It’s natural to feel overwhelmed or that you may make your baby sick too.

And you know what Mama it’s ok to have a good cry about it. Grab those tissues and let it all out.

When you’re feeling run down your head is all over the place and breastfeeding your baby on top is a lot to cope with.

Can a Sick Mom Breastfeed her baby?

The great news is that in most cases breastfeeding will be beneficial for both you and your baby when you’re sick.

Your body will actively make antibodies to protect your baby. These will pass through your breastmilk like Mother Nature’s very own little vaccine with every feed.

The next step is for you to consider what changes you can make to your lifestyle to continue breastfeeding until you recover.

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10 Tips for Breastfeeding When Mom is Sick

1. Keep Breastfeeding

Unless you’ve been advised to stop breastfeeding due to medication or treatment, or your baby is vulnerable – Keep on breastfeeding.

The truth is that your baby has most likely been exposed to anything contagious for 1-2 days before you started to show symptoms.

When you’re sick you’ll worry about your milk supply going down.

Regular feeding is the best way to prevent this. That’s why it’s so important to continue feeding as much as you can.

2. Avoid Breast Weaning

Weaning from the breast when you’re sick is not the best choice to make.

You’re probably thinking it will be easier to use formula so you don’t have to deal with feeding your baby as you recover.

Unfortunately, sudden breast weaning comes with a whole lotta issues such as:

• Fullness discomfort
• Mastitis
• Unhappy Baby

Those two complications of breast weening will make you feel so much worse without feeling sick already.

Mastitis is a pretty serious condition and can lead to hospital admissions for fluids and iv antibiotics. That could mean a lot of money spent on hospital bills and possible separation from your baby.

The third issue was your baby will likely become much more restless if you suddenly begin to wean from the breast.

Some babies do not adjust well to using bottle teats if all they are used to is your breast.

Even if your baby does take to formula consider that you might have to get up and out of bed to make up bottles or heat them up safely.

I know you’d rather be staying in bed with your breastmilk ready to go and at the right temperature.

3. Keep Baby Close

When you’re sick the best way to recover is to rest and relax with your baby.

That means gathering up all the supplies you need and stay in bed or a little nook in the house.

Focus on lots of skin to skin, cuddles and responsive feeding.

Do this will help you to release lots of oxytocin hormone which will supercharge your milk supply.

Plus studies have shown that oxytocin helps to strengthen your immune system as it blocks the stress of illness. It can also help you to get a better sleep if you’re feeling exhausted.

You’ll get to spend lots of uninterrupted time with your baby and find that they’ll be a lot calmer and easier to care for than separating yourself and mostly letting others care for them.

4. Maintain good hygiene

When you’re sick it’s always recommended you follow good hygiene to stop anything contagious passing on to others.

If you are coughing or sneezing need baby use disposable tissues and discard uses tissues into a wastebasket each time.

Try to not cough or sneeze on or near your baby, particularly their face.

Always try to wash your hands after coughing or sneezing with warm soapy water.

You can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer, however, limit this to 5 uses and then you wash your hands.

You may want to use a face mask to prevent the spread of germs, however, this isn’t necessary for most mild cold or flu-like illness.

Instead, try avoiding holding your baby close to your face or touching their nose or mouth with your hands.

5. Keep baby’s nose clear

Your baby may start to get a little snuffly if you’re ill. Their little immune system will be working overtime with your antibodies to make sure they don’t get ill.

It’s important to make sure that your baby doesn’t get totally blocked up as they need a clear nose to breastfeed.

You see, your baby breathes through their nose when they feed as their mouth should be full of boob.

As a mom, you’ll never go wrong with a nasal aspirator close to hand (this one is by far the best) for when your baby is sick.

If the thought of sucking up your babies snots grosses you out, then a good saline spray or a room humidifier (like this one) may help to ease congestion for your baby.

6. Use a silicone pump

Have you heard of a Haakaa pump?

These simple silicone pumps are amazing for quickly building a breastmilk stash with no effort.

Don’t let the word pump pout you off, they simply ‘catch’ the milk from your free breast. You literally have to suction it on and do nothing whilst you feed your baby on the other side.

Having that stash of breastmilk can come in handy for letting your partner feed your baby and give you a few hours extra rest.

7. Drink extra fluids

Whenever you’re feeling run down always go back to basics.

That means getting as much rest as possible and drinking water.

Keeping yourself hydrated when you’re ill and breastfeeding will massively help your milk supply remain high.

Dehydration will make you feel worse and will most likely lead to constipation too.

The symptoms of either of those conditions will make you feel awful.

So keep it simple and keep drinking.

8. Be medication aware

You’re probably worried about taking medication when your breastfeeding right?

Is it safe? Will It pass through your milk to your baby?

Simple pain relief such as Tylenol and ibuprofen are safe for you to take (as instructed on the pack) when you’re breastfeeding.

Also, most antibiotics are safe to take.

If your doctor prescribes any other medication remember to inform them you are breastfeeding.

There are some relief medicines you should not take (or at least discuss with your doctor) when your breastfeeding.

This includes:

• Codeine
• Decongestants
• Aspirin

The Prescriber’s Digital Reference is a great resource. You can look up the safety of any prescribed or over the counter drugs and how safe they are for breastfeeding.

9. Take your vitamins

Your appetite is one of the first things to go when you feel sick.

The thought of eating something probably turns your stomach or makes your vomit as soon as it hits your lips.

When your diet isn’t at its best taking a multivitamin is a great way to get some nutrients into your body without much passing your lips.

Your body is amazing and will provide everything it needs for your baby from your milk. However, that means it takes from your supplies to give to your baby.

I highly recommend these multivitamins as they are easy on your stomach when you’re feeling unwell.

10. Gather Your Support

One of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby is to take it easy.

That means lots of rest.

If the thought of leaving the household for a few days gives you the fear then it’s time to gather your support.

That means asking your partner to do jobs that you usually would. Or even asking friends to bring around a cooked dish one night.

Your friends and family will be happy to help do an odd job here or there to help out.

If you’re unsure of where to start, check out my guide to 15 places you can get breastfeeding support.

Final thoughts

Breastfeeding when you’re sick can be hard.

I hope these tips will help make it a little easier for you and your baby.

If you found this article helpful and think it would help other breastfeeding moms, please share.

You got this Mama.

The post 10 Tips for Breastfeeding When Mom is Sick appeared first on Stork Mama.

Your body is trying to establish your supply and working out how much milk to make for each feed. Moms who have breastfed before tend to leak less or stop quicker than if it’s your first baby.

You may notice that you leak whilst feeding baby or sometimes even in between feeds. It’s common to drip or spray milk if you stimulate your ‘let down reflex’.

Leaking often occurs:

• In the last few weeks of pregnancy
• If you go too long between feeds
• From the ‘free’ breast when nursing
• When your baby cries, if you think about baby or see a photo
• In the shower
• During sex
• Whilst sleeping

Leaking milk can be a slight inconvenience for some or can happen at inappropriate moments and cause embarrassment. The latter is more common if you have an overactive let down reflex or increase milk supply.

The unpredictability of leaking breast milk can be messy and frustrating for moms if it continues.

This guide will help you learn how to cope with leaking breast milk as a new mom.

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Top 10 Tips for Coping with Leaking Breast Milk

1. Wear Nursing Pads

For immediate protection from leaks, wearing nursing pads is the best solution. A breast pad will soak up any leaks and protect your clothes from wet patches. Check out our favorite nursing pads here.

Nursing pads are available as either disposable or reusable types. The disposable kind is convenient as they are single-use and require no maintenance. You will, however, need to purchase them on a regular basis which can add up over time. In an emergency cut a sanitary pad in half and it will do the same job.

Cloth (or wool) breast pads are worn once and then washed after use. Although they are more effort, they are a better option if you want to save money or be more eco-friendly.

Some moms aren’t too keen to wear nursing pads regularly as they can be quite bulky underneath clothes. The moist conditions can also leave you more prone to fungal infections, such as thrush, so remember to change them regularly.

2. Feed Regularly

If your breasts feel heavy and full, known as engorgement, they are more likely to leak. That uncomfortable feeling you get it a sign that baby needs to feed. By feeding regularly you should cut down on the number of ‘leaking’ incidents.

A crying baby is a late hunger cue and it’s important to learn and recognize a baby’s early hunger cues. Regular feeding will also prevent you from developing blocked ducts, mastitis or more serious breast abscesses. It will also help you to prevent future leaks by regulating your milk production quicker.

