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Loading...In this guide we will cover the different types of breast pumps to help you choose the best breast pump for you.
What is a breast pump?
A breast pump is a device used to during lactation days to extract milk out of the breasts to feed baby.
Breast pump can be either manual or electric.
Manual breast pumps are operated by hand, whereas electric breast pumps are operated with batteries or electricity.
In both cases, the device mimics the sucking motion that babies do, by stimulating the breasts first and then extracting milk.
What’s the Best Breast Pump?
For new mothers and mothers-to-be, the world of breast pumps might seem a bit overwhelming.
With so many breast pump brands and models on the market, learning and reviewing them all can take too much time and effort.
To assist in your search, we have put together this guide to help you understand the different things to look for in a breast pump, according to your needs.
The most important thing is to try and find the most efficient breast pump that combines several of these attributes, or as many as possible.
Gentle Breast Pump
The most important attribute on a breast pump, whatever brand, style and model is that it is gentle on your breasts.
Having a comfortable breast pump is essential as it prevents injuries and promotes breastfeeding and pumping in the long term.
If you feel discomfort while pumping milk, check that the nipple shield fits well and it is in place and that all breast pump parts have been assembled properly.
In case you are using an electric breast pump, we recommend you use it in a low setting, if you are experiencing discomfort or pain.
Quiet Breast Pump
Having a quiet breast pump is very important for the following reasons:
- Quiet pumps are the best pumps for working moms. Some mothers get uncomfortable and self conscious while pumping milk at the workplace, so having a quiet electric pump or an efficient manual pump are great alternatives.
- If you are pumping next to your partner or baby, you may wish to consider a quiet electric breast pump or a manual one so that your family is not disturbed by the noise if you need to pump during the night.
Best Suction Breast Pump
A breast pump with good suction power will ensure that you get the most amount of milk during a pumping session.
There is nothing worse than pumping milk and not getting enough liquid gold out with your breast pump.
That is the reason why having a good quality breast pump can guarantee the most amount of milk in the shortest amount of time possible.
Easy To Use Breast Pump
Most breast pumps are of easy operation. Manual breast pumps work mechanically, so you pump milk by hand. The key with manual breast pumps is practice!
With single and double electric breast pumps, suction is operated with the push of a button. Some brand models have multiple buttons to help manage the speed and strength of suction.
Make sure you learn how to use your baby breast pump to get the most amount of milk possible, without any discomfort.
Best portable electric breast pump
If you decide to go for an electric breast pump and you are keen to move it around and pump away from home, make sure you get the best on the go breast pump you can afford.
The best portable breast pumps are lightweight, compact in size and have the option to be battery operated. These pumps are designed to express milk anywhere you go, with or without a power plug.
Best Manual Breast Pump
The best manual pumps will have an ergonomic handle for comfortable pumping and easy and efficient operation.
Most sophisticated brand models can even help you mimic your baby’s sucking motion, to stimulate your breast and gather as much milk as possible during the slower and longer cycles.
Affordable breast pumps
If there is a baby item worth investing in, this would be definitely one of them. Luckily, it is not necessary to spend a large sum of money to have one of the best affordable electric breast pumps on the market.
There is plenty of offer and some great options to suit any budget. The key is to try to get the best affordable breast pump within your mean.
Types of Breast Pumps
Manual Breast Pumps
are operated by hand and will help you express milk comfortably and at your own pace.
It consists of a milk container that has a shield and a pump attached. The shield is a section with the shape of a cup, which should surround your nipple area.
The pump, which is normally attached to the shield, creates a vacuum that gently expresses milk from your breasts.
The advantage of a hand breast pump or manual milk pump is generally its cost. These models are considerably cheaper than electric or battery operated breast pumps, which we will review below.
Another benefit of manual pumps is that they are silent, so they are ideal to use at work or to pump milk close you where your baby (or husband!) is sleeping, so you won’t wake them up.
Finally, the fact that they don’t use a motor to be operated, means that they are lightweight and highly portable.
The pump does not need electricity to function, so you can literally pump anywhere you go.
Electric Breast Pump
Single electric breast pumps consist of several more parts vs manual breast pumps.
Electric breast pump parts:
- Tubing
- Electric pump motor
- Diaphragm
- Breast Shield
- Valve
Don’t feel intimidated by the amount of parts that build an electric breast pump, as they are fairly easy and straightforward to assemble and use.
The motor part comes with settings for you to choose the right fit for you in terms of vacuum power and speed.
Most models include a stimulation mode that is short and fast that stimulates the breast, mimicking the sucking motion that babies do.
Once the let down starts, you can change the setting to a more slower but continuous express motion.
Nowadays there are so many models and brands available, that it can be quite easy to find an affordable electric breast pump.
In terms of time, an electric breast pump is much more effective in expressing milk and the advantage is that your hand won’t get tired of pumping.
Double Electric Breast Pump
Dual electric breast pumps offer the option to express milk from both breasts in simultaneous.
That means that you can get double the amount of milk in the same time you express milk with a single electric breast pump.
The motor of the best rated double electric breast pumps is generally more powerful, but still gentle on breasts, the best combination of attributes you can get.
Portable Breast Pumps
Portable electric breast pumps offer the option to use batteries to pump on the go.
Some models are mini electric breast pumps, which have a compact size and are easy to carry.
