An electric breast pump is a small, battery-powered device that lactating mothers use to extract milk directly from their own breasts. They can be manual or motorised devices operated by either hand or foot motions or remote automatic devices operated by electricity. The electric breast pump was invented in the 1960s and has become a great success in breastfeeding circles and at home for new mothers everywhere. Compared to the earlier types of pump, the electric breast pump allows a much faster extraction time with much less effort required from the mother as the milk can now be dispensed without needing to change positions. This article will compare the electric pump to the manual and foot operated pumps to help you make your choice for the best one for you.
These pumps are available in two main types; manual and electric breast pump. The differences between the two types of pumps are basically the amount of suction power and the amount of tubing needed to provide milk. In addition, some electric pumps have a longer tubing than others, and some have larger suction units.
Manual expressing breast pumps use a breastfeeding mother's free hand to express milk using a tube similar to a baby bottle. You use your free hand to insert your index finger into the tube and pump the milk out of your breasts. This is quite a labour intensive process, which leaves most new moms feeling somewhat embarrassed about expressing their milk in public. Unlike electric breast pumps, manual expressing does not provide a consistent flow of milk and can only work up to about a litre at a time.
Using medela breast pump with a manual hand expression device is quite simple - just unscrewing the electric pump head from its housing, removing the tubing and attaching it to your breast, and then inserting your finger for some gentle pumping. It is this very basic set up that makes it the simplest type of hand expression device. The disadvantage of this set up is that it doesn't provide the same amount of suction power that a manual hand expression unit would. For this reason, electric hand expression pumps are usually not recommended for those who are new to pumping, as it might not be powerful enough to express the amount of milk needed.
Another disadvantage is the fact that it is much more expensive than manual breast pumps. If you need more than a litre of milk at a time, then it can be fairly expensive to use electric breast pumps compared to manual ones. For example, a manual express kit that only contains a breast shield can cost up to $50, whereas an electric breast pump can cost between sixty and three hundred dollars. There is also a greater risk of electrical shock due to the length of the tubing attached to the electric breast pump. Some parents who are concerned with the safety of their baby may decide to use electric breast pumps. See this link for more on these breast pumps.
In summary, there are a number of factors to consider when buying electric breast pumps. The most important things to look at include speed, suction power, reliability and durability. Most mums will agree that the best electric breast pump they have ever used is the Omega pump which is widely recommended by most websites and magazines online. It gives a good flow of milk and has excellent reliability. This is probably the best out of all the different pumps on the market. Check out this post: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Establishment_of_breastfeeding, if you need to get more enlightened on this topic.