3. Express Your Milk

If you don’t have baby close by when you start to leak you may want to express your milk to prevent them becoming engorged. Even if you don’t own a breast pump, we highly recommend all breastfeeding moms learn how to hand express for these type of situations.

Hand expression is useful if you are able to nurse baby soon for example if you’re on a night out. If you are away from baby longer, for example at work, then you should look into buying a manual or electric breast pump to ensure you remove your milk as often as baby feeds.

Be careful not to pump too often as for some moms this can cause over-stimulation and make more likely.

4. Apply Pressure

A top tip lactation consultants teach to prevent leaks is to apply pressure to your nipples. If you feel the tingling sensation of your ‘let down’ cross your arm over your breasts and apply slight pressure by pulling inward towards your chest.

Check out the LilyPadz alternative breast pads which also work with this principle. They are thin clear silicon ‘pads’ which apply slight pressure to the nipple and prevent leaks. These are great as they are a lot less noticeable than regular bulky breast pads. You should continue to nurse or express regularly with these or they may not prevent leaks.

5. Tactical Clothing

A top tip from other moms is to ensure you wear either patterned or dark colored solid tops or dresses, especially in the early days. This will make it harder to see any wet patches on your top, and save embarrassment.

If possible try to keep a spare vest in your bag to quickly deal with any mishaps. Jackets, cardigans and infinity scarves are great ‘cover up’ alternatives if any leaks happen in public.

6. Catch it

The most common time you may leak is when you are nursing on one side and the other breast starts to leak. This happens as your hormones are stimulated from nursing baby and ‘set off’ both breasts.

If you are at home the best way to deal with this is to stick a towel or a muslin cloth over the nipple to catch any drips or sprays. The leaking should only last a few minutes at most, and then settle.

7. Collect It

Some moms can’t bear to see any breast milk being wasted during a nursing session. Instead of catching any ‘let down’ leaks with a cloth, try using breast shells or a Haakaa pump to collect the milk.

These are great if you leak a lot during a feed. The milk can be transferred from the shell into a collection bottle and stored in the fridge or freezer, just like expressed milk.

Simply pop the shell into your bra and the milk will drip in whilst you nurse baby. It’s not advised to wear these as an alternative to breast pads. One reason being that they would look a really weird shape in your top. The second reason is that they should be sterilized in between use, and milk collect between feeds is regarded as unsafe for feeding.

8. Use Ice

Research has shown that ice inhibits your let-down reflex. If you feel that tell-tale tingle, with full breasts, try placing an ice pack or cold compress on your breast to prevent leaks.

This method should only be used as an emergency preventative measure. This is a technique often used by engorged formula feeding moms as they wait for their milk to ‘dry up’ after birth. It’s best to nurse or express regularly if your breasts are engorged. Otherwise, you run the risk of decreasing your milk supply, as your body thinks baby doesn’t need so much.

9. Check Your Diet

You may be unaware that there are certain foods with ‘milk boosting’ properties. These foods are known as lactogenic foods. Check your diet to work out if you eat these foods often.

If you have a large intake of lactogenic foods and nurse or express regularly then this may cause overproduction. The first step would be to cut down on the responsible foodstuff and see if that makes a difference to how often you leak.

10. Night Protection

Leaking at night is common as your baby starts to sleep for longer periods. You can wear a sleep nursing bra with breast pads. Sleep bras are made from soft cotton with little support and made for comfort during the night. If you leak a lot consider doubling up with breast pads during the night.

If you prefer not to wear a bra whilst sleeping, an alternative is to lay a large bath towel only our side of the bed. This won’t stop any leaking but it will protect your mattress from the breast milk.

Some women may leak the whole time they breastfeed as up to 3 weeks after weaning. If you are ever concerned about leaking milk or it continues for longer, contact your doctor or lactation consultant for advice.

The post How to Cope with Leaking Breast Milk When Breastfeeding appeared first on Stork Mama.

Surprisingly a lot of new moms (or even experienced breastfeeding Mamas) don’t know about this technique.

Breast compression is a great skill to add to your breastfeeding toolkit.

Seriously it can help with so many breastfeeding issues.

I’ve created this guide for you to learn all you need to know about breast compressions and why it can save you a lot of tears on your nursing journey.

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Breast Compressions When Breastfeeding

What are breast compressions?

It’s pretty basic really and is as it sounds.

Compressing the breast, squeezing the boob, eating the boob sandwich.

Ok I made that last one up, but you get the picture, right?

Breast compression can be done any time after your milk ‘comes in’ which is around 3-5 days postpartum.

It’s just the name giving to a technique of squeezing the breast as your baby is breastfeeding.

You may be confused why you would need to do that, so let’s find out.

Why should learn breast compression when breastfeeding?

Jack Newman is a world-renowned lactation consultant who swears by breast compressions for:

Engorgement

Gentle breast compressions and massage while breastfeeding can help to prevent engorgement by emptying your breasts effectively.

Relieve clogged ducts/mastitis

When to have blocked ducts or mastitis compressions can help to keep the milk flowing and slowly ‘relieve’ the affected ducts as your baby feeds.

Increase hindmilk

Breast compression help milk to flow quicker; therefore, your baby takes in more milk during a feed. The longer your baby feeds effectively at the breast then they will get fattier calorie-rich hindmilk. This type of breastmilk help baby feel fuller for longer and help with weight gain.

Baby get more milk

If you struggle with long feeds or are just unsure how much your baby is getting, breast compressions will help. As technique helps improve milk flow and your baby will get more in a 20-minute feed that they would without using breast compressions.

Increase milk supply

When your baby drinks more milk during a feed, this signals to your body to make more milk. IF you are struggling with a dwindling supply, breast compressions can help you tell your body that your baby needs more milk.

Pump more milk

Expressing breast milk can be so time-consuming and soul-destroying when you’re a busy new mom. Doing breast compressions can help to mimic your baby on the breast and remove more milk during a session. It’s a technique that works really well if you only get small volumes with a breast pump.

Speed up feeds

As a new mom, you’ll have a busy life with lots to pack into each day. It’s all good when you have time to relax and feed but some days you just don’t. Breast compressions can help you to fit a good breastfeed into a shorter time. It’s a great skill when your baby is cluster feeding and just wants to be on you all-the-time!

Poor weight gain

If your baby is struggling to gain weight, there may be lots of causes for this. Usually, poor weight gain is caused by a poor latch, and this needs to be assessed first.

Breast compressions will help if your baby has a slow suck reflex or are sleepy and have little energy to feed.

Increasing the milk flow will help your baby to take in more calories without having to put in as much effort as they would on their own. This can save you from having to supplement baby with formula feeds.

Colic in the breastfed baby

When your baby is actively feeding, they are unlikely to fuss at the breast. Breast compressions really help your baby to focus on the ‘task at hand’ and not to get distracted during a feed. This can help to ease colic symptoms as it ensures baby likely to maintain a good latch. The reduction in fussing or crying can help to reduce air intake and discomfort from trapped wind during a feed.

Sore nipples

When you’ve got sore nipples, the thought of breastfeeding is terrifying. Sore nipples are usually always caused by poor attachment, so you need to sort that first.

 You’ll need to feed as they heal, so and breast compressions will help.

As the milk flows quicker, you can have a good feed in a shorter time. This means less friction on your nipple and more time for your nipples to heal without baby feeding.

Sleepy baby

When your baby doesn’t feed at the breast they aren’t being lazy, they simply lack the energy required to breastfeed. Breast compressions are an excellent way for you to help baby to get the milk they need (for energy) without having to work hard for it.

You’ll notice with each feed your baby will start to feed more effectively once they have the energy to do the work themselves.

How to do breast compressions while breastfeeding

1. Position and attach baby

Make sure you use a position that is comfortable for you and baby. Help baby to attach to your breast with a good deep latch.

2. Watch baby

Your baby should begin with short quick suck. They will then slow down to long slow sucks. You want to watch out for when your baby stops sucking. Their jaw will stop moving, and you won’t hear them swallow.

3. Hold your breast

Use one hand whichever is most comfortable for you. Cup around your breast in a C shape with fingers on one side and thumb on the other it doesn’t matter which way up. Finger can be positioned above and below or side to side, opt for the position that is most comfortable for you. Just be aware you may need to reposition to get a better flow.

4. Position your hand

I often find that breasts have a ‘sweet spot’ that differs with each mom. A good starting point is usually the middle of your breast tissue, but it will depend on your breast size. You’ll have to experiment with different positions to find your own. You want to keep your hand far enough away from your areola, so you don’t disturb the latch.

