Pump in the hospital?

BLT20051 · May 2013

I've seen a few women mention pumping in the hospital because their milk hasn't come in yet. Should I consider taking my pump? Will they provide a pump in the hospital if it is needed? Does this vary by hospital?

TriciaandSean · May 2013

It usually takes a few days for your milk to come in and if you have a normal delivery you'll probably be home before it comes in. The baby is fine just getting the colostrum. The hospitals do however have pumps they will let you use while you are there if you need to use one. Since my son was a preemie I wasn't able to nurse him right away so I borrowed a pump to help with supply. I pumped every three hours for the 12 hours I was there and I don't recall even getting colostrum at that point.

superace27 · May 2013

I didn't have to, but my SIL did. They have pumps in the hospital for you to use if necessary. I wouldn't bring your own.

ameh13 · May 2013

Mine said not to worry. If it is needed, they have one they will provide. Not sure how much this varies from hospital to hospital though.

flerlgirl · May 2013

My hospital provided a pump for as long as I was a patient. Since I have a kid in the NICU I also use the hospital pump when I'm there.

ariaforte8 · May 2013

IrishCoffee7:
If you actually need it they should be able to provide one.nbsp;
But really , your body knows what to do.nbsp; You shouldn't need it.nbsp; And in my humble opinion pumping too soon just increases your risk of overproducing or having a hard time regulating your supply.nbsp; Once you get the hang of BFing and your supply has regulated a bit you can try your hand at pumping!
nbsp;

This. You shouldn't need it, and if for some reason you do: the hospital will have something for you to use.

RissNRuss · May 2013

Katie said her hospital has one in every NICU room, and I know our class nurse told us they have the hospital grade ones on site so you don't need to bring your own.

homebird · May 2013

I wouldn't.

Your milk may not come in for a few days - a week or more. But your baby's stomach is ridiculously tiny (like, the size of a pea or something) and all they need at first is a few drops of colostrum (which your body will produce without pumping). As the baby nurses on the colostrum, it signals your brain to start making milk and everything pretty much works on it's own (in most cases).

Honestly, I don't plan on pumping for the first week or so. I want to make sure we get a good breastfeeding relationship established before I start worrying about that. Plus, you may be signaling your body to make more than the baby needs, and then you'll be extra engorged, etc.

WhitWed · May 2013

I brought mine, but didn't need it. They had a medical grade pump for me to use. I didn't use it just to assist with my supply coming in, but also as a method to try and get my nipples to come out for feeding. I have shallow nipples which was hindering latching. A pump is one of the methods the LC suggested trying.

BLT20051 · May 2013

Thanks for the tips guys!

jrosehistory · May 2013

My milk did not come in until after I left and my daughter did well with the colostrum that I was able to produce. It fully came in the the next day after I left the hospital and I had my pump ready to go. That first morning when my milk fully came in my breasts were hard as rocks it was painful to me until I could get to my pump and get some relief. My daughter never really latched so I loved my Medela pump. My hospital did not provide pumps but right across the street from them I could rent a pump if I wanted.