With portable breast pumps you can literally express milk wherever you go. The main advantage vs manual pumps is the speed. You will require less effort and time to express milk, than with a manual pump.
Storing breast milk while you are out and about can be tricky. If you are planning to use the breast milk later, make sure you store it in a fridge or cooler bag, so your milk will last longer.
It is not recommended to feed infants breast milk that has been out of the fridge for more than 6 hours.
If you leave your breast milk in a cooler bag or insulated bag, you can feed it to your baby after 24 hours.
Hospital Grade Breast Pumps
Hospital grade electric breast pump are the top of the range when it comes to breast pumps.
These models are quite expensive vs manual and electric breast pumps and are design for mothers who need to express milk a few times per day.
If you will be giving birth at the hospital, your midwife will offer you a hospital grade breast pump if you need it.
You will notice that the breast pump has a large motor and that you will keep your tubing and nipple shield, which the motor is shared among a few other mothers in the maternity unit.
Hospital grade pumps are designed to be shared by several users, whereas single and double electric breast pump are recommended for one user only.
What is the Best Breast Pump for you?
Choosing the best breast pump may be challenging or even confusing as there are several types of breast pumps in the market and all of them have their pros and cons.
For practical purposes we have grouped breast pumps into 3 categories according to breastfeeding needs.
Feel free to click through to go to where you need to.
1. Breastfeeding Full-Time
2. Breastfeeding Part-Time
3. Bottle feeding (breast milk)
1. Breastfeeding Full-Time
If you are breastfeeding full-time, it is highly likely you will be using a breast pump only occasionally in order to build milk supply to separate from your baby during short periods of time, such as a visit to the doctor or other appointments.
In this case you could either buy a manual breast pump or a single electric one.
Manual Pumps
Pros of Manual Pumps
Pros of Manual Pumps– They are cheaper than electric pumps
– With no motor, they hardly make any noise
– They are lighter than electric pumps, so they are easy to transport
– They have less parts, which means they are easy assemble and clean
Cons of Manual Pumps
– More labour intensive than electric ones, as you need to operate them yourself
– It may take time to get into the 2-phase expression manually:
– First you need to do short pumping to stimulate the letdown of milk
– Once milk starts flowing you can switch to the slower and longer sucking cycle to express milk simulating the sucking of your baby
Depending on your budget, you may prefer to buy a single electric pump, which is a great option too for moms breastfeeding part-time.
2. Breastfeeding Part-Time
Single Electric Pumps
Single Pumps are a great option for mothers breastfeeding full or part time.
By part-time we mean you may have a set a routine to express a few times during the week to leave your baby for scheduled periods of time.
This may be your case if you have returned to work and you are apart from your baby for considerably long periods of time a day but you breastfeed when you are together.
Some families prefer to share the baby feeding responsibility, which means Dad bottle feeds the baby once a day or a few times a week (even if Mom is at home). That is a good tactic for your baby to accept the bottle early on and to allow your partner some nice quality bonding time with baby.
These 2 are just a couple of examples. The key point is that you would need to express milk with some level of frequency during the week.
Pros of Single Electric Pumps
– Milk can be expressed faster than with manual pumps
– Cost wise they are mid-tier, as they are more expensive than manual pumps but cheaper than double electric breast pumps
– They mimic the 2-phase expression perfectly: short suction first and longer after wards to maximise milk expression
– Suction level can be automatically adjusted for comfort
– Most can be used with power or batteries, so you can pump out of home
– Some brands come with accessories, including cooler bag for milk and storage containers
Cons of Single Electric Pumps:
– Heavier and lauder than manual pumps
– Not as powerful as double electric pumps
3. Bottle Feeding (breast milk)
If you are Bottle Feeding (breast milk) or expressing full-time, a double Electric Pump may be the best option for you. Many moms see themselves in the situation where they want to breast feed their babies but they are unable to. If that is your case, make sure you contact your lactation consultant and discuss your personal circumstances before choosing the best breast pump for you.
Double Electric Breast Pumps:
Pros of Double Electric Pumps:
Pros of Double Electric Pumps:– Time saving: double amount of milk in half time
– Single or double pumping option
– More powerful than single electric pumps
– Some come with good accessories, such as cooler bag and storage containers
– Some models are compact and easy to carry around
Cons of Double Electric Breast Pumps:
– Most expensive of the range
– You will probably need to a special bra (sold separately)
– More bulky to carry around
– Some models are bulky, so best to express at home (hospital-grade ones)
Hospital Grade Pumps
Under the Double Electric Breast Pumps category, we can also add a subcategory for the hospital-grade ones. An example would be Medela Symphony or the Spectra Baby USA.
Hospital-grade pumps are designed to be shared among several patients without any risk of passing on germs or infections. They are also very powerful as they may be in use all day! I used the Medela Symphony for a couple of days while I was in hospital having my first baby, as I was not able to breastfeed for a couple of days. The pump was very efficient, great for long term / high frequency use.
If you feel ready to review some products before making your decision to buy a pump click here to go through our brand reviews.
If you still need information or are interested in learning everything there is not know about breast pumps, then I recommend you read this article babygearlab.com. If you have some time in your hands you may want to check it out.
Don’t forget to leave us a comment. Hope you enjoyed the read!