5. Press in

Apply gentle inward pressure on your breast form both your fingers and thumb. Again the amount of pressure will vary for each mom. The pressure should never be so hard it hurts. Remember your breasts will probably be sensitive the fuller they are.

6. Wait for the pause

You should notice baby start to suck again as you press on your breast. Don’t worry, it can take a few seconds. When you see them suck and swallow keep pushing in until they pause. When you get the pause, let go of the pressure.

7. Repeat

Your baby will begin suckling again after the pause, this is when you start the next compression. Continue this pattern until your baby stops actively sucking.

8. Offer more

Once your baby stops sucking on one breast, you can offer them the other breast. Repeat all of the steps above until baby stop sucking on that side.

Breast compression video

Help my baby isn’t sucking

If your baby doesn’t start to suck more than 10 seconds after the first compression, let go of the breast and try again.

If baby still doesn’t suck after the second breast compression, experiment with different hand positions on the breast or swap hands.

Remember you’ll eventually find your sweet spot, so keep it in mind for the next feed.

How to do breast compressions while pumping

When you are expressing milk, you obviously don’t have a baby to show you when to stop and start.

The best way to use breast compressions when pumping milk is to us a repetitive cycle which is similar to your baby feeding.

Some moms find it easier to hold for a set time, let go and repeat.

For example, compress the breast for 15 seconds, let go for 5 and repeat until the breast empties.

Some moms find it easier to work with the breast pump cycles.

For example, compress for 3 pumps and let go for 1 and repeat.

You don’t need to use breast compressions through the whole pumping session, but you may find the longer you use the compression, the quicker the session or, the more milk you get at the end.

Remember, compressing the breast should be firm but not sore.

When you press too hard while compressing, you are likely to block the milk-making hormones (oxytocin) which slow an excellent flow.

When to do breast compressions

You feel baby is not getting enough milk

Breast compressions will help your baby get more milk without having to work so hard during a feed.

Baby is losing weight

Your baby will get more calorific hindmilk which will help them to gain weight and more energy to feed effectively.

Baby is dehydrated

Your baby will get more milk which will rehydrate them and increase their energy to feed more.

Baby has green poop

This may mean your baby is getting too much foremilk and needs more hindmilk.

Baby has diaper rash

Again a foremilk imbalance can cause your baby to get too much milk with lactose sugars. Too much foremilk can cause a diaper rash as these stools are more acidic and irritate your baby’s skin.

You don’t get much when pumping

Using breast compressions helps your milk to flow better and yield more during a pumping session.

Baby always sleeps at breast

Your sleep baby needs more energy to feed, and breast compression means you can give them a helping hand to get those much-needed calories without using up all their energy to get them.

Baby has attachment issues

Breast compressions can assist you in getting a good latch for baby. You can read more about great breast hold for attachment here, and do compressions at the same time.

Long/frequent feeds

If you don’t have time for baby to have their usual 40minute feed, you can speed it up a little with compressions without compromising their intake. This is great for night feeds so you and baby can feed quickly and get back to much-needed sleeping.

Breastfeeding is painful

When your breasts are sore, you want to minimise the time your baby is at the breast to help them heal. Breast compressions are a great way to do this without affecting your supply, or the amount baby gets during a feed.

Relactation

If you are trying to relactate breast compressions are fantastic for signalling to your body to make more milk and increasing your supply quickly.

Benefits of breast compressions

Relieve painful issues

Breast compressions mean more calorie-rich milk for baby with less time at the breast. That sounds like heaven if your nipples are so sore from breastfeeding.

However, please see a feeding specialist to have your positioning and attachment assessed as well as potentially baby evaluated for tongue tie issues.

Improves milk supply

The more milk you drain from your breasts, the more milk your body will make. Its simple supply and demand as your body thinks your baby needs more milk to survive.

Saves time

Breast compressions help your milk to flow quicker and keep your baby focusing on feeding rather than casually grazing at the breast.

Prevents Formula supplementation

Whenever weight is slowed or static with your breastfeeding baby, a lot of professionals want to jump in with the formula. Using breast compressions can help you to either feed effectively at the breast or pump more milk in-between feeds to use that as a backup rather than reaching straight for the formula.

Build a bigger milk stash

If you plan to go back to work soon, then you are probably thinking about building up a milk stash for your baby.

Knowing how to use effective compression when pumping gets you on the right path to getting as much milk as possible for when you return to work. It’s incredible what load that will take off your mind.

Giving expressed breastmilk through the day can also help you to continue breastfeeding when you’re at home, long after your return to work.

Improves baby’s health

Breastfeeding has so many amazing benefits for your baby’s health. FI using skills such as breast compressions can help you to achieve that for longer, then your baby’s health will benefit from that now and later in life.

Extra sleep

Quick, effective night feeds are where it’s at when you are so sleep deprived you have no idea what day it is. Using breast compressions during the night is fantastic for achieving that while keeping your milk supply high.

Survive growth spurts

Growth spurts make you feel like you can get nothing accomplished as your baby needs to feed all the time. Breast compressions can speed up those much-needed feeds and help you to feel a little more accomplished and less of a feeding machine.

Survive the heat

Breast compressions are excellent during hot weather to help your baby to keep hydrated. Plus, as they speed up feeding time, you get the benefits of nursing your baby without the prolonged sharing of body heat which can be tip you over the edge when you’re already so hot.

Help you breastfeed longer

Using breast compressions can help with a lot of breastfeeding issues as we’ve discussed. One of the main benefits is it can really help prevent formula supplementation is often a nail in the coffin for many breastfeeding journeys.

Pumping at work

Using breast compression when your pumping will get you more milk and quicker. This is ideal if you have a time limit on a pumping break and the pressure is on to get as much milk as possible in that time.

Summary

To sum up, learning how to do breast compressions is a great technique for all breastfeeding moms. Whether it’s to fix a breastfeeding issue or to help baby along when you’re having a busy day, it’s a fantastic skill to have in your nursing toolkit.

If you found this guide helpful please share it with other breastfeeding moms to help them on their journey.

The post Learn Breast Compressions – An Essential Skill for Breastfeeding appeared first on Stork Mama.

But I want to know, what support do you have in place?

I’m asking because support will pretty much make or break your breastfeeding.

We all know that breastfeeding is natural. But it’s also a skill you need to learn. And when you learn anything, having help, support, and advice makes you more successful.

If you don’t know where to get support, don’t worry. You are absolutely not alone. You don’t need to struggle and give up.

In this guide, I’m going to show you where you can get breastfeeding support.

If you are pregnant, use this to prepare for breastfeeding. That means doing a bit of research, so you have easy access once your baby arrives.

Remember to pin this guide, so you have it to hand and spread the love to other mamas.

Let’s go.

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15 Ways To Get Breastfeeding Support

Breastfeeding Education

This part of the guide is geared towards how to educate yourself about breastfeeding. Yep, that means you need to arm yourself with the knowledge to support yourself.

If this is your first rodeo, breastfeeding education will help you know what to expect, what’s normal and what’s not.

That way you know when you can solve a simple breastfeeding issue by yourself at home, or when you turn to a professional for further support and advice. Having a little knowledge will save you unnecessary stress.

I remember calling my hospitals breastfeeding support worker for a little advice, only to find out she was on vacation.

Urgh!

Luckily it was a minor issue, and I was able to find the answer myself. But that little bit of advice stopped me desperately reaching for the formula when it got to 2 am and I was at my wit’s end.

Let’s look at where you can get breastfeeding education.

1. Breastfeeding Books

Books are a great way to educate yourself about all things breastfeeding. When you learn the basics, you have a better understanding of what’s happening to your or your baby.

I’d advise you to buy at least one breastfeeding book and read it. I mean it. Don’t just buy it and then say you’ll come back to it later.

At very least, learn the basics of breastfeeding. Then if you run into breastfeeding problems, you can refer back to the book.

Now, there are hundreds of breastfeeding books. Some are excellent, and others aren’t that great.

These are a few books I’d Recommend:

• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding Made Simple
• Bestfeeding
• Latch
• The Complete Book of Breastfeeding

You can’t really go wrong with any of these books. I find some of them a little frilly, but the advice is solid.

Just a word of warning for reading breastfeeding books. The authors are often very anti-bottle feeding and pro-attachment parenting. Don’t feel guilty if you can’t follow their advice to the letter.

With that, I will say our modern lifestyle are often the reason we struggle to breastfeed. Our whole body is designed to have our baby constantly beside us and feeding. And for most women that isn’t possible.

