructors.

2

Meet with a lactation consultant in the hospital. After you deliver, you can schedule a visit with a lactation consultant. Lactation consultants come to your room and offer helpful tips on breastfeeding, help you and your baby establish a good routine and can troubleshoot any potential problems.

3

Get the correct latch. Make sure that when your baby latches on, he has a wide mouth, almost like a yawn, before you pull him onto your breast. If he doesn't seem to get a wide enough latch, break his suction and try to latch again. Allowing him to nurse on a narrow latch, also called nipple sucking, will most certainly result in a sore nipple.

4

Apply lanolin cream to your nipples when you feed. Lanolin cream helps keep your nipples moist, helps to heal any cracks or sores from nursing and is completely safe for your baby to nurse while it is on your nipples.

5

Change the baby's position throughout breastfeeding. Allowing your baby to nurse in different positions, such as the cradle hold, football hold and lying down, puts pressure on your nipples through different angles and this prevents your nipples from getting sore.

6

Let your nipples air-dry after a bath or feeding. Allowing your nipples to air dry helps them heal faster. For quicker healing, express a drop or two of milk, rub it around your entire nipple and let it air dry. Your milk is naturally healing.

7

Sun your nipples. If you have a place in your home where the sun comes in, sit in front of it for a few minutes a day. Sunlight provides vitamin D, which is very healing for sore, cracked nipples.

How to Understand a Breastfeeding Baby's Bowel Movements

To new parents, the first few days of their baby's life come with much uncertainty and many questions. For the breastfeeding mother, normal bowel movements from her newborn baby can help the mother feel confident about her breastfeeding her baby. Follow these steps to help you understand the breastfeeding baby's bowel movements in those first few days of life.

Instructions

1

Look for a breastfed baby's first bowel movement, also known as meconium, the substance that formed in the baby's bowel prior to birth. This substance is sticky and thick and has a greenish-black color. Parents tend to find it difficult to remove meconium from their baby's bottom because it's sticky. Breastfed babies usually have their first bowel movement within 12 hours after their birth. Typically, on the first and second days of life, a breastfed baby will have one to two bowel movements of this type per day.

2

Watch for the transitional bowel movements that follow the meconium stools. You will note a bowel movement that has a greenish-brown or greenish-yellow color on approximately the third day of the baby's life. These stools are not as sticky and thick as the meconium and they have a softer texture. At a minimum, your breastfed baby will have about two of these transitional stools per day.

3

Pay attention to the third type of bowel movement that you will see in a breastfed newborn. Around the fourth day of life, you will note that the baby's stools turn to a mustard yellow color. The stools have a runny and seedy texture as well. On days 4 and 5 of the baby's life, you can expect about three bowel movements per day at a minimum. This type of stool is what you will see in a breastfed baby until about four to six weeks of life.

How to Get a 6 Month Old Baby to Sleep Through the Night

As most parents know, getting a baby to sleep through the night can be a difficult, frustrating challenge. Some babies easily fall into a regular sleep pattern, while others seem to wake up often during the night and even get days and nights reversed. Six months of age is a good time to start establishing a schedule that promotes a restful night's sleep. You can even start this type of schedule as young as 2 or 3 months of age.

Instructions

Getting Baby to Sleep Through the Night

1

Keep the baby active during much of the day. A 6-month old baby will need to nap during daylight hours, but try to limit naps to no more than an hour and a half to two hours. During times when the baby is awake, engage her in play. This not only helps the baby's mental and physical development, but it will also allow him to be appropriately tired at bedtime.

2

Begin the nighttime routine with a warm bath. This can help to relax your little one.

3

Read a book together. This benefits your baby intellectually and emotionally because she is exposed to language as well as cuddling time with you.

4

Feed your baby some warm milk. Whether it's through breastfeeding or a bottle, drinking warm milk can help to soothe your baby and keep him from waking up from an empty tummy during the night.

5

Hug and kiss your baby and quietly lay her in her crib. You might want to sing a lullaby or turn on a CD of soft music before leaving the room. You also could turn on a mobile for soothing music. You also might want to let your little one hold onto a favorite blanket or stuffed animal. Make sure the "lovey" doesn't have anything that could potentially be a choking or suffocation hazard.

