An introduction to breast pumps

So, you’ve made the wise decision to breastfeed your new baby. What seems to be such a simple process, though, leads to other difficult decisions, such as: what are your feeding options once you return to work, how will your baby eat when left alone with Dad, and how will you handle feedings in public.

The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that breastfeeding continue for one year, and most mothers can breastfeed their baby with this goal in mind by using a breast pump. A breast pump allows a mother to express and store her breast milk for future use. Some women choose to pump exclusively, and do 100% of feedings as breast milk from a bottle. Others pump milk while at work, and baby is bottle fed during the day and breastfed before and after work. Other women choose to pump occasionally for times they know they will be away from baby. Decide which pump to purchase or rent by considering how often you’ll need to pump milk.

Electric pump

If you are the mother of a premature or special needs baby that spends a lengthy time in the hospital, it is likely that your breast pump decision will be made for you. Most hospital lactation consultants recommend the Medela brand electric breast pump. This is the brand that has been used in hospitals for more than 20 years. Most insurance companies will pay for the rental of this institutional-grade pump if it is medically necessary. Most hospital lactation consultants give the manual form of this breast pump to their clients at no charge. The manual pump can be hooked up to the electric pump easily.

The Medela pump is highly efficient because it lets you express both breasts simultaneously, which is a boon for working mothers pumping on their breaks at work. The main disadvantages of this pump are that it is loud and relatively large, the size of a small briefcase. It is also quite expensive, so women usually rent this pump. The pumping mechanism is not a closed system, which means that the milk can be sucked backwards through the tubing and end up in the motor of the pump, causing problems and making sanitizing difficult.

Manual pump

The choice for a majority of pumping mothers is the manual pump. The new designs of many manual pumps allow for nearly as effective output and comfort to the mother, with a smaller size, a more discreet noise level and much more affordable price tag. The Avent Isis breast pump is a favorite among many women. The comfortable silicone breast shield simulates the sucking action of the baby, effectively stimulating let down and allowing for a comfortable and productive pumping session. Many mothers report that the milk output using this pump is equal to that of a hospital-grade electric pump.

The Avent system is also a closed system and is 100% dishwasher safe, or it can be sterilized using a sterilization system manufactured by Avent. Avent also makes one of the most popular lines of bottles and nipples. Evenflo makes electric and manual pumps. Many women report that the suction mechanism is too strong, causing nipple discomfort and discontinuation of use. Other mothers love the system. The electric version has an LCD display that tracks the time and duration of pumping sessions, which could be useful for a mother pumping full time, but is not useful for the average breastfeeding mother.

When choosing a breast pump, do not hesitate to ask other mothers for advice, and also consult a certified lactation consultant, who can lead you to a current effective model. Remember, too, that a breast pump is never as effective as a baby. Your baby will almost always get more milk in an average nursing session than you will get in a pumping session. So do not become alarmed if you pump and get only two ounces of breast milk in a pumping session and fear that that is all your baby gets in a feeding session. Remember that the most effective way to judge feeding sufficiency is output, 6 to 8 wet diapers a day and at least 1 dirty diaper a day.

Enjoy your baby, and congratulations!