Pumping Breast Milk - For Breastfeeding Cleanliness and Methods

When pumping for breast milk, it is important to extract breast milk out at the periods when you are supposed to feed your child. That is to say, even when your child is not feeding, when you pump out your milk without breastfeeding, you are actually maintaining the volume of your milk and also increasing the volume so future feeds.

Before you express breast milk, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. If you are outside and your hands look clean, it is better to clean with a waterless hand cleanser. Breasts and nipples on the other hand are secondary to clean up. It is still alright to wipe clean them. The important parts to clean are the area where you are expressing and the items used to store and the machinery pumps used.

If you need help in expressing, get your husband! Okay, that was just to wake you up! Seriously, having a baby item or a picture of the love of your life and the baby's scent will surely help alot! Remember to sit quietly and think of a relaxing scene in your past travels or whatever.

Hand expressed -

Using your hand to massage and pressing to extract the milk. Lots of skill and practice needed. Usually need some professional advice on this method.

Manual pump -

Need a lot of time, maybe 45mins to an hour plus. Gets tired easily. Must clean pumps equipment regularly. More practical than the first option.

Automatic electric breast pump -

The best method and fastest, about 20 mins to 45 minutes flat! Dual type is the most practical and popular type commonly used by mothers. It is rather costly at about $200 to over $300 for a brand new medela breast pump.

The trick is to buy second hand items like you will find in mothercare forums where people in your country are selling for $50 to just $200 for a breast pump used for only a couple of months. I know it cause when my wife's breast pump broke down, I personally got one set at $50 bucks and another newer set at $150 and they work very well and are rather new too! The end point is my wife is happy and my baby boy is happy too!

Cheers and Happy times.