With the appearance of a baby in a family, young parents have a large number of worries and questions that they have not previously encountered. One of these issues is the need to purchase a breast pump.
A breast pump is a device for expressing breast milk. The modern market for baby care products offers the widest selection of such devices, different in design, principle of operation and cost. However, before making this often expensive purchase, it is better to understand why a milk sucker is needed and what these devices are.
When is a breast pump needed?
The breast pump will become an indispensable assistant in cases when the emptying of the breast does not occur naturally, that is, when the baby does not suck the milk himself. This can happen for various reasons:
Mom and baby are apart. It happens that a mother cannot breastfeed her baby for a long time. For example, if a newborn is admitted to the hospital for some reason, or the mother has to go to work before the end of breastfeeding. In such cases, the breast pump will help not only to provide the baby with the necessary nutrition, but also to support lactation to continue breastfeeding, and will also save the mother from milk stagnation and related problems.
The baby cannot breastfeed for various medical reasons. This happens sometimes, and mom can also use a breast pump to provide adequate nutrition.
In addition, a breast pump will be an excellent helper in less serious cases - for example, if you want to leave your baby with a grandmother or nanny for several hours, or if you take your baby somewhere where it will be inconvenient to breastfeed.
What types of breast pumps are there?
Devices for expressing breast milk work by forcing a vacuum in the space between the nipple and the funnel of the device. This principle of operation is similar to the effect of the baby's mouth on the mother's breast. According to the method of creating a vacuum and stimulating the breast, breast pumps can be divided into groups:
Pumped breast pumps. The device consists of a breast attachment, a milk collection tank and a small pear that you squeeze to create pressure in the device. It should be noted that the simplest model of such a breast pump is not always effective and is suitable only for those who have no problems with milk separation. It costs very cheaply (less than a hundred rubles), but it also requires a lot of effort.
More modern breast pumps are convenient and efficient enough. They differ in that the pear is connected to the device through a small hose, and the milk is not pumped into a small reservoir, but directly into a bottle from which the baby can drink. The only inconvenience is the need to constantly squeeze the rubber bulb. The breastpiece in these devices is usually equipped with a silicone massage pad to facilitate pumping.
Reciprocating breast pumps. This is one of the most popular types of such a device today. The pressure in the device is no longer pumped by a pump (pear), but with the help of a lever on which the mother presses with her own hands. This option is more convenient than squeezing a pear. There are different models of reciprocating breast pumps: simple and inexpensive are somewhat cumbersome and are not the best option for pumping outside the home, and more complex ones are very convenient and quite compact. The breastpiece also usually has a silicone surface, and the expressed milk flows directly into the baby bottle, making it sterile.
Both pump and reciprocating breast pumps are manual. That is, mom's hands will be busy during the entire pumping time. However, there is a significant plus: all parts of such a device can be washed and boiled, which is very important for the baby's health, especially in the first months of life.
Only an electric breast pump will allow you to free your mother's hands. This device is battery or mains powered and allows you to express your milk effortlessly. Some models allow you to express from both breasts at once. At the same time, the mother's hands are free, and she can do something at the same time as pumping. This version of the breast pump is the most convenient, however, it also has its drawbacks: the price of such a device is quite high, and the design does not allow disinfecting all its components.
Due to the existing variety of breast pump models, every parent will be able to choose the one they need, guided by price, required features and personal preferences.
