This article is all about tips for pumping, breastfeeding, and finding the best breast pump for you.
Becoming a mother brings with it a whole lot of responsibilities.
While most things can be shared between the partners, there is one thing that is the exclusive right and privilege of a mother.
Breastfeeding the baby.
Breastfeeding is the most natural thing that can happen to a mother. It connects the mother with the newborn and develops a lasting bond between the two.
But there are times when the mother is not able to breastfeed the baby. If the mother falls sick or needs to go back to work after maternity leave, feeding the baby becomes a matter of concern.
Similarly, if the baby does not latch and suck properly, then also pumping and feeding the baby becomes inevitable.
Pumping the breastmilk ensures that the baby can be exclusively breastfed, and at the same time, the mother can carry on with her other obligations.
How Long to Pump Breast Milk?
During the initial days after birth, there is a higher chance that the baby may not latch properly. It is best to hand express the milk and feed the baby.
Once the milk supply becomes steady, you can pump for 30 minutes per session if you are using a single pump. If you are using two pumps at the same time, then 10-15 minutes pumping is enough to extract milk from both the breast.
In case you pump after the last feed, then 2-5 minutes pumping is enough as there is a continuous flow of milk. If the breast is not soft even after feeding the baby, then you can pump for 10-15 minutes after nursing.
How Many Times a Day Should I Pump While Breastfeeding?
Ideally, you should pump 8-10 times a day if you are exclusively breastfeeding the baby. I.e., you should pump every 2-3 hours. This is the number of times the baby would take the feed on a day. If you have twins or multiples, then you should pump at least ten times a day. If you pump at this rate, you should get 25-35 oz. of milk per day.
If you feel that you are not getting enough milk while pumping, then you can even add a short pumping session in between.
How to Combine Breastfeeding and Pumping?
Unless you are sick and instructed by the doctor not to breastfeed, you can combine both pumping and breastfeeding.
Some mothers resort to both breastfeeding and pumping at the same time. When the baby feed from one breast, the stimulus causes milk ejection from the other breast as well. Thus, you will find it easy to pump milk from the other breast, once you master the act of balancing.
If you want to alternate between breastfeeding and pumping, here are some things you should pay attention to.
- Pump both the breast half an hour after the morning feed.
- Pump at almost the same time every day. This helps the body to adjust.
- If you produce a lot of milk, then pump only what is required for a time. Do not try to empty the breast.
- If the milk produced is average, then pump for up to 20 minutes or till the milk secretion slows down.
- Take it slowly as the baby might get confused with the breast and the bottle nipple. If you are alternating between the two because of your professional commitment, then consider switching over at least two weeks before your joining date. This provides enough time for you and the baby to adjust.
What Are the Things to Consider While Pumping Breastmilk?
- If you have a healthy baby, then you can start pumping the milk a few weeks after delivery.
- If the baby is premature or cannot breastfeed properly for some medical reason, then you can pump milk 1-6 hours after delivery.
- During the first two weeks after birth, do not allow more than five-hours to lapse between two pumping/feeding sessions.
- You should pump the milk 30-60 minutes after feeding or one hour before feeding. This provides you enough milk to feed the baby.
- Milk production is highest during the early morning as the milk-making hormone levels peak during this time. Hence, try to pump or feed the baby at least twice between 1 am, and 6 am.
- Always try to maintain a pumping schedule so that both you and baby can adjust.
- Invest in a good-quality pump that can make your task easy. A hospital-grade pump is the best to increase milk supply. Read the manual carefully before you start pumping.
- Always wash your hands with soap and water before pumping.
- When you start pumping, begin with high speed and low suction. Once the milk starts flowing, adjust the speed to medium, and raise the suction level based on your comfort.
- The pumped milk can be stored in the refrigerator or even frozen for future use.
- Once the baby is slightly older, you can even consider feeding the baby in a sippy cup or a beaker.
How to Increase the Quantity of Breastmilk Produced?
Sometimes, you may not be able to reach the daily target of 25-35 oz. of breastmilk. In such a situation, you can do the following to increase breastmilk production.
- Pump more number of times, up to 12, on 24 hours.
- Massage the breast before or during pumping and hand express milk after pumping.
- Pump when you are in a relaxed mode and not in a hurry. Listen to music or look at the baby while pumping. This will provide a positive result.
- Do not take any medication that can hinder your milk production.
- Ask your lactation consultant for tips to increase breastmilk.
Above all this, the mother should take a balanced diet as well as proper rest. A well-nourished and well-rested body can produce a good amount of milk.
Always remember that the more you feed the baby, the more the milk that is produced. If you are not able to breastfeed the baby for any reason, then you should at least pump the milk. This will ensure that your body produces enough milk throughout the lactating period.
What Is The Best Breast Pump?
