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If you want to express milk on an ad hoc basis, you've probably opted for a manual breast pump. Here you'll find the information you need to know which manual breast pump to choose.
If you’re already well established in breastfeeding and now want to express milk occasionally, either to have frozen milk from time to time or so that your partner or a caregiver can feed the baby while you’re away, you’ve probably opted for a manual breast pump. These devices offer a variety of advantages, but it can be hard to know just which one to choose.
With the myriad of brands and models on the market, it can be difficult to choose the one that best suits your needs. For this reason, we want to help you know what factors to consider when choosing the best manual breast pump for you.
Manual breast pumps are cheaper than electric breast pumps. They’re also quiet and convenient for occasional pumping. What’s more, they’re very light and easy to transport. Many models include milk storage containers along with the pump.
The only drawback is that they require extra work from the mother because she has to pump continuously to extract the milk. However, when the extractions are for occasional use, they’re usually the most popular among mothers.
Depending on the brand of the pump, details may vary somewhat from one to another, but the components are usually nearly the same.
When washing and sterilizing it, you must disassemble. If your baby’s a healthy child, you don’t need to sterilize it every time you use the pump. Just wash it with soap and water every time you’ve finished using it and when you’re going to use it again. Wash each piece individually. In premature babies, sterilization and washing of the breast pump must be more thorough.
It’s important to know that using a breast pump takes time and practice. It can be frustrating to see just a few drops come out at first, but this will pass once you become familiar with the pump. Gradually, you’ll see how the amount of milk you extract increases.
It’s important to emphasize that the amount of milk expressed with the breast pump isn’t synonymous with what the baby can extract by sucking. No breast pump, no matter how good it is, exactly mimics the great sucking ability that babies have.