I advise you to take the basics regarding ‘supply and demand’ and work them around your lifestyle. You won’t fail at breastfeeding because you give your baby a pacifier, pump a bottle of milk, don’t co-sleep or baby wear.  Educate yourself on how it all works and do what works for you, your baby and your family.

2. Online Breastfeeding course

An online breastfeeding course is a great way to learn the basics of breastfeeding. It’s similar to a prenatal class, but you are taught by video rather than in person.

That means you can learn at your own pace. Rather than be bombarded in one class.

Unlike learning in person, you can rewind the videos and watch as many times as you need to.

An online breastfeeding course is great if you learn better by watching someone else first. Sometimes it’s easier to watch a mom and baby breastfeed rather than follow pictures in a book.

Here are my recommendations for online Breastfeeding courses by lactation consultants:

• Simply Breastfeeding by Cindy and Jana  Use discount code STORKMAMA20 for 20% Off
• Milkology Ultimate Breastfeeding Class
• Lactation Link Breastfeeding Course

Some classes will go more in-depth than other, and that’s usually reflected in the price. Although the more expensive courses usually have a free mini-course, you can try first. It’s a good way to find out if the teaching style is right for you before you part with your cash.

3. Breastfeeding Websites

You already know that the internet is full of information packed blogs, right?

Well, you can use that to your advantage when breastfeeding. There are supportive breastfeeding sites everywhere. You just have to know where to look.

It’s sometimes hard to find good quality breastfeeding advice. You know, one that you can trust by someone who knows what they are talking about.

You can check out my breastfeeding section on Stork Mama for regular breastfeeding guides.

Other websites I’d recommend for breastfeeding are:

• Kelly Mom
• Nancy Mohrbacher
• Low Milk Supply

If you’re on Pinterest create your breastfeeding board. That way you can save breastfeeding articles you find useful. You’ll also find some great blogs to follow (Hint Hint you can follow Stork Mama here).

4. Prenatal class

Are you planning on taking a prenatal class?

Well, most courses will have a class dedicated to breastfeeding. That means you can get hands-on advice on how it all works before your baby arrives.

Expect lots of role-playing with dolls so you can practice positions.

Some of your classmates may ask questions that you haven’t thought of. That means if you run into problems when your baby arrives you’ve got a head start on how to fix it.

Before you book your prenatal classes, check out what topics they cover.

5. Ask Alexa

Do you have an Amazon Echo?

Well, Amazon has teamed up with breastfeeding brands Medela to answer common questions.  Just say “Alexa, ask Medela about breastfeeding.”

This is so handy when your hands are full, and you can’t get to your phone to ask a quick question.

The great news is it’s not just restricted to breastfeeding advice. You’ll also find answers for pumping milk too. That means it continues to be a great source to use as your baby grows.

6. Breastfeeding Helplines

If you need a listening hear, a breastfeeding helpline is a good option. Having someone to chat to may help you to solve your problem a lot quicker.

A helpline is useful because you don’t feel so vulnerable or judged like you might with group or online.

Helplines may vary a lot with the type of support you get. Some may have you chat with a professional or volunteer moms who have breastfed themselves (peer support).

Check out these two breastfeeding helplines (Both open 24/7):

• La Leche League USA Breastfeeding Helpline: 1-877-4-LALECHE (1-877-452-5324)
• National Office on Women’s Health Helpline: 1 – 800-994-9662 (TDD 888-220-5446)

If you have a breastfeeding center in your area, they may have a local support line you can call within office hours.

7. Breastfeeding Forums

Forums are great to get support or advice from moms in the same boat as you. The good thing is you can ask for advice incognito. This may help you to talk about things that would make you feel embarrassed in real life.

You do have to remember that any advice you get is peer support and not professional training. This may mean that other suggest things that are a load of bull.

You may even be able to search previous posts and find the answer without asking.

If you don’t know where to start, simple google ‘breastfeeding forum.’ Most big pregnancy and baby member sites will have one.

8. Breastfeeding Facebook groups

If you’re on Facebook, have a search for Breastfeeding Groups. You’ll find some amazing closed groups that with thousands of followers. That’s a huge amount of support right at your fingertips.

When you post a question in a group like that, you’re sure t get lots of responses very quickly.

Plus there will be lots of other moms available 24/7 when they are up at night feeding their babies.

READ: How to Prepare For Breastfeeding Before your Baby Arrives

In Person Breastfeeding Support

This part of the guide is geared towards where to get face-to-face breastfeeding support. That means you have someone to physically support you with your breastfeeding issues.

This approach is ideal if you want to be helped tailored to your situation. I’d highly recommend this route if you have ongoing breastfeeding problems or severe issues which need a hands on assessment.

Let’s look at where you can get hands-on breastfeeding support.

9. Family & friends

When you can turn to someone you know and trust for support, it makes a world of difference.

They’ve been there and got the bruised nipples. They’ll want to help you avoid feeling like that and can help in those difficult first weeks.

Whether that’s simply offering you a hug, or useful breastfeeding tips to keep going.

Breastfeeding support doesn’t need to come from women who have breastfed. Your partner can help you too.

Get them involved by including them in your learning. Men love learning new skills, and they can help you out with the information they’ve read too.

Having your partner on board is especially handy if you need to team up against any a-hole family members that don’t like your breastfeeding. Having someone who’s got your back during an emotional time will keep you going.

10. Lactation consultant

A lactation consultant is someone who is professionally trained in breastfeeding support. They may be available at the hospital you deliver in. But you can also hire one independently.

That means they’ll come to your home and give hands-on advice as you feed.

Did you know that you can even hire without it costing you an arm and a leg?

The Affordable Care Act has made it that lactation support is available through most insurance plans. Check your policy or get in touch with your insurance company and ask.

Lactation consultant have seen pretty much every problem and breastfeeding situation possible. If you’re determined to keep breastfeeding, it’s well worth the expense.

To find someone in your area, check the find a lactation consultant search.

11. Midwife/Nurse

Your nurse or midwife should be trained in breastfeeding support. That means they can help you as much as possible after birth and before you go home.

The downside is that you won’t have that help available when you go home.

Use their knowledge as much as possible when you have them available. Ask those questions you think are silly. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

If your baby is born premature, NICU nurses are an excellent source for breastfeeding your premmie. They know the difficulties it presents and how important breastfeeding is to your baby’s recovery.

Did you know that certain hospitals are better at breastfeeding support than others?

If you are still to pick your place of birth, you may want to look out for a ‘Baby Friendly’ hospital. That means Unicef approves them for being a gold standard of breastfeeding support.

Is your hospital is baby friendly approved? Check out this list here.

12. Breastfeeding groups

A drop in breastfeeding group is a great way to meet other breastfeeding moms in your area.

These are handy if you don’t have any close friends or family who has breastfed their baby’s.

These groups are often set up by in community centers and make it easy for you to access the support for free.

Look for listings in your community, or ask your caregiver if they know what’s available in your area.

There’s nothing quite like spending time with like-minded people to help keep you on track. The other moms will be full of advice and be a shoulder for you to cry on when it’s tough.

A great place to start is by searching for a La Leche League group in your area.

13. Doula

If you are hiring a Doula, ask what kind of breastfeeding training she has.

Not all Doulas are trained in breastfeeding, but usually are if they provide postpartum services.

If your doula offer breastfeeding support, make the most of it. Have them observe you during a feed. They can offer support, tips, and advice to improve your breastfeeding.

Doulas are there to meet your needs as a mom. That means they should be supportive of choices such as exclusive pumping or combination feeding. All of these options have their challenges.

14. Breastfeeding Peer supporters

The amazing thing about the breastfeeding community is that so many women are willing to provide help for free.

Many moms volunteer as peer supporters because they want women to experience the joys or breastfeeding. Or they want them to avoid problems they suffered themselves.

Although peer supporters don’t have professional training, the organizations they work with often have standards to qualify. They are all breastfeeding moms who have breastfed for a specified period. They should have gone through at least basic breastfeeding training.

That means you have a knowledgeable mom who can help you with various problems breastfeeding present as your baby grows.

Peer support can be found at breastfeeding groups (as mentioned above) or through local charities or organizations. Ask around to find out what’s available in your area. You’ll be surprised as to how much is available.

15. Breastfeeding Center

A breastfeeding center is a space dedicated to supporting breastfeeding problems. Run by professionals, it usually consists of phone and in-person system.

