Important things to remember when breast pumping

Breast pumping can sound like a complicated medical term to understand. In addition, it sounds painful– I mean, to have some machine squeezing milk out of your breasts? But new moms, do not worry. Breast pumping is not as daunting as you think. In fact, good breast pumps are designed to give you the sensation that is at least similar to your baby’s natural breastfeed: a bit of pressure and some gentle tugging.

So if you’re ready, come with us on this journey where we’ll break down in small steps what it takes to successfully– and safely– breast pump.

Familiarize with the manual

Even before your baby comes, make sure you read the instructions of the pump and familiarize yourself with it. It is important to try on the breasts shields (the cone-shaped tunnel that sticks directly to your breasts) to make sure they fit. Larger or smaller breast shields can actually hurt your breast by pulling on the areola area (the dark area around the nipple). The best breast pumps should have enough sizes to accommodate your needs.

Be sanitary

Always remember to clean the parts of the machine where your breasts and your baby’s mouth touch. The best breast feeding pump comes with the ease to clean and to use, allowing busy moms to clean the parts easily and efficiently. Medela makes steam bags that you could put the parts in, microwave them for about a minute and they’re clean and sterilized. Other moms like to take it on their own and boil the parts in water for 5 minutes before use to ensure extra sanitation.

When to pump

Some reviews on best-rated breast pumps suggest that pumping in the morning is best because that’s when you have the most milk. Others say it depends. Each mom has a unique pumping pattern, so it’s important to try out different times to see when works best for you. What’s important, though, is to pump regularly and consistently. It is advised to pump an hour and a half to an hour prior to or after breastfeeding because doing so can up your supply. Breast milk is produced on a demand-and-supply basis, so the more you pump, the more your body adjusts to the increased demand and produce milk accordingly. By pumping at the same time everyday, you teach your body to understand that it needs to have the milk ready by the time your baby breastfeeds. The consistent time schedule helps tremendously especially when you’re preparing to return to work.

What if the milk doesn’t come?

Experts say that it’s normal for the milk to not come during the first couple of minutes, usually 2 to 3 minutes. This is because your breast muscles take time to enter the “let-down” phase, which is when the milk-producing tissues contract and squeeze the milk out. Let down is particularly important because, according Medela’s research, it provides 36% of the milk quantity. Make sure you notice when your let down starts so you can take advantage of it.

Various breast pump reviews advise massaging the breast while pumping to help warm the muscles and encourage more milk. Companies also try to trigger let-down by designing a two-phase stimulation that mimics the baby’s sucking pattern that is natural and avoids any pain to the breasts.

➸➸➸ This Content: What Is The Best Breast Pump

Final words

Breastfeeding is a difficult task, but it is just as rewarding. We hope that you’ve found the help that you need in this article, and we wish you all the best!

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