You’ve decided to breast feed your baby, which is wonderful. You are also planning on going back to work, or you have other children and sometimes cannot breast feed quietly, or daddy would like to feed the baby, so you need to use a breast pump.
There are many different types of breast pumps on the market today, everything from the hospital grade to manual pumps, electric pumps to battery operated pumps. You will need to choose the one that best suits your needs. Once that choice has been made and you read all the instructions you may be a little nervous about using your breast pump for the first time.
Here are some great tips that will make it easier for you to use your breast pump.
1.) Find a quiet place to sit and pump your breasts, make sure you are comfortable because it does take about 20 minutes per breast, and sit up with your back straight, this will make it much easier for you to use your breast pump and will make it gentler on your back.
2.) It is important to hold your breast up and support it from underneath. Keep your fingers flat, letting your first finger lay gently between your ribs and your breast. This will make it much easier for you to use your breast pump.
3.) Take the funnel part of the breast pump and gently put in on your breast covering the nipple and make sure the nipple is in the center of the funnel.
4.) Do not force the funnel on your breast just keep it close enough to make a seal with your skin. In other words do not press the funnel too tightly.
5.) One of the best tips is to be patient. It can take a few minutes for your milk to start flowing, first you will see the clear liquid then the actual milk will begin to flow, so relax and be calm.
6.) Let the breast pump do its job and when the milk flow slows down then it is time to switch to the other breast, turn off the pump and gentle remove the funnel and then start pumping on the other breast. Once the second breast is done, return to the first pump and trying pumping again. Then try the second breast once the first one slows down on milk flow. This will help you express as much milk as possible.
7.) If you are using a double breast pump where you are pumping both breasts at the same time, then once the milk flow slows down you can turn the pump off for about 30 seconds and then start it back up to get as much milk as possible. Using a double breast pump does take a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it then it becomes fairly easy to use and it can save you lots of time.
It may seem rather intimidating at first trying to use a breast pump whether it is a manual or electric a single or a double pump but with a little patience you will master pumping your breasts in no time at all. It will become very natural for you and just part of your daily routine. Most breast pumps come with extremely detailed instructions to guide you a long and they usually have a phone number to call if you need any help. Your doctor can also help you if you have any problems with pumping your breasts and there is always the internet for you do research on with a wealth of information and videos to help you.
You might also enjoy reading how a breast pump can work for you.