Choosing the right breast pump for you

Let’s talk all things breast pumps

The first thing you need to ask yourself is: why may I need a breast pump?

Do you just need your pump to express milk for your infant on the rare occasion? Is it to create and maintain a freezer stash for returning to work or when you may be separated from your baby? Perhaps you need a pump to relieve engorgement or inflamed breast tissue, or this pump may be for use every day to express milk to feed your infant for every feed.

You may not be aware of the exact reason just yet, and that’s perfectly fine. You will typically know your reason by week two of breastfeeding. Then you can make the decision about what breast pump to go with. If this pump will be getting a good workout — such as being used purely for expressing to feed your infant every feed or for maintaining supply — then you will want to look at getting yourself a decent pump. If you only need your pump for occasional expressing, then you may be able to just grab a manual breast pump.

Types of breast pumps

Silicone milk collector

An alternative to a breast pump and a much cheaper option is a silicone milk collector. These nifty little devices suction onto your breast and collect your let-down whilst you are breastfeeding. You literally have to do nothing but sit back and watch your milk be collected.

A great, portable option that requires no noise or effort.

Manual breast pump

Breast pumps can be quite basic, as we see with a manual pump.

These pumps are lightweight, usually discreet, and portable. You manually control the pump to express your milk. The downside is the effort required, and you may find that you express less milk due to the minimal suction a manual pump provides.

Battery-operated breast pump

A battery-operated breast pump is again very portable and can be used for pumping one or two breasts at the same time. It is often more affordable than an electric pump.

However, it can be slower, has less power than an electric option, and may go through a lot of batteries. This type of pump is best suited to occasional expressing.

Electric breast pump – single

An electric breast pump that expresses one breast at a time is a more powerful option. However, as it only works on one breast, it can be more time-consuming and may result in less milk expressed overall.

This pump also requires being plugged in during use, which can be inconvenient.

Electric breast pump – double

An electric double breast pump can be more expensive but has many advantages. It allows you to express from both breasts at the same time, saving you time and generally increasing the amount of milk expressed.

Hospital-grade breast pump

You can go one step further with a hospital-grade breast pump, which is what we use in maternity departments and hospitals.

These pumps are highly efficient and typically result in the most milk expressed in one session. They are ideal if you need to express frequently or are working to establish or maintain your milk supply.