As you start shopping, you’ll want to find a breast pump that meets your specific needs what works for one mom might not be the right choice for you. When researching the

What To Look For In A Breast Pump

“>best breast pumps, Andrea Tran , a certified lactation consultant, says to consider these important factors: Pumping frequency: Think about how often you’ll be pumping. Because you will need to put in a lot more effort to use the manual pump, it won’t be practical if you pump less than once per week. A double-electric pump is a smart investment. Your lifestyle: Some newer models allow you to pump completely hands-free and without any obvious tubing or wires. Some hands-free pumps can even be worn under your shirt! Although no breast pump can be completely silent, there are some that emit a higher level of noise than others. You may prefer a quieter pump if you plan on using it in an office setting or for conference calls. Weight: If you’ll be commuting to the office or traveling often, it can be helpful to have a lightweight pump. You’ll need to know where the pump will be used. A double-electric pump that includes a battery pack is a good option. You could also opt for smaller and more portable batteries, even though it may not be as powerful. Coverage and costs: Although some breast pumps can be covered under insurance, others may not. You may need a second pump to use at work. Or you could upgrade to a higher-quality model if your budget allows.

Bellababy Double Electric Pump. It features a touch HD screen LCD with a sensitive touch panel. This screen has all the information a lactating individual could hope for, as well as a convenient one-touch option for controlling the pump. Bellababy Double Electric is a closed-system pump with powerful suction. It can continue to work even when the battery has run out.


Even though the Bellababy Dual Electric is compact, it may not be the most portable on the market. Also, it tends to be a little more loud than many pumps. This pump has many moving parts.


Consider these things when you are looking for a breast pump:


Consider your pumping requirements and personal lifestyle. When will your pump be used? How often will you use your pump to maintain milk supply? Do it every day during work hours? ?


Which pumps your health insurance will cover. The Affordable Care Act requires that all private US health insurance policies cover breast pump coverage as of 2012 Trusted Source.


Point of price. You need to find the right balance between your budget, your requirements and which pump will best suit your needs.


Portability.

The Babylist asked thousands of families what baby products are their favorite now that their child is born. We then took these top-rated products and added our insights. Here are the breast pumps we think are the best of the best.


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Here’s some information about pumps and the parts they have. A breast pump is a device that extracts human milk. Many breast pumps produce a vacuum which pulls the milk from the breast. It is important to understand how the pump works, as well how closely it imitates breastfeeding. The main three components of suction machines are the following. The breast shield (also called the flange) fits over a breast and funnels milk away from the nipple. The breast shield is made up of a bottle, or bag. It collects milk. A valve opens and closes to let the milk flow through the valve. The pump mechanism is responsible for creating the suction. There are pumps that push the milk out of breasts using pressure rather than a vacuum. However, these pumps are still rare and are not included in this guide. Double electric pumps are either battery operated or plug into a wall, and they can extract milk from both breasts at once. An electric motor creates vacuum. A manual pump extracts milk from one breast at the time and is small, portable. They work by sucking the handle.


The cost of manual pumps is half that of electrics, and they are much smaller.


Single electric pumps were also looked at. These are usually less costly than double electrics, but can only empty one breast at once. Since most people want to milk two breasts at once, we decided that a double electric pump was better. This reduces pumping times by half, and it costs a bit more.


Hospital-grade is usually reserved for pumps of very high quality that can be used by multiple users and are often rented rather than purchased. However, there’s no definitive definition. These pumps have suction finely enough tuned that, for many people, they can establish and maintain a milk supply even if a baby never nurses directly. Typically hospital-grade pumps cost more than a thousand dollars to buy, but are available as rentals from pharmacies or other sources.


Pumps may be medical devices. The manufacturers of their single-user consumer-grade electric pumps classify them as such. It means they can’t be given away or sold. You can’t return them once they have been opened. We hope this guide helps readers make the best choice on what can be a somewhat tricky purchase.


Interviewing four experts in lactation, pumping and breastfeeding, as well as reviewing 42 different breast pumps we came up with the following recommendations:


It is a painless, efficient operation. A pump that effectively pulls breastmilk out of the breast is our number one priority. It may not feel pleasant but it should not be too painful. We allow for some reasonable there’s-a-machine-attached-to-my-breast discomfort.

