If you are thinking about exclusively breastfeeding your child you may have already thought about investing in a breast pump. There are several varieties of pumps available in the market. These range from simple hand held manual pump to the most sophisticated electric pumps.

It is important that you use the breast pump the right way in order to ensure an unhindered supply of milk. The first thing which has got to do is to decide which kind of pump is best for you. You can make your decision based on the fact whether you only want to express your milk sometimes or you might need to do it on a daily basis because you have to return to work. For the former a manual pump would be a good choice. However if you plan on returning to work you must invest in an electric breast pump to make sure that your baby is fed even when you are not around.

The right way to use breast pumps

Before you are about to start expressing your milk it is important that you are sitting in a comfortable position. You need to be relaxed otherwise it might hamper your milk supply. The next step is to make sure that you read the manual which has come along with the breast pump in order to avoid any kind of mistake. It is recommended that you avoid the use of old pumps which may have already been used by other people. This is because these might carry viruses or bacteria which may affect you are the baby.

When buying the breast pump you must notice that it should have the right flanges. A pump with a small shield or flanges can make nipples sore and painful.

The suction of the pump should be set a such that it helps increase the milk supply. There are two pumps available in the market which have a suction similar to a baby’s suckling action. When buying a pump you should always be on the Lookout for any kind of damage if you see any changes in the pump it is important that you return it immediately. Sometimes you might feel that using the pump can hurt your nipples and cause blisters stop in order to avoid this it is better to reduce the breast pump suction so that you do not feel pain while expressing milk.

Make sure that you wash your hands before every session. Initially your milk supply might not be enough and you may have to breastfeed your child as well however when you regularly continue with the pumping it will help stimulate your breast and you would start producing more milk after few days only.

The pace of the pump should be set at a mode through which you are comfortable. Also it is important to have everything you require like bottles to store the milk around before you start the pumping. You can stop pumping your breast after it stars feeling less full and the milk flow has slowed down. Once the milk is poured into the bottle make sure that you write the date on it and refrigerate it immediately.

Buy breast pumps from brands that you can trust like Ameda Australia.