Helen Dandurand (Host): Welcome back to the Well Within Reach podcast. I'm your host, Helen Dandurand. And today, I'm going to be joined by Cathy Currie, lactation consultant at Riverside's Family Birthing Center, to talk about pumping and storing breast milk.

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Host: And we're back with Cathy Currie. Thanks for being here today.

Cathleen Currie: Thank you so much for having me.

Host: Yes. And we've done a few podcasts with you on this kind of series. But in case someone hasn't listened in yet, could you just tell us a little bit about your background?

Cathleen Currie: Sure. I'm an RN since 1992. Back in 2008, I started doing some mother-baby nursing. And after having breastfeeding experience with each of my three kids, I decided that I really loved teaching about breastfeeding and I got certified in 2018.

Host: Awesome. Great. Did you say how long you've been at Riverside?

Cathleen Currie: I've been at Riverside since August.

Host: Since August. Awesome. We're glad to have you. So, let's get started then, talking about pumping and storing breast milk. My first question when like thinking about all this is starting from the very beginning, choosing a pump. Is there one that you always recommend or does it depend on the person what you recommend?

Cathleen Currie: I usually look at the situation. It has a lot to do with insurance, because most insurances do cover breast pumps. So, some of that will depend on availability and then, depending on what the mom's needs are. There are so many pumps out there.

Host: Yeah, that's what my actual next question, was if insurances covered them. So, most insurances cover them, it just depends on which type.

Cathleen Currie: Right, which types of pumps.

Host: Gotcha. And then, what are the other things that kind of go into that, that you said that it depends on the situation, what would that be?

Cathleen Currie: So if moms are returning to work, they do have a lot of portable pumps, so depending on what she does for work. If she is more mobile, like say a nurse working at the bedside, she might benefit from having a mobile pump that she can get more pump sessions in at work that way.

Host: Gotcha. Is there one that you would say is just top of the line model and type of pump?

Cathleen Currie: Well, there's a couple ones that I know that moms really like. Medela has a couple good ones and Spectra as well. So, those are good for personal pumps. The mobile pumps really is kind of a personal thing because those mobile or portable pumps tend to be more expensive. And the real top of the line ones for that are like Elvie and Willow and those tend to be $400 or $500 and they're not always covered by insurance.

Host: Gotcha. That makes sense. So, I mean, I know that you said different price points and things, but are there different qualities as far as what is a hospital-grade pump?

Cathleen Currie: So, what we will sometimes refer to as a hospital-grade pump, it has a stronger pump suction. So, a lot of your personal pumps outside for your own purposes, they have some really good suction as well. Hospital pumps is what we refer to as those multi-user pumps. And so, those would be something you'd use in a hospital setting. A personal pump that has a really good suction setting, those tend to be more either the battery-operated or the ones that you plug in. And Spectra or Medela, those tend to have stronger suction. But there is a lot of variability in that. And what you really want is you want a pump that has a variety of a good range of suctions. So, it, you know, maybe has some lower settings and some high settings. Because the settings you're going to use are really comfort-based, what works for you. The same settings are not going to be tolerated by everybody, because we're all different.

Host: Yeah. Got it. So, kind of moving away from just what the pumps are, but then to actually pumping, how much should someone be expecting to pump each time?

Cathleen Currie: That can vary depending on where you are. Usually, you would expect to see early on, as your volume comes, you know, one to two ounces. And then as baby grows, it can be individualized and it might be as much as, you know, six or seven ounces depending on how old your baby is. So, we would definitely want, if you had concerns about how much you were getting, to consult with your lactation consultant, you know, and just make sure you're on target.

Host: Gotcha. How much time would you say that you need to plan to set aside for when you do need to pump?

Cathleen Currie: So, typically speaking, you're going to want to allow yourselves probably about 20 to 30 minutes. The pump session itself should really only go probably about 15 to 20 minutes at the most. And as you get accustomed to that, you get yourself better, you may be able to shorten those pump times a little bit.

Host: Got it. And then, what kind of container should you be storing your breast milk in? I mean, I know pumps, there are bags and things come with them, but are there different methods to that?

Cathleen Currie: There's a lot of choices out there. I think that the bags are a nice way to go because I think that it allows you to probably store more portions in your freezer or in your fridge versus other containers. But they're so individualized, it's kind of hard to say.

Host: What are examples of other ones? Because I only know of the bags.

Cathleen Currie: Well, I am within the hospital setting. If you had a lot of actual plastic storage containers or storage bottles, but the bags are usually the most common.

Host: Okay. We're going to take a quick break to talk about finding the right women's health provider for you.

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Okay. Hopping back in. Getting back to kind of storage, you mentioned refrigerating and freezing. So once you pump, do you need to refrigerate immediately?

Cathleen Currie: Well, the good thing is, is that breast milk is good at room temperature from four to eight hours. Four hours is the ideal. But if you were pumping and you forgot to put your milk on the fridge, it's good for up to eight hours.

Host: Okay. And then, once you put it into the fridge, how long does it last in there?

Cathleen Currie: About four to eight days. Four days once again is your ideal, but up to eight days. So mostly, you're going to want to keep that stuff that you're using more quickly and the freeze the rest.

Host: Gotcha. And for freezing it, is there a timeline on that? How long It can be good in the freezer?

Cathleen Currie: It's six to 12 months in the freezer. So, if you have a deep freeze, that's going to be more on the long end of the 12 months there.

Host: So once you are needing to use that breast milk from the freezer, what is the best way to thaw it? And then after it's thawed, how quickly do you need to use that?

Cathleen Currie: So, breast milk needs to be thawed. You could let it sit at room temperature for a little while. But usually you're going to get some really hot water, put it in the hot water and do it that way. You never want to put it in the microwave. Then once you feed baby, you want to use that breast milk within one to two hours.

Host: Cool. Can you give some tips that a mom might need to know when pumping and going back to work?

Cathleen Currie: You only need enough milk for when you're separated from baby. I think many times we think we have to have this huge store of milk supply, and that's not necessarily true. You need enough for like the one day that you're gone from baby. So just think small, start building a small supply.

Host: And so if a mom is going back to work though and needing to pump at work, that is something that's protected by law, right?

Cathleen Currie: Absolutely, it's protected by law. They're supposed to provide you with a place that is not a bathroom or a closet per se, but particularly not a bathroom, that is a private place to pump.

Host: Well, I'm glad that we kind of covered it all, a large kind of overview of the basics of what you might need to know if you are going to be pumping. Thank you for joining us today, Cathy.

Cathleen Currie: Thanks so much for having me.

Host: Yes, and thank you listeners for tuning in to the Well Within Reach podcast brought to you by Riverside Healthcare. For more information, visit riversidehealthcare.org.