Bottle Feeding

Selecting a Breast Pump

Breast pumps can remove milk from one breast at a time or both breasts simultaneously. Pumping both sides at once cuts the time in half and stimulates the hormones of lactation better.

Pumps fall into 4 basic categories:

• Hospital grade - Generally rental pumps used while establishing a milk supply if your infant is premature or ill

• Personal use pumps - Generally used by employed mothers at work

• Battery or small electric pumps - Sometimes used by employed mothers or for occasional use

• Manually operated breast pumps - Best used for occasional use

Adjustable suction and cycle frequency: You want your pump to mimic the typical suction patterns of a baby at the breast. Therefore the suction range should be adjustable up to about 240 mm Hg and cycle about 48-50 times per minute. Breast pump packages are not labeled with this information at this time.

Portability: Where will you use your pump? Will there be times you will need to quickly put it in your purse or wear it as a backpack? Or will you always be sitting in a designated pumping room?

Versatile power source: It is useful that an electric pump can be plugged in and also could be operated on batteries at other times. In the case of a power outage, you should be able to operate it manually.

Safety: If it is operated by electricity, the pump should be rated by the Underwriters Laboratory as safe. Check to assure it will automatically cut off at suction levels above 240 mm Hg which could damage the breast tissue.

Ease of cleaning: Check the small parts. Is it likely that small, but essential, parts could slip down the sink and be lost? Is the pump easy to reassemble? The pump should be washed with soap and water after each use. Flange goes over the breast Connector Tubing for electric pump

Bottle Resources FDA Breast Pump Website – Basic information on breast pumps http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/HomeHealthandConsumer/Consumer

Products/BreastPumps/default.htm Breast Pump Comparisons – User reviews of various breast pumps http://www.breastpumpcomparisons.com/category/first-years-breast-pump-reviews

Hands-On Pumping

Using a breast pump is important if your baby is ill, premature, or unable to feed directly at the breast for any reason. You will obtain more milk from the pumping session if you use breast massage at the same time. You will have more milk to save for feedings, and your milk supply will increase.

Hands on pumping routine:

• Begin pumping as soon as possible. You may have the most success if you pump or hand express within the first six hours after birth; ideally within the first hour.

• Use a hospital grade double electric pump if at all possible.

• While a rigid schedule is not necessary, milk should be removed at least 8x per day to maintain supply.

• Assure the flanges are appropriate size:

  • Nipple moves freely in and out during suction cycle.

  • Breasts are “emptied” completely, no areas of lumps.

  • No pain while pumping.

  • No indentation ring from the flange after pumping.

• Wear a bra or bustier that will hold the flanges in place while you pump so your hands can be free for massaging.

• Start with slow massage to stimulate let-down.

• Apply the breast pump and use the maximum suction level that is comfortable, not painful.

• Watch the sprays of milk and adjust hand position to where milk flows the most easily.

• When the sprays of milk subside, switch to single pumping so you can be more vigorous with the massage.

• When the sprays of milk subside again, turn off the pump and hand massage into the pump flange.

• Some mothers can double their output this way.

• Pay special attention to remove milk from the outer margins toward the armpits area.

Watch this video while you are pumping!