Learning About using a Manual Breast Pump

The transition of being a mum is surely the best thing in the world. It is one of the greatest gifts and adventure. Seeing the giggles and the grins of your baby every day is enough to take away stress or exhaustion. Isn’t it? It brings joy, gratitude, and loads of special moments to cherish forever. With so many good things that this whole new experience brings, Breastfeeding is surely one of the experiences that mothers enjoy. It is best for your baby and lays a healthy foundation for your baby’s life ahead.  It is ideal for baby’s nutrition and among the best ways to enhance the bond between you and your baby. In fact, breastfeeding has health benefits for the mothers too as it can help you lose weight, have a lower risk of depression, helps the uterus contract, and reduce the risk of diseases like heart diseases, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis as per Healthline.

The good news is that you can continue breastfeeding along with your work commitments and other responsibilities by expressing breastmilk using a manual breast pump. This will help you to feed your baby later as per the need and convenience.

Before getting started, let’s understand why a manual breast pump makes a great companion:

• It is lightweight and convenient to use and carry on the go.

• Supports smooth breastmilk pumping sessions.

• Helps maintain breastmilk supply through gentle stimulation.

• Easy to hold and use without causing hand fatigue.

• It does not require any power socket thus you can use it anywhere anytime.

Now let’s get to know the usage of a manual breast pump . Keep reading:

• Wash your Hands

Wash your hands thoroughly with your regular hand wash and ensure your breasts and nipples are clean as well.

• Sterilize Breast Pump

Ensure to sterilize and clean breast pump for expressing the breast milk. Use a premium quality Liquid Cleanser for cleaning breast pump. It is a product that’s safe to use for cleaning baby’s feeding accessories while offering 99.9% germ protection.

Sterilize it often using Vega Baby & Mom 4 in 1 Electric Steam Sterilizer with Dryer. It thoroughly sterilizes the baby feeding accessories using steam and helps dry up them too leaving no moisture.

• Get Comfortable

Sit down on a comfortable chair and relax. It helps to ease the milk let-down reflex. You can listen to music or do anything that relaxes you. Before expressing milk, we recommend you massage your breast gently to promote lactation. Also, warm compress will help in faster stimulation and better milk expression.

• Begin Pumping

Fit the silicone pad/cushion firmly to your breast. Make sure that your nipple is centered so that the silicone cushion creates an airtight seal. Now, follow the steps below:

• Gently start pumping the handle until you feel the suction on your breast. It may take a few minutes to let down, so don’t panic if you don’t see milk immediately. 

• When the breast milk begins to flow, pump more slowly by pressing down the handle for deep expression. You can also switch breasts as per your convenience.

• Continue this until you empty your breasts. After finishing, unscrew the bottle from the pump body and prepare for feeding or storage.

• Store Milk Safely

Expressed milk should be refrigerated immediately. You can store the breast milk in a refrigerator for up to 48 hours at 4°C or below. Breast milk can be stored in the freezer for up to 60 days at a temperature of 0°F (-18°C) or lower. provided it’s stored inside a sterilized bottle only with full cover cap or in a breast milk storage bag. Also, clean the breast pump before storing it.

Key Takeaways

Breast pumps are a boon for breastfeeding moms. Just be patient and keep practicing until you master the skill of breast pumping. Each time you pump, it will improve your skills. Use it as per your requirement while continuing breastfeeding on a daily basis as nothing is better than that. Hope this comprehensive guide will help all the new mums out there.