How To Choose The Right Breast Pump

Do you need a breast pump?

Are you pregnant or a recent new Mom?

In this guide, we will give you some pointers or how to choose the right breast pump for you.

There are many things that you need to get when expecting a new baby.

Car seats, strollers, high chairs, blankets, but what about the breast pump?

Some of you may be going back to work or some may just want the flexibility of using a breast pump.

Here are some of the top things to consider:

How Often Will The Breast Pump Be Used?

Try and think about how often you will be using the breast pump.

If you will be working full time or will be away from your baby for extended periods of time (say more than a few hours each day), an electric pump would be a more useful option.

How Much Time Will You Have To Pump?

When pumping, it usually takes about 10 -15 minutes per breast.

If you will be pumping at work or just typically have little patience for sitting still, an electric pump would be best.

The electric breast pumps allow you to pump both breasts at the same time.

They help to stimulate the production of milk and cut your pumping time in half.

How Much Can You Spend Or Do You Qualify For Free?

If you have health insurance, most of these plans will allow you to get a breast pump for free.

Either check with your health insurance provider or local medical supply store, such as Caring Touch Medical and they will be happy to check for you.

Breast pumps are sold at medical supply companies, baby stores, local drugstores, online retailers, and some department stores.

Electric breast pumps usually are more expensive than manual breast pumps.

You should never purchase or borrow a used breast pump because of the risk of contamination.

Another option is to rent a hospital grade breast pump.

In this case you just need to purchase the equipment that attaches to the pump.

 How Easy Is The Breast Pump To Use And Travel With?

The last thing that you want to be dealing with while taking care of a newborn is a complicated breast pump.

You want to make sure that you get one that is easy to put together, disassemble, and properly clean.

If it is easy you will be more inclined to use it on a consistent basis.

You also want to makes sure that any parts of the pump that come into contact with your skin or the milk can be removed to clean.

Can You Adjust The Suction?

Each woman will experience different comfort levels when pumping.

When using a quality electric breast pump, you will be able to adjust the level of suction and cycling speed.

Does It Have The Proper Sized Breast Shields?

The breast shields go over your nipples and sort of resemble the shape of the paper cones that snow-cones come in.

If your breast pump does not come with an assortment of sizes you want to make sure that you can get the correct size.

Most of the time, different sizes and replacements are readily available.

For those of you on time constraints who want to pump both breasts at the same time…

…make sure that your pump comes with 2 breast shields.

Are You Prepared For A Power Outage?

If you live in a place where the power goes out a lot, or you want to be prepared in case it does…

…you may want to get a rechargeable battery pack to power your pump.

Another option is just to have a manual pump as a backup option.

Here’s What To Do Now

If all of this seems a bit overwhelming and you need some help, don’t be afraid to ask.

At Caring Touch Medical, all of our locations have experts on hand to answer any of your questions, and help you through the process of choosing the right breast pump.

We will also be happy to check with your insurance company and help you with any required paperwork to obtain your free breast pump.

Just click here to find our location most convenient for you, and give us a call.

We look forward to speaking with you.