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Home › Expert Q&A › Breastfeeding Basics › Before Baby is Born › Is it okay if I pump and then breastfeed my baby that way instead of directly from the breast?

Expert Q&A

 

By Melissa Clark Vickers
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Moms & Babies Huntingdon, Tenn.

Is it okay if I pump and then breastfeed my baby that way instead of directly from the nipple? I want to breastfeed, and I want my baby to have all the benefits; I just have personal issues with my baby latching onto my breast."

Pumped breastmilk is better than formula, but is not as good as breastfeeding directly. One of the biggest reasons for this difference has to do with the immune response of the breast during breastfeeding. Your breast is an antibody factory, capable of producing (and adding to your milk) antibodies to not only what you have been exposed to, but also what the baby has been exposed to -- regardless of whether you were exposed as well. Offering breastmilk in a bottle circumvents the latter half of that equation. It will still have antibodies for what you've been exposed to, but not necessarily what your baby has been exposed to.

There are other benefits of direct breastfeeding. Babies who feed from bottles are more likely to have crooked teeth, even as adults. Babies' mouths are designed to be molded around a breast shape, not a bottle. And newer research suggests a correlation between bottle feeding and sleep apnea because of the difference in jaw structure.

Babies who feed from bottles don't necessarily get what they need, both in terms of volume and nutrition. A baby will continue to drink from a bottle until it is empty, just to "keep from drowning," because that bottle nipple will continue to drip milk. Baby is more likely to take in air bottle feeding and so may have an uncomfortably full tummy. Breastmilk changes composition throughout a feeding, starting with "skim milk" -- low in fat and calories -- and gradually getting more fatty by the end of the feeding. Pumping may or may not get the mix of fat content in the quantities that baby would get on his own.

Maintaining a supply with even the best of the pumps can be challenging, as well. No pump will ever match what a baby does at the breast.

And one last comparison: pumping breastmilk is a lot of trouble, compared to just nursing the baby. It involves cleaning the pump and bottles, storing the milk, warming it to the right temperature, etc.

Now, with all that said, let me repeat that pumped breastmilk will still be far superior than formula. If you really cannot handle nursing your baby directly, this is the next best thing. You can feed your baby with a lot of love and tenderness, be it through breast or bottle. You can flip your baby over to stimulate both sides of his brain as it would be by switching sides during nursing.

If you are still pregnant (and I'm guessing you are, based on your question), I would encourage you to read as much as you can about breastfeeding and perhaps attend some meetings of your local La Leche League group (check

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