Breast pumps are a boon for mothers who want to provide breast milk for the baby and, at the same time, attend to other personal commitments.
By carefully selecting good quality pumps and extracting milk at regular intervals, you can feed breastmilk to your baby without worrying about formula feeding.
Here are a few of the best breast pumps you can try for pumping breastmilk.
Why We Love It
The Medela pump is designed to provide optimum efficiency and maximum flow. The pump comes with a two-phase expression that lets you pump milk in less time. The medium size flange of the pump makes pumping more effective.
A unique feature of the Medela pump is the closed system that encloses the motor. This prevents the milk from entering the motor and damaging it.
The pump comes with a tote bag and a portable battery pack that makes it easy to carry it around. The cooler bag that comes along with the pack keeps the milk fresh and safe for later use. Four bottles are also part of this pack, where you can store the freshly expressed milk.
What Could Be Improved
When compared to the upcoming models, the efficiency of the Medela pump is a bit less (but overall great and still our first recommendation for many). The sound is a bit loud that makes it difficult to use it while at work.
2. Spectra Baby USA - S1 Plus and S2
Why We Love Them
The Spectra Baby S1 plus and Spectra S2 come with double/single breast pump, two wide-neck bottles, two backflow protectors, two duckbill valves, two tubings, and four flanges all from Spectra make. The flangs are available in 24 mm (2 nos) and 28mm (2 nos) sizes. The pump also comes with a rechargeable battery that requires charging only on alternate days.
These are hospital-grade breast pumps that come with adjustable suction. Thus, you can adjust the pump’s setting to suit your body and get maximum milk. The machine has a closed pumping system that keeps the tubing dry. Therefore, there is no need to clean the narrow tubing. The closed system also protects the breast milk and the baby from bacterial infestation.
Both S1 plus and S2 pumps are lightweight and handy making both very easy to use.
What Could Be Improved?
The pump works best only with its original parts. If you get a replacement, it may not work properly.
The durability might also be an issue, as some new moms claim it stops working after a few months.
When compared to other brands of breast pumps, the shape of S1 plus and S2 are a tad awkward. This pump is not very comfortable to use while traveling.
Why We Love It
Coming from the famous brand Motif Medical, the Motif Luna double electric breast pump is lightweight and compact and is very easy to use. It makes less noise while pumping milk at high speed.
The device has both single and double pumping options which you can use as per your requirement.
The machine also has an LCD screen that displays the level of suction and speed while pumping in a dark room.
The Motif Luna double electric breast pump has a closed system that prevents the backflow of milk. Thus, the machine is safe from contamination. The machine has an auto shut-off feature that turns off after 30 minutes of use.
The breast pump comes with two 24mm breast shields, two silicone valves, two backflow protectors, two milk collection containers, and two bottle nipples.
What Could Be Improved?
The device does not have a rechargeable battery. Hence, you need to plug it in every time you want to charge it.
The suction also needs improvement, as there are other models that provide better suction.
What Are The Best Manual Breast Pumps
Why We Love It
This is an easy-to-use breast pump that is lightweight and compact. The pump has a soft massage cushion that mimics the baby’s suckling. This helps to stimulate milk flow. The pump has very few parts that can be detached and cleaned easily. Thus, maintaining the Philips Avent manual comfort breast pump is rather easy. Since this is a manual breast pump, it does not require any battery as well.
The Philips Avent manual comfort breast pump comes with a 25mm large massage cushion, a feeding bottle with a newborn nipple, one travel cover, a sealing disc for storing milk, and two sets of breast pads.
What Could Be Improved
There are instances when the bottle gets detached from the main pump. This results in the leaking of milk.
The pump also makes a squeaking sound that is enough to wake the baby, so you’ll have to pump in a separate room at times.
Why We Love It
Medela is an ergonomically designed manual breast pump that is easy and convenient to use. The manually controlled vacuum of the pump lets you adjust the suction as per your comfort level.
The pump makes use of research-based technology that lets you pump more milk in less time. All parts of the pump that comes in contact with breast milk are BPA free. Thus, you do not have to worry about contamination.
The Medela Harmony breast pump comes with one manual pump, two bottles, one nipple with a collar, a cap, and two white membranes.
What Could Be Improved
The pump cannot hold suction for long. Even after replacing the O ring, the pump does not work properly. This pump requires an overall redesigning as the majority of moms are not happy with this product.
Lansinoh is a lightweight and compact pump that is ergonomically designed to reduce the pressure on the hand. This dual-mode pumping system comes with two flanges of 25mm and 30.5 mm, a natural wave nipple, one cap, and a collar that provides ideal suction.
The breastmilk storage bottle that comes along with the pump makes it easy for you to pump and store the milk directly.
What Could Be Improved
The suction of the pump is poor when compared to other models on this list. In some instances, the suction is so weak that it does not even suck the nipple, not to mention the milk.
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