You’ll be encouraged to self-refer yourself for help. That means you call them with your issue and you’ll receive advice over the phone. The centre will give you a consultation appointment when you need seen in person.

Breastfeeding centers may run some of the support groups in your area. They may also have a breastfeeding store, and refer you to services such as prenatal classes or private lactation consultants.

They are a wealth of information for all things breastfeeding in your area. By the way, if you give birth in a baby friendly hospital, they should provide you with information on any breastfeeding centers in your area.

-*-*-*-

Breastfeeding is a time you need support to succeed.

Knowing where to look will make all the difference to your breastfeeding success.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and find out just what’s available in your area. You’ll be surprised where you can learn about breastfeeding and get advice.

And now you know how.

You’ve got this mama.

The post 15 Best Ways to Get Breastfeeding Support appeared first on Stork Mama.

As a parent, how you decide to feed your baby is an important choice. You want to breastfeed, but in a modern world, you realize you won’t always have the luxury of being able to nurse baby directly. Whether your baby is sick, you have sore breasts, baby has feeding problems, or you need to return to work. However, you don’t need to stop breastfeeding.

You CAN have the best of both worlds. Using a breast pump is the perfect solution for you. Finding the best breast pump can be stressful, so we’ve done the time-consuming work for you. This is a list of the best-selling pumps on the market, check it out.

Best Breast Pump Comparisons

Breast Pump	Model	Type	Usage	Price	Rating
	Spectra S2	Double	High Usage / Exclusive Pumping	$$	4.3 Stars
	Medela Pump In Style	Double	High Usage / Exclusive Pumping	$$$	4.2 Stars
	Spectra S1	Double	High Usage / Exclusive Pumping	$$$	4.4 Stars
	Medela Swing	Single	Frequent	$$	4.1 Stars
	Beleef	Double	Frequent	$	4.4 Stars
	Philips Avent Comfort	Double	Frequent	$$	4.0 Stars
	Freemie Freedom Deluxe	Double	Frequent	$$	3.6 stars
	Evenflo Double	Double	Frequent	$	3.9 Stars

Pin For Later

5 Best Breast Pump Reviews

These breast pumps are all great buys. Choosing will ultimately come down to your needs. As with any product, you will get a more efficient breast pump if you are willing to invest a bit of cash. However, there are great performing pumps to suit any budget.

1. Spectra S1

The Spectra S1 tops our list of best double pumps if you are willing to invest a bit of money. Spectra is well known for their high quality, yet affordable, hospital grade pumps. You may be surprised by the compact design. Don’t be fooled, this is a powerful little machine. Not only will it pump with the efficiency of a hospital grade pump; it’s super quiet too. The cherry to top it off is that it’s also very comfortable to use. The combination of these features makes this pump one of the best for yielding large volumes of milk with each pump.

Additionally, the pump is extremely portable, due to its rechargeable battery. This feature will give you so much freedom, with 1hrs usage at full charge. The price is a little higher than other double pumps, but it’s guaranteed to maintain your supply and accommodate exclusive pumping. If you plan to have more babies, this pump is a great investment as it will last for years; even with frequent use.

2. Lansinoh Manual

This Lansinoh manual model made it as a favorite for its price and quality; plus it’s really popular. You will be able to find this pump at most retailers for under $35. It’s a great manual breast pump from a highly regarded breastfeeding brand, with a lot of history. Lansinoh is one of the most respected brands on the market.

As a manual pump, you’ll need to do all the work by hand, to create suction. Some others find this is too much hassle, but it’s convenient if you only want to pump on a rare occasion. It also means that there is no noisy motor churning away, making expressing very discreet. There is an attraction to a pump which can be used incognito, especially somewhere like the workplace.

One of the best features it its ergonomic handle. It’s easy to grip and comfortable whilst holding the bottle and pumping. We love that the perfect grip gives you no hand discomfort whilst expressing. This makes it much easier to pump at a constant and comfortable pace, making a session a lot quicker. This breast pump is a great option if you want to pump on the odd occasion or buying a pump ‘just in case’. The price range also makes it very budget friendly.

3. Medela Pump In Style

The Medela Pump In Style is one of the best breast pumps you can get for under $150. This pump is so effective. The double pump system will allow you to pump twice as quick. Hands up if you want more hours in your day? Really, this pump will save you a lot of time, especially if you are expressing a lot.

It comes with Medela two phase expression system. That means the pump will change suction rate and strength when stimulating the milk; and then when it begins to flow. So you are more likely to collect more milk as this mimic your baby’s natural rhythm. The pump is also very comfortable to use. It won’t nip or rub on the breast at all (when used with the correct size breast shield). This is because Medela provides different size shields. You’re sure to find the best fit, regardless of your breast size.

The starter set comes in a smart black carry case. This makes the pump really discreet if you have to use in a public place. If you want a few more accessories, you can get kits with a backpack or a cooler case. If you’re a working mum looking for a great pump, then this is the one for you.

One of the downsides of this pump is that the powerful motor makes it quite loud. A tip to make it a little less noisy is to place the pump in the carry bag and zip it up to muffle some of the noise.

4. Freemie Deluxe

Expressing with this pump is a slightly different experience. Why? The Freemie Deluxe is a hands free pump which allows you to pump with your shirt on. This gives you so much freedom to work, play or rest, during a successful pump session. You can use the pump as a double or a single. We wouldn’t recommend using the single without have a breast pad to prevent leakage from the other breast. This pump is great if you have very limited time to express. You can now multitask by using it whilst driving, preparing food or tending to your children.

The breast shields look like two little storage pots attached to the motor. They cup around the breasts and you express the milk directly into the shield. Once finished you decant the milk into your feeding bottles. It’s as simple as that.

5. Medela Symphony

The Medela Symphony the best breast pump on the market, hands down. This is an extremely luxury product. You’ll need to consider investing a lot of money. However, it still works out as cheaper than purchasing formula for one year, and will last longer. You will not be disappointed with its performance.

You need to consider this pump if you struggle with severe lactation problems. If you have twins or a premature baby, then this is the pump for you. It’s also a great buy for exclusively pumping, especially if you plan to have more babies. You can guarantee this will maintain your milk supply due to its high-powered motor.

Let’s be honest this pump is pretty bulky and heavy. However, it wasn’t designed to be portable; it’s designed to express milk quickly and effectively. And that is what it does best. If feeding your baby breast milk is important to you, then don’t waste your money on mid-range products ,which are not guaranteed to maintain your supply.

Which Type of Breast Pump Should I Use?

A breast pump is used so that you can continue feeding baby breast milk when you cannot put them directly onto the breast. You may be returning to work, baby is ill, you have breast problems, or you just want a few hours to yourself. Whatever your reason there is a breast pump out there to suit all needs from occasional expressing right up to exclusive pumping.

Breast pumps are powered either manually or with an electric power source.

Manual Breast Pump

Also known as a hand pump, these are designed to use your hand to power the pump suction. You can only pump one breast at a time with a manual pump. Benefits of a manual breast pump include being:

• inexpensive
• portable
• quiet
• easy to maintain

We would recommend using one if you are using the pump rarely or travel a lot. If you have a condition which restricts movement in your hand, then there is foot powered breast pump available. However, we would recommend using an electric breast pump.

Electric Breast Pump

These pumps are more efficient than manual breast pumps. They are available as home-use pumps or hospital grade pumps. Home-use pumps are designed for medium usage, i.e. if you are looking to pump milk once a week to twice a day. These pumps are most often used if you need a pump to return to work or building your milk supply.

A hospital grade pump is designed for heavy usage. If you are looking for a pump which will handle at least 5-12 daily expressing session, then you should consider these. The motors are sturdy, reliable with enough efficiency to keep your milk supply high. You may have been advised to use a hospital grade pump if your baby is premature; you have supply issues; or you have twins or multiples. These pumps are very expensive to buy; however, some models are available to rent.

Single Electric Breast Pump

This type of pump has one breast shield and bottle attached to the motor. This means you can only express from one breast at a time. If you’re looking for an electric pump to use less than twice a week, then consider a single pump. You’ll save money, as single pumps are often cheaper than the double counter parts. You have a little more freedom to get tasks done as you will still have one hand free whilst expressing. To express both sides with a single pump will take around 20-40 minutes, depending on the pump efficiency.

Double Electric Breast Pump

This type of pump allows you to pump both breasts at the same time. A double breast pump is a major time saving strategy with expressing milk. It will take half the time as it would for you to pump with a single pump. If you are expressing more than three times daily you will need a double pump which has a high-performance motor to cope with the usage. If you have twins or trouble establishing your milk supply consider a double breast pump. Regular double pumping stimulates your prolactin hormones, to keep your milk supply high. It will take you around 10-20 minutes to empty both breasts with a double pump.

