Having a Baby

Many new mothers would like to give the nutrition of pure breast milk to their newborn babies, but unfortunately many women have trouble breastfeeding. These troubles range from inverted nipples, to the baby not latching properly. For whatever reason, electric breast pumps could possibly be a priceless addition to your baby items. They can be a fabulous alternative to breastfeeding directly from your breasts, and still provide the infant the breast milk he or she deserves.

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Electric Breast Pumps

There are two types of breasts pumps on the market – manual and electric/battery-operated. They both function well, but the electric pump functions better. Electric breast pumps are usually more pricey, but they have certain advantages over the manual breast pumps.

Advantages of an Electric Breast Pump

Many lactation specialists and hospitals recommend using electric breast pumps simply because they are capable of extracting the breast milk more efficiently. They work fast, and free up your hand that you would have been using to pump the breast milk with the manual version.

The low-end electric breast pumps are quite affordable – around $65. These pumps are fantastic for using occasionally, and are usually semi-automatic. You will usually be able to moderate the number of pumps per minute, and the strength of the suction. The only disadvantage is that the single pumps allow you to only pump one breast at a time. Also, the batteries on these pumps tend to drain quickly. The battery function doesn’t pump as solidly as when you are using an adapter.

Mid-range electric breast pumps have more advantages than the low-end models. Although they are more expensive, many of these pumps have an adjustable suction. Lots of them feature double pumps so you can pump both breasts at the same time, and they are highly portable.

The high-end types are the most expensive, but are very convenient and efficient. A variety of them are hospital-grade, and are what many working moms who need something that pumps quickly and efficiently. You can pump both breasts at the same time, which saves time in pumping. Cycle times are speedy, and many of these models are discreet. The newer pumps have come up with a technology that mimics the infant’s natural sucking quite closely, thereby extracting breast milk more competently.

Of course, many pumps can be a bit noisy, and can be a somewhat uncomfortable and painful. The more expensive types try to make the action of these pumps less painful, but it is inevitable that engorged breasts will be a little delicate, even to the softest touch.

What to Look For in a Pump

The best electric breast pumps should be highly portable so that you can pump even when you are out and about. They should feature sucking actions that can be adjusted, so that you can change the intensity of the extraction of the breast milk and tugging on the nipples. The breast shield sizes should also be adjustable, since all women have varying sizes and shapes of breasts. If you want to save time, look for the types that feature two pumps so you can extract both breasts simultaneously.

Electric breast pumps can be a alternative to breastfeeding directly. You can still nourish your newborn with healthy breast milk, while being free to pump whenever you can. By pumping your milk and bottle feeding, even dad can feed the baby when mommy is busy!

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Posted on March 9th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Having a Baby