Breast Pump

Breast pumps are primarily used to insure continued production of breast milk when you cannot nurse your baby, whether you are back in the office, traveling, taking prescription medication, or just out on the town for an evening. Learning how to pump and store breast milk can make returning to work easier and less stressful. Doctors have determined that it is best to wait until breastfeeding is established, typically for about a month, before pumping and giving your baby a bottle of breast milk. Breast pumps come in a variety of designs including: hand-operated breast pumps, battery-operated breast pumps, semi-automatic electric breast pumps, and self-cycling electric pumps. Which kind of breast pump you opt to use is really up to you. Pumped breast milk should be cooled in a refrigerator or other cooler as soon as possible. Before returning to work, it's a good idea to start trying to pump a couple of weeks before to practice using the breast pump.