Manual Breast Pumps
Manual breast pumps, electric breast pumps, what's the difference??
Well…it all depends what you need it for —yes, to express breast milk— but what features do you think you will need?
I personally like hand or manual breast pumps as they are very portable and inexpensive. I used to take mine to work and keep it in the fridge. I worked with an office full of men and none of them ever even noticed it. I also used it on a plane with a blanket over my shoulder...I had a large manly man sitting next to me and because of it's size and quietness I was able to be very discrete.
Manual breast pumps are also very easy to clean as they come apart completely, so the parts can be rinsed individually. I used to use a bottle brush to clean into the neck of the pump...if you do this it's a good idea not to use the brush to clean bottles that have been used for anything other than breast milk.
The thing I love about manual pumps is that you can regulate the rhythm of the pumping so that it matches the rhythm of your baby's sucking. I found this especially helpful when trying to have a let-down. I could pump quickly at first to mimic the "suck, suck, suck" action of my baby before my milk flowed, and then I could slow it down to mimic his "suck, suck, gulp" rhythm.
They are also very quiet so you can express just about anywhere without drawing attention to yourself. This can be especially useful if you need to express at night, next to your sleeping baby - to help with let down - or at work. Some electric and battery operated pumps can be noisy so that may limit where and when you use them.
I did get sore wrists and hands from using my hand pump, but then I was using it all the time, before feeds, after feeds during feeds, at work...all the time.
And another great thing about manual pumps, is that you can use them for a few seconds to ease engorgement, or ongoing to ease mastitis, they are very versatile and durable.
So if you need to start expressing, and you haven't had any experience yet, besides hand expressing —which doesn't cost a cent— manual pumps can be a relatively inexpensive place to start, coupled with their portability, versatility and durability… well it's obvious why I love them!
Please always remember to consult your health professional to find out information that is relevant to your specific situation.
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