When collecting breast milk from mothers, a breast pump device expresses the milk into a bottle. Using a breast pump is not easy; it takes some time before you become a pro using it. You cannot compare a baby’s stimulation to breast pump stimulation; it is apparent artificial stimulation produces less milk than the real baby suckling. After extended use of a breast pump, the body gets used to it; hence baby milk improves with time.

Reasons for breast pumping

When your baby is unable to breastfeed normally, maybe because the baby has special reasons outlined by a medical specialist, breast pumping should become the norm. Breast pumping is an artificial way of feeding your child with breast milk when they cannot latch on to their mother’s breast. Your child will have continued use of breast milk without substituting it with other food, just like any other breastfeeding mother.

Expressing breast milk allows mothers to manufacture more following impulse formation. You need to make 7-9 pumping sessions per day during the first few days.

When your baby breastfeeds without any difficulty, it enables you and the baby to stimulate milk pumping; hence the quantity of milk produced shoots to cover for the days you are away. Be sure to use leading hospital grade breast pumps for your own comfort.

Tips for breast pumping

• You make the right time for breast pumping; you will do it the first time for 15 minutes, although milk collections may be less for the first time; it will improve when done regularly.
• Breast pumping should be flexible, but all about the same time because stimulation becomes comfortable with proper timing.
•  Breast pump regularly to improve breast milk production.
•  Be hygienic: When breast pumping, you should maintain hygiene by washing your hands after pumping. Sanitize pump parts after cleaning and store them in a clean environment.
• Be prepared: You need to have all the necessary breast pumping items to avoid any disturbance, allowing high stimulations that increase milk volume.
• If you opt to use a bra designed for breast pumping, you will have your hands freed to perform other chores as the process continues.
• Make yourself comfortable: You must ensure that you are at ease when relaxed oxytocin hormone is released, which stimulates milk production. Disturbances also interfere with the breast pumping process, so you need to be in a private place.
• Double up: Double pumping enables prolactin to rise, which increases the volume of milk produced. Also, it allows the production of milk, which contains high contents of fats.
•  Don’t ignore discomfort: During breast pumping, in case of any pain, one should correct it, for example, if the breast milk shield size is not right.

Two different types of breast pumps exist for you to choose from depending on your preferences and needs. They include; manual breast pumps and electric breast pumps, and in both types, there are two options, open and closed systems.

So we have learned that breast pumps express milk from a mother for the baby who cannot breastfeed for reasons best known to their mothers. There are electric breast pumps and manual breast pumps. Using electric breast pumps is easy but a source of a nuisance because of the noise it produces. If you are okay with breast pumping with your hands, manual breast pumps are a better option because they are affordable and easy to use.