Prematurity is not something that a mother plans for when she falls pregnant

Prematurity is not something that a mother plans for when she falls pregnant. Prematurity can happen for so many different reasons and you may have a warning or not. Sadly, it does happen to about 1 in 7 pregnancies in South Africa. This is about 84 000 babies born per year to early. As a mother of two children that were born to early, I have lived through the uncertainties, stresses and also the wins that happen when you find your self in this situation. As a result My Breastpump focuses on helping families with support and products that will help them during this time. 

Mom, dad and baby soon find themselves living in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It becomes their focus and their everything. Mom and Dad may have limited access to the NICU due to COVID restrictions, but their heart and mind will not leave the NICU until there little one comes home. It can be a helpless feeling not being able to hold and cuddle your baby, but a mom can help her little one grow and get stronger by supplying her baby with breast milk. Breast milk is the recommend milk for all premature babes as it has among other benefits: growth hormones, specialised nutrients (mothers’ premature milk is different to that if a mother from a full-term baby), easier absorption of milk and immune factors. If a mother needs assistance with breast milk she can ask for donated breast milk. The mom can ask for information for the nearest milk bank and find out what the hospital polices are. There are several breast milk banks in South Africa: The South African Breast Milk Reserve, Milk Matters and the Net Care hospital group. 

Here are some tips for mothers of premature infants that want to build up their supply. Start expressing as soon as possible after birth. The ideal time is within 1 hour but if the mother has had extra surgery or complications, she can try to start expressing within 6 hours. Hand expression can be used in the beginning and then it is recommended that the other used a double hospital grade breast pump. The reason for this is that the mother will save a lot of time by Double pumping. This may sound insignificant, but it can reduce her expression time by half or more. This will make expression more possible and not as strenuous on the mother. Double pumping also will help her to increase her milk supply sooner. She needs to aim for about 1000ml of expressed breast milk in 2 weeks. This will allow her to keep up with her infants needs and set her up for a better breast-feeding experience later. The Ameda Mya Joy is a hospital grade double electric breast pump that is ideal for exclusive pumpers like mothers who have premature babies. The Mya Joy is small, but the motor is very strong and able to empty a mother’s breast well. It is this emptying that assist the mother to increase her milk supply. The Mya Joy has 7 different flange sizes that can be used and help for comfort and better breast emptying. The Mya Joy also has a NAPPI code which can be used with some medical aids to claim back from the medical saving. Please note that this is dependent on the medical aid plan and savings. The Mya Joy Hospital Grade double electric Breastpump can be bought on Takealot and on our website 

Another thing that parents may be concerned about is that it is very difficult to get the correct sizing nappies, especially for babies born before 29 weeks. My Breastpump has just launched our first premature nappy which is the My Little Prem <1.1kg, these nappies are designed to help the baby be more comfortable. This aids in better sleep and decrease in pain. Both are very important for improved growth and development. The My Little Prem Nappies are soft, light, small and have a leg cut out. The Leg Cut out is designed so that the baby can be placed in different positions and allow for correct placement of their hips. This allows for correct growth and improvement in the baby’s muscle tone. These nappies can be bought on Takealot and on our website 

My Breastpump also has one on one session that a mom can book with our lactation consultant to help her with her expressing journey, transitioning back on to the breast and making sure that she maintains her breast milk supply. Topics that are covered in these sessions are:

• How to choose a breast pump- what to look out for
• How to look after your breast pump and what parts to replace often
• How to maintain/ increase your supply using a breast pump
• How to pump if your baby is in NICU
• How to pump if you must go back to work
• Cleaning and sterilizing your breast pump parts
• Managing your breast milk stash

If you would like to book a session with our lactation consultant, please book on our website

Our goal at My Breastpump is to help families that need assistance with breast feeding and expressing. We want to help you to reach your goals and walk this journey with you. Please follow our social pages on Instagram and Facebook for more information on breast feeding.