Simultaneous Breast Expression in Breastfeeding Women Is More Efficacious Than Sequential Breast Expression
- 1 December 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Mary Ann Liebert Inc in Breastfeeding Medicine
- Vol. 7 (6), 442-447
- https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2011.0139
Abstract
Introduction: Simultaneous (SIM) breast expression saves mothers time compared with sequential (SEQ) expression, but it remains unclear whether the two methods differ in milk output efficiency and efficacy. Subjects and Methods: The Showmilk device (Medela AG, Baar, Switzerland) was used to measure milk output and milk ejection during breast expression (electric pump) in 31 Australian breastfeeding mothers of term infants (median age, 19 weeks [interquartile range, 10–33 weeks]). The order of expression type (SIM/SEQ) and breast (left/right) was randomized. Results: SIM expression yielded more milk ejections (p≤0.001) and greater amounts of milk at 2, 5, and 10 minutes (p≤0.01) and removed a greater total amount of milk (p≤0.01) and percentage of available milk (pp≤0.05]) and postexpression (12.6% [p≤0.001]) milk were greater. During SEQ expression, the breast expressed first had a shorter time to 50% and 80% of the total amount of milk than the breast expressed second (p≤0.05), but, overall, a similar percentage of available milk was removed from both breasts. Conclusions: SIM expression stimulated more milk ejections and was a more efficient and efficacious method of expression, yielding milk with a higher energy content.Keywords
This publication has 23 references indexed in Scilit:
- Principles for Maintaining or Increasing Breast Milk ProductionJournal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 2012
- Using milk flow rate to investigate milk ejection in the left and right breasts during simultaneous breast expression in womenInternational Breastfeeding Journal, 2009
- How Breastfeeding WorksJournal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 2007
- Comparison of Milk Output Between Breasts in Pump-Dependent MothersJournal of Human Lactation, 2007
- Comparison of Milk Output from the Right and Left Breasts During Simultaneous Pumping in Mothers of Very Low Birthweight InfantsBreastfeeding Medicine, 2007
- A randomised controlled trial to compare methods of milk expression after preterm deliveryArchives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal & Neonatal, 2001
- Effects of Pumping Style on Milk Production in Mothers of Non-Nursing Preterm InfantsJournal of Human Lactation, 1999
- The utility of a bilateral breast pumping system for mothers of premature infants.1995
- The short‐term synthesis and infant‐regulated removal of milk in lactating womenExperimental Physiology, 1993
- Sequential and simultaneous breast pumping: a comparisonInternational Journal of Nursing Studies, 1990