6

Comfort your baby if he wakes up and cries. Try waiting a couple of minutes before comforting. Sometimes you baby might briefly cry and go right back to sleep. There are many theories on whether to let them cry and for how long. Trust your parental instinct; you know your baby better than anyone else. She might need to be changed or fed. Sometimes babies need to be fed more often during a growth spurt. You don't want to ignore a legitimate need. If you do feed or change your baby, do so in low light and put her back to bed promptly so that she doesn't become too alert and think it's time to get up.

How to Make Nipples Look Larger

Many women want to make their nipples appear larger to attract attention from their mate or society in general. Breasts certainly represent an opportunity to wield power in the workplace or the bedroom, so it only stands to reason that enhancing one's nipples might be an attractive idea. A few quick steps can make your nipples look larger in minutes.

Instructions

1

Choose a thin bra under thin clothing. If you want your nipples to look large and obvious under clothing, it only stands to reason that you'd want very little fabric hiding them. Thin satin bras or lace bras allow your nipples to protrude under your clothing. Or don't wear a bra at all.

2

Squeeze and pinch your nipples to give them a rosy, swollen look. Stimulation causes the nipples to harden and stick up from the body, so playing with them for a few minutes prior to sex or before going out in a thin bra can certainly give you larger looking nipples.

3

Chill your nipples for maximum notice. As any woman who's ever been in a cold room knows, a chill is the quickest and surest way to make your nipples look larger. Apply ice or a cool cloth to your nipples to make them stand out.

4

Recline to give your nipples more surface area. While it's only an illusion, laying down changes the position of your breasts and can significantly flatten the breasts and nipples, giving them a look of a larger circumference.

5

Consult a plastic surgeon if you want larger nipples all the time. Breast implants significantly increase the size and protrusion of nipples. By talking to a plastic surgeon you can reasonably assess the risk involved in taking a permanent step and the possible results for you on an individual basis.

Mucus in a Baby's Stool

New parents tend to obsess over any changes in a baby's bowel movements, and because a baby's stool comes in a wide variety of colors and textures, it can be a source of great angst and stress. Relatives and friends are quick to assume something is wrong with the baby if the stool changes, yet many times varying stool colors and mucus content are caused from simple changes in the diet or drooling due to teething. Mucus in a baby's stool often does not signify a severe problem; however, if the condition persists over an extended period of time, it should be addressed by your pediatrician.

Significance

Normal baby stool colors include light tan to dark brown and pale yellow to dark green, depending on whether the baby is breast or formula fed. Normal baby stool texture is soft, loose and seedy. A few liquid texture bowel movements is usually not reason for alarm, but frequent watery stools can be diarrhea as a result of a stomach or bowel infection, a viral infection, a food intolerance and even a reaction to stress and anxiety. It is important to note that babies that are solely breastfed will have liquid texture bowel movements as a rule and there is no need to worry.

Symptoms

If there is an unusually large amount of mucus in a baby's stool, a virus might be the culprit. Many times the only symptom of a virus in a baby is a green mucus stool. Teething can also cause green mucus stools. Babies drool excessively, which causes an increase in saliva, which they often swallow. The saliva can irritate the intestines, resulting in green, runny, acidic stools that may contain mucus. Contact your health care provider if you are concerned about the mucus in your baby's stool.

Home Treatment

If your baby has mucus in the stool due to a virus, your pediatrician will most likely advise you to let the virus run its course. Mucus in your baby's stool as a result of teething is also remedied with time. Stools with mucus may cause diaper rash, which can be treated by keeping the area clean and treating with diaper creams.

Professional Treatment

Baby's stool that continually contains mucus may need to be treated by your pediatrician. The doctor may recommend dietary changes, changes in formula and even prescription medications for the treatment of diarrhea and stomach problems. For serious cases, your baby may be further examined to eliminate any possible internal intestinal complications.

Considerations

Breast-fed babies can have a variety of poop colors and textures, with or without mucus, due to the mother's diet. If the baby is allergic to a certain food or food group that the mother has in her diet, the baby's stool texture and color can change drastically.

Warning

If your baby's stool is bright red in addition to containing mucus, contact your pediatrician immediately, as this may signify blood due to a sore or crack in the skin around the anus, a possible milk allergy or a severe intestinal problem.