Medela Harmony – The most manual breast pump. With a smooth, rotating handle, Medela Harmony makes it easy to squeeze and grip repeatedly.


Medela Harmony


is at least as effective or more effective when extracting milk compared with other manual pumps we tried. It’s also the only manual pump we tried that has a handle that swivels, which we found makes it more comfortable to use over longer or more frequent pumping sessions, because you can adjust your grip to use it from whichever hand position feels best. The handle also swivels a full 180 degrees, moving the pump into stimulation mode. It’s much easier to pump with the smaller end of the handle because it makes it quicker and more efficient to trigger the milk letdown. Medela manual pumps are generally less expensive and more widely available than other models. They can also use common parts like our double-electric pick.


The pump’s handle is very smooth so you can easily adjust the suction force by pushing more or less. Horman emphasized that a manual pump should be easy to squeeze just halfway, to keep the suction comfortable (and as a corollary, effective). The Harmony was her pick in that regard.


A few characteristics make the Harmony better than the Philips Avent, which is our second-place manual pump. A small divot just below the breast shield helps to make the pump comfortable and intuitive to grip. Small yellow bumpers keep the handle from clacking annoyingly against the bottle. This is also very easy to assemble.


The Medela Harmony’s rotating handle was a great feature. It allows you to adjust your squeeze angle, helping reduce hand pain.


Medela Harmony manual breastfeeding pump is available in brick and mortar shops, online, or in-store. Medela Harmony is a similar product to our electric runner up. The collection bottles, breast shields, membranes and valves are identical, making it an attractive option for those who have another Medela Pump.

You should wash anything that has come into contact with breast milk, whether you use an electric or manual pump. Warm soapy water and a bottle brush with a nipple clean will remove all milk from the various parts of an electric or manual pump. Some parts can even be used in a dishwasher. Medela offers cleaning wipes to clean parts of pumps, bottles, and any other plastic surfaces. These are very helpful if you can’t access a sink.


According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is not possible for breast pumps to be sterilized at home with boiling water. However, regular washing is sufficient, along with occasional sanitizing with a microwave steamer bag, or in boiling water.


For information on safe handling of breast milk itself, see these guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).


This guide is meant to help you find the most suitable breast pump for your needs. However, every woman’s breasts are different. A professional lactation consultant can offer detailed advice, customized to your body and past. La Leche League leaders, local support groups and other organizations can provide assistance with lactation issues and help to address supply concerns. Baby-supply centers that double as resource center include Yummy Mummy in New York City; the Pump station in Los Angeles; Nurturing Expressions Natural Resources San Francisco; Waddle n Swaddle New York’s Hudson Valley Valley and Baby’s Sweet Beginnings Buffalo. They often have classes available and/or permit you to test several pumps before you commit to any one.


According to pump manufacturers, the single-use pumps included in this guide have been designated as such by the manufacturer. Kelly offers a list of used and new pumps. The motors of most electric single-user pumps will last about a year. A used pump might not last that long. Multiuser pumps are much more expensive models (sometimes referred to as “hospital grade,” though the FDA does not define the term ) that work for years and can be shared because the milk collection system is fully separate from the pump mechanism, meaning it can’t cross-contaminate between users.

Baltimore Breastfeeds Lactation Consultant, In-person Interview, June 27, 2017, the owner and operator of the previously defunct breastfeeding resource center The Upper Breast Side. Telephone interview, June 20, 2017, June 20, 2017 the Medela USA lead product development Engineer. Phone interview, September 13, 2017. June 16, 2017, The Boob Geek (Minneapolis–St. Paul). Email interview May 29, 2017 Juliet Spurrier MD. Baby. Gear. Lab Team, The Best Breast Pump Review Kelly. Mom , breastfeeding resource site Breast Pumps , US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Catherine D’Ignazio et. A Feminist HCI Approach for Designing Postpartum Technologies. Health.gov, September 30, 2014 New Benefits for Breastfeeding Moms: Facts and Tools to Understand Your Coverage under the Health Care Law , National Women’s Law Center, May 8, 2014