Advantages of an Electric Breast Pump

Aside from having more buying choice, there are a lot of benefits to using this type of breast pump.

It’s faster

Better still reduce your pumping time by half and buy a double breast pump. You’ll know how precious time is when you’re a parent. Saving the extra few hours a day without having to sit and express milk will make the world of difference. Just think how much you can get done.

Easy to use

Hold the bottle to your breast, switch on and let the machine do the work. No aching hands or trying to keep at a constant pump rhythm.

Comfort control

Choose a suction rate and strength which is most comfortable for you. You may like it to be turned up to max or need it a little slower. Being comfortable while expressing is just as important as the pump efficiency. If you are uncomfortable, your hormones will prevent your milk flow.

More efficient

Sometimes you just need a little more ‘oomph’ to express your milk. The most effective type of electric breast pump is a hospital grade pump. The motors in these pumps are strong and durable enough for frequent use. You would be looking to spend around $1500 for one of these models. However, brands such as Spectra have a range of home-use hospital grade pumps to buy at a reasonable price. If you have twins or multiples, this type of breast pump will help keep your milk supply high.

You can hire

This option suits those who need the efficiency of a hospital grade pump but for a short period. Most commonly these are used by mums with sick or premature babies need to increase supply or have major breastfeeding problems. You can hire for a month at a time until you build up a good milk supply. You can then switch to a home-use pump or start trying baby directly on the breast.

>>Click here for our Breast Pump Buying Guide<<

Open or Closed System Breast Pump?

The term open and closed system is often used when researching breast pumps. So what does this mean? Rather, why does it matter? Let’s explore these two systems.

Open System Breast Pump

The motor of the pump is exposed to breast milk as it is expressed. Usually, these are small droplets and won’t affect the motor. The main concern is that these droplets then grow mold, or transmit viral and fungal infections. These is no way of completely cleaning and sterilizing between uses. For this reason, you should never buy a second-hand open system breast pump.

Closed System Breast Pump

These will have a barrier system (e.g., a filter) to prevent milk from reaching the motor. This, therefore makes them much more hygienic to use. Do note that a closed pump system does not mean multi-user. Most second-hand pumps are resold on the claim they are safe for reselling due to the closed system. We will discuss our advice for second-hand breast pump later in the article. Hospital grade pumps require each woman to use their dedicated pump accessories.

If you are unsure about the system your breast pump uses, contact the manufacturer’s customer support.

10 Benefits of Using a Breast Pump

Let’s take a look at the ways a breast pump can benefit your lifestyle.

1. Medications/Alcohol

You may have an unexpected illness on a night off. Certain medication and alcohol pass through the breast milk into baby. By using a breast pump you can build a supply of milk to give to baby. This can be until you finish your course of medication or sober up.  During this time, you remove the milk from your breasts and throw it away. This technique is known as ‘pump and dump’.

2. Premature Baby

If your baby is born a little early, they may have problems breastfeeding. This is because their suckling reflex is underdeveloped. Expressing breast milk will give your baby perfect nutrition to help them grow and strengthen their immune system. Over supply can also be donated to other premature babies via a Milk Bank.

3. Special Needs

Babies with feeding issues such as cleft palate, infection, jaundice or tongue tie will benefit from expressed breast milk. As baby can’t feed directly at the breast, they can receive milk via alternative feeding equipment. This can also help when baby refuses to feed or is too sleepy. Check out our article on alternative feeding methods for babies here.

4. Breast Issues

A breast pump can help if you are experiencing problems with your breasts. Examples of this include:

• Mastitis
• Sore nipples
• Breast abscess
• Previous Surgery
• Blocked Ducts
• Thrush

Using a breast pump can help you take a break from feeding. This gives your body the time to heal or for further medical investigations.

5. Time Apart

Breast pumps are ideal for when you need to be separated from your baby. This can be for traveling or having a day trip or night out. Your baby will need to eat whilst you are way. Expressing your milk prevents you from turning to formula for feeding baby. Some companies will even ship milk across the country if you are separated for a few days.

6. Return to Work

Maternity pay may mean you have to return to work sooner than you would like. Using a breast pump means you don’t need to give up breastfeeding altogether. Your employer should make provisions for you to pump at work.  You can keep your supply high and build a stash of milk for your baby when they are in childcare.

7. Feeding In Public

Unfortunately breastfeeding in public still receives a bad reputation. If you are self-conscious, a breast pump can help you until your confidence builds with feeding.  It can also help if your religion requires you to maintain modesty in certain circumstances.

8. Co-Parenting

Birth recovery, sleepless night and growth spurts can leave you exhausted. Expressing milk can help you hand over the reins to your partner to give you a break. This also gives your partner the chance to experience a feeding bond with your baby.

9. Exclusive Pumping

This is a lesser-known alternative between breastfeeding and formula feeding.  It means you express your breast milk and feed baby through a bottle. This feeding method give you all the benefits of breastfeeding mixed with the drawbacks of bottle feeding. As a word of warning its very time-consuming and you need to be extremely organised. However, for some families it’s extremely beneficial to their lifestyles.

10. Increase Supply

Adding an extra pump session to your feeding schedule can increase your milk supply. The idea is to pump as often as possible between breast feeds. You can also use the pump to remove more milk from each breast after baby is finished. It tricks your body into thinking your baby needs more milk, so it makes more.

Disadvantages of Using a Breast Pump

Time consuming

Using a breast pump takes a lot of time out of your day. A session can take around 20-30 minutes. Do that a few times a day, and it adds up to hours. Using a double breast pump can cut down on this time.

Milk storage issues

Storing a milk stash can be a problem if you are short on space. Bottles take up a lot of room in the fridge. We suggest using freezer storage bags to save space. If you are pumping away from home, you will need a cooler to transport the milk to and from work.

Privacy issues

For working mom, it can be difficult to find a private place to pump. Even if your employer provides a dedicated space, it may not necessarily be discreet to pump. Some working moms prefer to use a manual breast pump to reduce noise.

Overproduction

As we’ve already discussed expressing can increase your milk supply. For some women, it can put it into overdrive. If you have too much milk, it can lead to problems such as blocked ducts or mastitis. If you still need to pump, we suggest building a slow supply by pumping for short periods after a morning feed.

10 Top Rated Breast Pump Brands

Let’s explore the best-selling breast pump brand in the USA. See below for our full range comparison table of pumps available for each brand.

Ameda

A well-known breastfeeding brand with over 80 years’ experience. They offer a range of 4 high-quality breast pumps from manual, home use and hospital grade. The Ameda Platinum is a multi-award winning breast pump for pre-term babies and exclusive pumping. They supply over 40 international countries.

Ardo

A Swiss family company with 20 years’ experience in breastfeeding products. They have a small range of manual, home use and professional pumps you can hire. They are WHO compliant to protect breastfeeding rates. Ardo also adopts a child labor free standard when producing their breast pumps.

Bellema

A relatively new brand to the USA. The company is focused on working with experts and engineers to provide women with a range of effective pumps. Their current range includes 5 electric options. All the pumps are FDA approved for safety and quality.

Evenflo

A US-based company with nearly 100 years of baby feeding experience. The company focused on easy to use products to benefits parents. They have a range of 3 manual and electric breast pumps. Their double breast pump has been selected for various awards for features and affordability.

Freemie

Invented by a Dr who wanted a hands free approach to breastfeeding. The brand is aimed at those returning to work, or who need to free up time while expressing. The company has two models available as well as adaptation kits for other breast pump brands.

Hygeia

This brand is focused on making hospital grade quality breast pumps for moms. There is also a manual breast pump model available. With WHO compliant standard, insurance standard breast pumps and rental options they aim to offer affordable breast pumps to all incomes.

Lansinoh

Created by a mom almost 30 years ago the brand has grown into a huge brand of breastfeeding products. You probably know them for their best-selling lanolin nipple cream. However, they have a range of quality breast pumps. Our favorite manual breast pump is from the Lansinoh range.

Medela

Founded in 1961 by a Swiss family the company has expanded to over 90 countries worldwide. With over 30 years’ experience in the USA, it’s hands down the world leading breast pump brand. They have a huge range of high quality, award-winning products and accessories to meet all lifestyle needs.

Philips AVENT

An English based brand, which is known for high-quality electric products. Their breastfeeding range is small, yet highly rated. Philips AVENT scores highly for both manual and electric breast pumps.

