Hashtag #breast feeding … it must be breast feeding and pumping week!
I was just talking with my neighbor’s daughter Jen in New York who is 8 weeks away from giving birth to her first-born child. The topic of breast feeding and breast pumping came up. A couple of days later, I received an e-mail from mom Tanya Allsop, who wanted to share information on breast pumps. Timing is funny sometimes.
I am a big believer myself in nursing and did a lot of breast pumping, both manual (oy) and electric (yay) with my 3 boys. The pumps I used are probably dinosaured by now, so I will defer the new branding to Tanya, who has penned the article below, specifically for Baby Chronicles.
Many Benefits of Owning a Breast Pump
When hubby and I brought our first little bundle of joy into the world 5 years ago, I had everything meticulously planned. I had read every baby book and had purchased every piece of furniture for the nursery and every aid, accessory and baby-related gadget under the sun. A good breast pump, however, was a bit of an afterthought.
I had done no research whatsoever and didn’t have the faintest idea what to look for. I regrettably decided to go the cheapest route and invested in a small manual pump. It made sense at the time, as I didn’t realize how much time and effort I had put into expressing milk. Unfortunately I spent far too long awkwardly pumping away for what little milk it produced, and eventually banished it to the cupboard, never to be seen again.
Fast forward 5 years and barely a day goes by that I’m not pumping away with my new Medela pump. It’s almost become an extension of my body.
Among the various benefits a breast pump provides, it’s the freedom I enjoy most of all. I always ensure there’s an adequate supply of milk just in case I want to duck out for coffee with the girls, or for when I’m exhausted and decide that it’s hubby and bubby’s ‘bonding time’.
I have also recently started working from home part-time and having a supply of milk handy means I can work uninterrupted while our mother in law takes care of feeding.
For any mom planning on returning to work, a good breast pump is an absolute necessity. If you plan on expressing while at work, you will most likely want something that does the job quickly and quietly. It’s hard to go past a Medela double electric pump in this regard, as they’re both powerful, with pumping generally only taking about 10-20 minutes per session, and quiet enough not to cause a nuisance to co-workers. I find however, that it’s best to simply stock up well at home and store the milk in the fridge if I’m going to be away for extended periods of time.
In addition to the many benefits mentioned so far, breast pumps can also provide relief from engorgement, by releasing the excess milk supply building up in your body, which as any mother will tell you, can be very uncomfortable. There can also be unforeseen circumstances that make expressing necessary, such as your child having difficulty latching on to the breast or having to stock up before taking potentially harmful medication for short periods of time.
Everyone’s situation is different, and your needs will dictate what kind of breast pump you’ll want to invest in. There’s a huge variety out there, so make sure to do your homework before investing in a breast pump. It could be one of the most important decisions you make.
Tanya Allsop is a mother of 2 and owns a website dedicated to breast pump reviews and breast pumping guides for new mothers. Please visit BreastPumpReviewsSite for more information.
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