Effect of Warm Breastshields on Breast Milk Pumping

Jacqueline Kent, Donna Geddes, Anna Hepworth, Peter Hartmann

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The effect of using a warm breastshield on the efficiency, effectiveness, and comfort of expressing milk with an electric breast pump was assessed. The authors tested a standard breastshield at 25 degrees C and a breastshield warmed to 39 degrees C on 25 mothers using their maximum comfortable vacuum or -125 mm Hg. Using a warm breastshield effectively warmed the nipple and areola and, combined with maximum comfortable vacuum, decreased the time to remove 80% of the total milk yield and increased the percentage of available milk removed after 5 minutes of expression, with no change in the percentage of available milk removed after 15 minutes of expression compared with an ambient-temperature breastshield. The data confirmed that use of the mother's maximum comfortable vacuum was more efficient than a vacuum of -125 mm Hg. Using a warm breastshield with an electric breast pump was comfortable and improved the efficiency of milk removal.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)331-338
JournalJournal of Human Lactation
Volume27
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011

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