Spectra

A brand set up in 2012 by registered nurses and certified lactation consultants. They focus on what moms need: effective and affordable breast pumps. They have one of the most extensive breast pump ranges only second to Medela. Spectra is already well established in the UK and Australia.

Breast Pump Range Comparison

Spectra USA Breast Pump	Handy Plus Manual	Spectra M1	Spectra 9 Plus	Spectra Dew 350	Spectra S2	Spectra S1
Type of Use
Occasional use (weekly)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Daily		X	X	X	X	X
Double Pumping		X	X	X	X	X
Multiple Babies				X	X	X
Performance Use
Rechargeable Battery		X	X			X
Digital Display			X		X	X
Adjustable Suction		X	X	X	X	X
Adjustable speed			X		X	X
Lightweight	X	X	X
Massage Mode		X	X		X	X
Nightlight and Timer					X	X
Medical Conditions
Flat/ inverted nipples	X	X	X	X	X	X
Sore nipples/ engorgement		X	X	X	X	X
Attachment /breast issues		X	X	X	X	X
Low milky supply				X	X	X
Premature or ill baby				X	X	X

Breast Pump Features

Knowing which breast pump features will offer the greatest benefits is a whole article in itself. If you don’t know what to look for check out our breast pump buying article here. Let’s start by giving you an idea of features, which make a breast pump stand out.

Speed and Suction Control

Having the ability to control the speed and strength of a breast pump is the most important feature. Why? Comfort is vital when expressing. If you are uncomfortable, you will express less milk. Adjustable suction allows you to zone in the settings that are most comfortable for you.

Expression Phase

When your baby breastfeeds, they use two techniques to extract the milk. They start with short fast sucks until the milk flows. Then they change to long, slow sucks. A breast pump which mimics this action will express more than one without. Quality ranges such as Medela and Spectra include this in their electric breast pumps.

Hands-Free

Using a breast pump can take a lot of time. The ability to pump hands free will allow you to multi-task as you pump. The only truly hands-free pump in the Freemie Deluxe. Other brands such as the Medela freestyle can be used with a hand free pump bra. This gives you the freedom to move around while you pump.

BPA Free

Any good-quality breast pump should be BPA free. This is a chemical used when making plastic products. There are health concerns when children use BPA for long periods. It is thought to cause health and development delays. It’s especially important with feeding products as these chemicals can leech into your expressed breast milk.

What Do I Need To Pump Milk?

Unlike breastfeeding, using a breast pump needs a few accessories to get the benefits. Most breast pumps will come with the pump and a basic collection bottle. Consider how the milk will be stored after you pump. Let’s take a look at what you need for your expressed breast milk.

Feeding

At some point, you’ll want to feed your baby your expressed milk.  This is what you need for feeding your baby:

• Bottles – The type of bottle you use will depend on preference. Most women opt for high rated reliable brands. If you want to avoid plastic bottles, opt for a glass or stainless steel alternative.

• Nipple – Most people simple use the nipple that comes with the bottles they choose. We recommend opting for a breastfeeding friendly nipple to avoid nipple confusion. These mimic the action of breastfeeding and make your baby less likely to reject the breast.

• Alternative Methods – If you prefer not to use bottles there are alternatives. Check out our guide on baby bottle alternatives here.  These can also help babies who are unable to use bottles to feed.

Storage

If you want to wait before feeding your baby the expressed breast milk, you’ll need to keep it stored safely. You may also want to build a breast milk stash for future use. This is what you’ll need:

• Breast Milk Bags – Bottles are great for storing milk for a few hours; however, they are bulky. Breast milk storage bags are perfect for long-term storage in a freezer.

• Cool Bag – If you are pumping milk at work, you’ll need to store it until you get home. A cool bag is perfect for commuting to and from work without spoiling your milk.

Sterilize

Breast milk attracts bacteria and mold growth. This means you need to regularly clean and sterilize your breast pump and feeding equipment. You’ll prevent your baby being exposed to infection or illness.

• Soaps – You don’t need specialized soap as regular dish soap will do. Some moms prefer to use specialized breast milk soap as the high-fat content of breast milk can leave a grease layer.

• Brush – Bottles and nipples have a lot of small edges, which harbor bacteria. A bottle brush gets right into all those areas and rids them of hidden nasties.

• Dry rack – Dissembles pumps and bottles can take up a lot of space to dry. A bottle drying rack is designed to hold all these small pieces in a compact space.

• Sterilizer – You will need to sterilize bottles, nipples, and breast pump parts to remove harmful bacteria. Opt for a steam sterilizer, boil in a pot or sterilizing fluid.

Cost of a Breast Pump

Before you buy a breast pump consider the cost of using one. Let’s explore where you expect to pay when it comes to breast pumps.

Breast pump

This will be your greatest expense. Although you can find a breast pump to suit all budgets. Typical costs are:

• $20-$40 manual breast pump
• $60-$400 home use electric breast pump (single or double)
• $1500-$3000 professional breast pump

 If shelling out this much isn’t an option you can get the benefits of a professional pump by renting instead of buying. The cost is around $50 a month, with an additional $50 to purchase your own tubing, breast shield and collection bottle.

Accessories

We’ve already discussed the breast pump accessories you’ll need for expressing. Most accessories are fairly inexpensive on their own, but can quickly add up. Purchase bottles in bulk to save money. However, if you opt for specialist bottles, they are expensive, and you’ll need a few. The same goes for bottle nipples.

Power supply

Electric breast pumps will require you to have a power supply to use them. Most are rechargeable with a mains power. These are fairly low energy and won’t use a lot of power. You may also have a battery powered option. You have to be savvy, so they don’t become a wallet drain. We recommend using rechargeable batteries. Otherwise, the cost of replacement batteries quickly adds up as they drain fast.

Maintenance

Overtime part of your breast pump or accessories will wear out and need to be replaced. Make sure it’s easy to get replacements for your pump, or it could get costly. Without proper maintenance of tubing and membranes, your breast pump won’t work effectively.

Regular cleaning and sterilizing is part of maintaining your breast pump. This stops small part becoming clogged with milk. It also keeps mold and bacteria from growing on the pump.

You may also need to replace nipples or bottles as your baby grows, to suit their feeding needs.

Buying a Used Breast Pump

A high-quality breast pump for frequent pumping can be expensive. Double electric pumps start around $100. Hospital grade pumps run upwards of $3000. At these prices, you may be considering buying a used breast pump, but is it a good idea?

Let’s tack a look at the pros and con of buying a second-hand breast pump.

Pros

• Save Money – A use breast pump will usually cost around 50% of the retail price. If you are on a tight budget, it means you get a higher quality pump with more features for your budget.

• Reduces Waste – A second-hand pump is good for the environment. You’ll prevent someone throwing a perfectly good breast pump in the landfill. Buying second-hand cuts down on land waste and more plastics in the environment.

Cons

• No warranty – All single user breast pump brand will have a requirement of a single user for a valid warranty. Selling the breast pump invalidates the warranty. Multi-user pumps are exempt from this; however, you may need proof of purchase for warranty claim.

• Health concerns – The warranty on some pumps will state for one person use only. Regardless of whether the breast pump is an open or closed system. This is because there is no guarantee that the pump is sanitary where it comes into contact with breast milk. You more than likely don’t know the health of the previous owner. That puts your baby at risk of life-changing infections.

• Pump life – With a used pump you never know how long it will last. Most breast pumps have a motor which can run for a certain number of hours before it packs up. If the previous user was an exclusive pumper or has expressed for a number of children it may be close to its end. You could get a few years use, or a few days, there is no way to tell.

New or Used Breast Pump – Making a Choice

With these things in mind, you should be able to make an informed decision about whether to buy a new or used breast pump. Consider if the cost saving of a used pump is worth the risk to your baby’s health.

When it comes to single-user breast pumps, we would advise you not to buy one second-hand. If you absolutely must buy a used pump buying from a friend or family member is a safer option. You will more than likely know their health status, and the breast pumps history. Buying from somewhere like eBay or craigslist is far too risky for your baby’s health.

Multi-user breast pumps are safe to buy from unknown sellers with regard to health. You would need to buy new tubing and collection kits. The issue is that these will still be fairly expensive to purchase. Your concern should be with the lifespan and wear and tear on the pump.

The post The Best Breast Pump Reviews For Expressing Milk appeared first on Stork Mama.

Just like breasts, our nipples come in all shapes and sizes.

