How to Operate Breast Pumps

Many women like to breastfeed, but would also like to alternate between breast-feeding and using a bottle. Bottle feeding is great for times when breast-feeding is awkward, and lets fathers feed their baby as well as mothers. While formula is always an option for bottle-feeding, most experts agree that breast milk from a bottle is the best option for the optimal health of the baby and ease of feeding. Breast pumps allow mothers to extract milk from their breasts for use with the bottle. Whether the mother chooses an electric pump or a manual pump, the instructions are pretty much the same.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Breast pump & containers
• Soap and water
• Plastic nursing bags
• Glass of water/juice or warm decaf tea/coffee

1. Check the instructions that come with your specific pump. Refer to any illustrations to help with positioning.

2. Drink a glass of liquid to help produce the milk. Warm drinks may help the process more than cold drinks.

3. Clean all parts of the pump with gentle soap and water, and let them dry before each use.

4. Start the milk "let-down" process. Massage your breasts gently for about 5 minutes.

5. Put the breast shield on your breast. The nipple should be directly in the center.

6. Start to pump manually with the squeeze mechanism, or turn the electric pump on to a low setting. Once you feel more comfortable with the low electric setting, you can turn the speed up.

7. Pump for at least 5 minutes on each breast. If you have more milk to give, keep pumping. It should take about 15 minutes to pump both breasts with an electric pump, and about 45 minutes with a manual pump.

8. Store the pumped milk in the storage bag. It's best to use the milk the same day that is pumped, but you can safely store it in the fridge for a week, and in the freezer for a couple of months.