Medela Symphony Breastpump
Early management of breastfeeding may include a mother’s need for effective pumping. It is not recommended to start pumping until your infant is 3-4 weeks old if breastfeeding is going well. However, common reasons for breastfeeding to not be going well are sore nipples, painful engorgement, and perceived insufficient milk supply.
Personal breast pumps provided by most insurances are not the most effective for the initiation of an adequate milk supply. I work with many frustrated mothers who were not educated on the differences in pump types, and experience a delay in milk production, or a low milk supply. Using a Medela Symphony hospital-grade double-electric breast pump usually improves milk supply, and quite frequently mothers I’ve set-up with the use of the Symphony pump are able to achieve a full milk supply.
My primary goals are to feed your baby and to optimize your milk supply, while determining the cause of low milk supply, poor feeding, or inadequate milk intake at breast. Bottle confusion is controversial. In my experience with pacing the bottle during feeds, most infants are able to successfully breastfeed. The causes for discontinuation of breastfeeding when supplementation is medically necessary is frequently not only related to the use of a bottle, but the lack of proper breast pump use to initiate and maintain an adequate milk supply.
Use of breast pumps can cause a lot of confusion and mothers can feel overwhelmed. If your newborn is not feeding at the breast consistently and effectively at the time of hospital discharge, I would recommend scheduling an appointment with me. I will provide the Symphony breast pump and will teach you how to use it properly. Any and all breastmilk you can express should be fed to your baby.
In the absence of enough breastmilk for the nutritional needs of your newborn, either donor milk or formula may be necessary until your milk supply increases. Even partial breastmilk has been shown by research to have health benefits for your baby. Health benefits of breast milk are similar between direct breast feeding or feeding your baby expressed breastmilk with the use of an effective breast pump. The Medela Symphony pump is the recommendation I offer mothers who choose to exclusively pump and feed expressed breastmilk.
As an in-network provider for BlueCross BlueShield, I will submit the claim to your insurance for coverage. A prescription for the pump is not needed. You do not need to do anything. Most BCBS PPO plans cover the rental of the Symphony pump. It is your responsibility to become familiar with your insurance benefits.
If you have a different insurance plan besides BCBS PPO, I have Symphony breast pumps available for rental fees.