Breastfeeding: Why Pump?

As we continue our series of articles on Breastfeeding, here we will discuss pumping. See the blog label “Breastfeeding” for other articles related to breastfeeding (Breastfeeding 101: Getting Started, Why pump?, and coming soon----Breastfeeding Older Babies, and Common Obstacles/Troubleshooting).

I will be honest, pumping is awkward and inconvenient at first and even a bit embarrassing. I felt like Ole Bessy the Cow plugged up to a milk machine!! Just allow you and your husband to get a good laugh at the entire situation and you will be a pro in no time. I never had a hands-free attachment for my pump, but I found ways to have both hands free. Do not dismay, you will learn to do nearly anything while pumping. Pumping only takes about 15 minutes (if you double electric pump it) per session, so in the big scheme of things it is not much of a time commitment.
Why Pump?

• Getting Your Milk In-Pumping as soon are home from the hospital will help your milk come in sooner, in some cases. Initially, I would pump for 10-15 min right after I finished nursing Little Joy. I would let her lie in a Boppy Pillow next to me and play with her as I pumped (as a side note, I still use the boppy nursing pillow every time I nurse Little Joy, even at 8 months). As she got older I had to get creative about how to interact with her / entertain her as a pumped.
• Establishing Milk Supply-Pumping consistently early on will help provide a plentiful and steady milk supply early. Pumping after feedings sends a signal to your body to make more milk since you are pumping after feeding. Since Little Joy was a Babywise baby since she was born, I was able to anticipate when she would likely nurse next so I was never worried that I would not have milk when it was the next feeding time.
• Storage-Pumping regularly allows you to store milk away for bottles. I use the Lansinoh Storage Bags and LOVE them, be careful because they can get holes in them. We learned the hard way to a)freeze in 2 and 3 oz increments to prevent overfilling and allow for ANY size bottle to be made and b) freeze them laying FLAT. Storage is great for:

1. Dream feeding your baby
2. Allowing others to feed your baby (which means a very deserved and needed break for mommy)
3. Thinning baby food in the future
4. Providing you peace of mind that your baby will have mommy’s milk for a while after (and if) your milk supply runs out or you decide to stop nursing
   

Features to Consider when Buying a Pumps

• Electric vs Manual-Electric is nice because you can multi-task while you pump AND it better mimics your baby’s sucking. Most resources recommend a manual pump if you will only pump occasionally. I originally I thought I would only pump occasionally but once I realized I could store and increase my supply, I knew I would pump a lot!
• Dual vs Single-Dual is a great feature because you can get twice the milk/stimulation in half the time. Some woman prefer to only pump on one side at a time because they only feed on one side each nursing period. I have always nursed and pumped on both sides every nursing period/pumping session.
• Portability-Depending on your life style you may want the option to pump in the car using batteries or a car adaptor. My pump (the Avent duo) did not come with either (you can buy the car adaptor separate) and for the next baby (assuming we are blessed with a baby #2 one day) I will purchase the car adaptor.
  

Pump Review
(Please submit your reviews on pumps by sending an email to kelly.g.grant@gmail.com)

Medela Pump In Style

• Price: Relatively Expensive ($279 on amazon) but it does come with a bag, ice packs and a few bottles
• Ease of Use: VERY easy to use
• Replacement Parts: These are EASY to find at any store that sells baby products and the parts are fairly inexpensive.
• Vacuum: You can change the amount of sucking easily however there is not much “tweaking” you can do to the amount of the sucking. This makes it difficult to mimic your baby’s sucking (which is the goal).
• Overall: When I used this pump, the amount of milk I got was much less than with the Avent Isis Duo. I loved that the parts were easy to find and very easy to clean. I borrowed the motor and then purchased all the replacement parts so I do not know all the in's and outs of the product when purchased NEW.
  

Avent Isis IQ Duo (I recommend this pump!)

• Price: Relatively Expensive ($249 on amazon), however it comes with 4 bottles, ice packs and lots of other bells and whistles
• Ease of Use: Slightly complicated, but after several uses it is easy to use
• Replacement Parts: They are more difficult to find and so far I think they can only be purchased online. The parts are a little more expensive compared to replacement parts of other pumps. There is one part that you have to call Phillips to order, I haven’t been able to find it anywhere.
• Vacuum: LOVE this feature! You actually manually decide the sucking strength to best match your baby’s sucking with a handle. After 2-3 squeezes—it remembers it! This also means you can set the sucking strength until let down and then change it or change it whenever you want!
• Overall: I highly recommend this pump but warn buyers that there are more parts to it than most pumps, but the extra parts are what makes it worth it. I get a lot more milk in a lot shorter time with this pump. Also, I can use this pump manually if I so desire. One drawback, is this pump is cannot convert to batter operated, but there is a car power cord available (purchased separately). It is worth the money!

Discalimer: As I said in previous breastfeeding articles, if you did not or do not breastfeed---that is perfectly fine! We must all make decisions that best suit our families. These articles are intended to serve as a reference for those who want to breastfeed OR are trying to breastfeed as long as possible! Remember to always do what is best for your unique family!!!