Choosing A Breast Pump

The milk production in the breasts, much like so many other things, work on the shear principal of supply and demand. The more breast milk your baby consumes, the more your body will need to make.
Breast pumps are generally used to insure continued production of breast milk when you cannot feed your baby - whether you are back to work, travelling, taking medication, or just out of town. A breast pump is also the perfect way to ensure that your partner can get involved in feeding your baby too. Sometimes new mums just need a rest!

Basic Types of Breast Pump
There are several types of breast pump and it is important to consider which is best for you. A breast pump can either be battery operated, hand operated, semi automatic, electric, or even self cycling electric. Below is a brief introduction to some of the different types of breast pump and their best usage.

Hand Breast Pump
Manual hand breast pumps are designed to use the strength of your hand or arm muscles for pumping one breast at a time. This can become tiring. You can also get breast pumps that will use the leg and foot muscles for pumping both breasts at one time, but this seems to be more like a mini workout. Mothers that have carpal tunnel syndrome may want to consider using a breast pump designed for the arm or leg muscles or even an automatic model for ease of use.

Battery Operated Breast Pumps
Breast pumps with battery operation are the best for women who have an established supply of milk and want to pump twice a day or more. These breast pumps use batteries to create suction, minimizing any type of muscle fatigue. Most battery type breast pumps are designed for pumping one breast at a time and are recommended
for occasional usage only.

Electric Breast Pump
The most efficient breast pump by far! Electric breast pumps are more efficient than hand or even battery operated breast pumps. The hard work is done for you and they are often designed for operation with one hand only making it all a far easier process. Electric breast pumps can normally plug directly into an outlet or can be used with batteries if travelling and are designed for frequent use. You can keep your milk supply by using a good quality electric breast pump to express milk during the day. Save your milk that you collect for later!

Affordable Electric Breast Pumps are available HERE

To read about How To Use A Breast Pump Click Here