Breast Pumps
So, you've decided to feed your baby human milk and are wondering if you'll need a breast pump for this journey. There’s no rule stating that you have to pump, but there are situations where pumping is necessary to initiate or increase your milk supply. In other cases, it may simply be a personal choice.
Let me provide you with some information about using breast pumps and the various types available. Your reasons for pumping will likely determine which type of pump you should use.
Feel free to contact me if you've got questions about any of this!
If you have a hospital birth, there's no need to bring a pump to the hospital with you unless you plan to pump and feed human milk by bottle right away exclusively.
First milk, colostrum, is better collected by hand expressing because it's thick and comes out in tiny amounts that would get stuck in pump parts. Most people don't need a pump until about day three postpartum if they need a pump at all! Check out this video on how to hand express!
If your hospital stay is prolonged, you can use one of the hospital's electric pumps (you'll need to purchase a kit from the hospital) or have someone bring your pump from home.
You can also rent a pump from several Toronto area infant equipment companies for hospital or home use.
Different kinds of breast bumps
Electric pumps are suitable for initiating and maintaining milk supply if direct breast/chestfeeding is not possible, as well as collecting human milk at work or during other absences from your baby.
If you plan to collect milk regularly after baby is born, an electric pump is an efficient way to do this, and there's no harm in getting one before your baby is born to become familiar with how it works.
Electric pumps are expensive but well worth the investment if feeding human milk from a bottle is an expected part of your postpartum plan.
Hospital-grade pumps (safe for multi-users):
Hospital grade means the pump's kit is separate from the pumping mechanism and protected from overflow by a specially designed membrane (a closed system). These are the types of pumps you can safely borrow or buy second-hand.
Medela Symphony PLUS & speCtra S1 Plus or speCtra S2 Plus:
All three of these hospital-grade electric pumps include:
A mixture of intensity levels, stimulation phases, an expression phase and a pause phase.
Allows switching between single and double pumping by simply applying or removing the second collection kit to the breast.
The pump can easily return to stimulation by pressing the let-down button.
Comes with plug and/or battery options as a power source.
Hands-free option with the purchase of a pumping bra (sold separately). The pump kit is still connected with tubes to the motor, but you don't have to hold the kit throughout the pumping session.
Both Medela and speCrta brands have other types of portal pumps and hands-free wearable pumps (in bra, not attached to tubes), too. Many other brands are available out there - these are the two most popular and well-respected brands.
*Medela is a global brand and is widely available in Canada. speCra is an American brand and is not easily available in Canada.
A note about hands-free wearable pumps: many people report not having as much suction from these pumps, which makes them less effective if you are trying to increase or maintain your milk supply.
Non-electric pumps
There are many other kinds of pumps, too - each has a slightly different use case.
Breast shells for passively collecting dripping milk: Breast shells are very handy in the first few weeks of postpartum when milk production is abundant, and you tend to leak on one side while the baby is latched on the other. You can collect the dripping milk without actively drawing extra milk out. In the early weeks, babies need to be fed from both breasts (maybe multiple times) at each feed, and we don't want to take away any of the faster-flowing milk from them. Breast shells have the advantage of being very low cost.
Here are a few favourite brands:
Silicone pumps (active suction): Similar to the breast shells, a silicone pump is used on one side but can be used with or without your baby latched on the other. Silicone pumps actively draw milk out of the breast and have the advantage of being cost-effective, small, portable and not needing a power source. This type of pump has the disadvantage of being less effective at drawing milk out for some people and less efficient because it only does one side at a time.
Here are a few favourite brands:
Medela Silicone Breast Milk Collector
Manual (hand-squeezed) pumps are a cost-effective option. They look similar to a single-sided electric pump with a handle that you squeeze and release to create suction. Some people find the hand action helps the milk flow better for them. This pump is small, portable, and doesn't need a power source, but it may be tiring for your hand. Remember, there's a pump for every budget in your feeding journey!
Here are a few favourite brands:
Dr. Brown's Manual Breast Pump with SoftShape Silicone Shield
Philips AVENT Manual Breast Pump
Medela Harmony Manual Breastpump
*A reminder that not all bodies respond the same way to pumps! You may need to experiment with various pumps & pumping methods to find the best option for you!
I'm always here to chat about lactation, feeding, and pumping. Don't hesitate to reach out with your questions. You're not alone in this journey, and I'm here to support you! Be in touch!
