You want to go back to work but would like to keep feeding baby the best food possible- breast milk. Is exclusive breastfeeding possible if you are away from baby eight hours a day? Yes, here is where pumping milk comes in.

Why pump breast milk?

Most moms pump breast milk to collect and store it for their babies while they are not around. However, if you have engorged breasts you can express some of your milk to ease the discomfort. If your baby is premature or cannot latch on to your breast for some reason, pumping breast milk might be recommended for her.

The reasons women exclusively pump are extremely varied: the premature birth of a baby; the illness of the baby or the mother; problems with breastfeeding including such things as a poor latch, thrush, cleft palate, poor weight gain, a lack of milk (either real or perceived), and the early introduction of a bottle leading to nipple preference; and the separation of mother and baby including women who must return to work soon after the birth of their babies.

Exclusively pumping, or exclusively expressing, is exactly as the term suggests. A woman exclusively uses a breast pump to induce and maintain lactation as opposed to breastfeeding. Some women begin to exclusively pump after initially starting to breastfeed, however, due to various problems or concerns switch to exclusively pumping.

A mother can quickly fill like a failure if her body isn't producing enough milk. By pumping breast milk though you will be able to store some of the milk that you pump. You can feed your baby with a bottle and a nipple that is contoured like your own so they will quickly take to it. This can even allow you to have some free time while someone else feeds the baby. It can allow dad to have an active role in the process as well.

Some women are afraid of the process of pumping breast milk though because it isn't familiar to them. You don't have to be afraid of it though because the process is easy and convenient. There are plenty of types of breast pumps out there for you to choose from. You want one that feels like your child is suckling from your breast. Many of them allow you to express milk from both of the breasts at the same time.

The benefits of breast milk for preemies have been well researched. Not only can breast milk decrease the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (a serious intestinal infection which is a very serious complication for any baby), but the breast milk from mothers of preemies is uniquely suited to the needs of these tiny infants.

Do the best you can to fix the problem then move on. Next, try to distract yourself. Are you anxious about filling your bottles? Don’t watch them. Find something else to do with your eyes. Look at pictures (not just one) of your baby. Put pictures of your baby in a slide show or folder on your computer, if you pump at your desk.