Your nipples are designed to stick outward when touched, stimulated by your hormones, or cold. This shape makes it easy for baby to latch onto your breast and start sucking.

Around 10% of women have a nipple shape which benefits from a few tricks to aid breastfeeding.

This guide is to help inform you about tips and techniques to breastfeeding with flat or inverted nipples. Knowing this advice in pregnancy can prepare you to avoid breastfeeding attachment problems.

Your confidence will skyrocket when you realize that it is possible to breastfeed with flat or inverted nipples.

There is a lot to take in, so I recommend you pin this guide to have it close by. That way you can quickly reference it when you need to.

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Flat and Inverted Nipple Breastfeeding Guide

Nipple Assessment

You can assess your nipples to discover what type of nipples you have. You may already know you have flat or inverted nipples. However, this may change during pregnancy or after birth.

I recommend first doing this in pregnancy. If you find any issues, you can prepare for breastfeeding with correction techniques.

Once your baby is born, reassess your nipples. I recommend doing this again as hormonal changes may cause your nipples to naturally protrude once your baby arrives.

The best way to assess your nipples is the pinch test.

Nipple Pinch Test

The pinch test will give you an idea of how your nipple will respond when your baby sucks during a feed.

• Expose your breast, and place your thumb and forefinger around one inch back from your nipple.
• Make sure one finger is above, and one directly below and gently press together.
• Remember to do this test on both breasts as you may get different results for each one.

When you press down, you should see one of three nipple type:  Everted, flat or inverted.

Nipple Types

Everted (Normal) Nipples

An everted nipple will look ‘normal’ and sticks out when you do the pinch test. Your nipples are the ideal shape for breastfeeding. When your nipple sticks out it is long and firm enough to reach the roof of your baby’s mouth and stimulate sucking.

You don’t need any nipple treatment to help you breastfeed. I recommend learning the importance of a good breastfeeding latch to prevent pain.

Flat Nipples

A flat nipple will stay completely flat, even when you do the pinch test. You probably find your nipples never stick out even when they are stimulated, or you are cold.

Flat nipples can be temporary especially soon after birth. The most common reasons for this include:

• Engorgement – When your breast is so full of milk the nipple can’t protrude. Hand expressing off a few drops should soften the breast enough to help baby latch on.
• Swelling – This is common post-delivery especially if you received IV fluids. Gentle breast massage can help encourage the fluid to move from the breasts.
• Short Nipples – Some women simply don’t have long nipples.

You will benefit from techniques in this guide to help draw your nipple outward to breastfeed.

Inverted Nipples

An inverted nipple will pull inwards when you do the pinch test. Rather than sticking out it will look like a dimple in the middle of your areola. There are three grades of an inverted nipple:

• Grade 1 – Mild inversion. Usually won’t cause issues with breastfeeding.
• Grade 2 – Moderate inversion. Manageable with a healthy term baby, may cause issues with preemies or if your baby has a poor suck.
• Grade 3 – Severe inversion. Will require lots of help an input with breastfeeding. Your doctor may suggest surgery to reverse the inversion.

It’s thought inverted nipples can be caused by variations in the breast anatomy including:

• Internal adhesions on the breast tissue
• Short lactiferous sinuses
• Thinner connective tissue

All of these cause the breast to pull inwards, or lack support to push it outwards.

It may be you whole nipple or only part that is inverted. Any type of nipple inversion will benefit from the techniques in this guide to assist breastfeeding.

Flat and Inverted Nipple Treatment

There are lots of different techniques you can use to try and draw to nipple outwards before a feed. These tricks haven’t been studied for how truly effective they are. However, women have been using them for years with success.  You may find one that works well for you or a combination of techniques.

Hoffman Technique

This technique was invented in the 1950s to help draw out the nipple.

1. Place a thumb on each side of your nipple. Start at the base of the nipple not the edge of the areola.
2. Firmly your thumbs firmly into the areola.
3. While pressing down, pull your thumbs in opposite direction from each other.
4. Repeat for 5 pulls
5. Move your thumbs into a different position on the nipple and repeat. Think of your breast as a clock and try to pull in as many different directions as possible.

In pregnancy, you should aim to do this technique around 5 times a day. I only recommend starting after 37 weeks, as nipple stimulation can cause contractions.

Once your baby is born its best to do it just before each feed to help evert the nipple.

Breast Shells

A breast shell is a clear plastic case which sits in your bra. One side has a circular hole which fits over your nipple. The other side is curved away from the ‘nipple’ side.

The idea of using a breast shell for inverted or flat nipples is to apply constant gentle pressure to the nipple. This stretches the nipple and helps it to pull outwards.

Another benefit of using breast shells is they can prevent engorgement which causes flat nipples.

In pregnancy, you can use breast shell in the last few weeks to help draw out your nipples.

Once your baby is born, you can use breast shells for around 30 minutes before a feed. Any longer than this can be uncomfortable.

The Medela Soft Shells are ideal, but you can check out our reviews of the best breast shells here.

Breast Pump

If you have a breast pump, it can be used to resolve your flat or inverted nipples. The strong and rhythmic suction of the pump can help to draw the nipple out.

Make sure you have a strong vacuum between the flange and the breast. You can do this by making your breast slightly moist with water or cream before you pump.

A breast pump can soften your breasts and make it easier for baby to attach well to the breast.

If you have no intention to express milk for your baby, you can pick up a manual breast pump for fairly cheap.

Nipple Everter

You can buy a small device called a nipple everter to pull your nipple out. It works by cupping a small tube shape over your nipple and squeezing a soft bulb. The Lansinoh Latch assist is cheap and easy to use.

You can also make your own everter device with a disposable syringe. A 10ml syringe is suitable for most moms. However, a 20ml can be used if you have large nipples.

This is how it’s done

• Completely remove the plunger from the syringe
• Carefully cut off the nozzle end of the syringe, so you are left with a long hollow tube
• Insert the plunger into to newly cut end

Push the piston in fully and place the smooth open end over your nipple. Gently and slowly pull the pull the piston back over 30-60 seconds. The pressure should pull your nipple outward with the piston.

Pregnancy Preparation for Inverted and Flat Nipples

The most important thing to remember is that flat or inverted nipples are not a problem for breastfeeding. They are simply a variation which you can work around, and still a great breastfeeding relationship.  This advice will help you to prep for breastfeeding before baby is born.

Learn to Latch

One thing breastfeeding supporters will agree on is that your baby breastfeeds and doesn’t nipple feed. This is important because your breast tissue is a big part of attaching your baby to your breast. If this is done properly most flat or inverted nipples will be drawn out by your baby as they suck.

So the best piece of advice I can give you is to learn how to properly latch baby on. You can read our guide how to get the best latch here.

Once your baby is here, have a professional assess your baby’s attachment as soon as possible. This will prevent any problems that develop quickly from the poor attachment.

Gather Support

Breastfeeding is a huge learning process for you and your baby. You may think you know what to do, then add a squirmy crying baby into the mix and it all goes out the window.

The best way around this is by surrounding yourself with breastfeeding support. Ideally, I would recommend a professional lactation specialist. However, if you have a family member or friend who is experienced with breastfeeding problems they can also be helpful.  Ensure they are helpful, supportive and encourage you to persevere when you feel like giving up.

Learn Positions

Different breastfeeding positions can make it easier to latch baby on. Football hold, cross cradle hold are usually favorites as you have a lot of control to help your baby. Some moms find that laid-back breastfeeding helps the nipple evert better as gravity reverses the pull of the breast tissue.

Hand expression

If you suspect you may have issues latching baby on, it’s important to know how to hand express. This is because breastfeeding can become frustrating for your baby if they can’t feed. This causes your baby to cry which stresses you both out.

If you can hand express a few drops of colostrum or milk into baby’s mouth at the start of a feed, it will help to calm them. It’s also useful if your breasts are engorged causing your nipple to flatten.

Learn Feeding Cues

Once your baby is born, they will want to feed a lot. A newborn will feed between 8-12 times a day or more. That’s every 2-3 hours on average.

The reason your baby does this is to help establish your milk supply.

Feeding this often means your breast can get ‘engorged.’ This means they become so full of milk they are hard and swollen.

Your baby will give you cues that they are hungry and want to feed. Learning these feeding cues early will keep your baby satisfied and prevent engorgement.

Your milk supply will regulate itself quickly, and you’ll prevent sore breasts. It’s a win-win for everyone.

6 Flat or Inverted Nipple Breastfeeding Tips

These tips will help you to breastfeed with your flat or inverted nipples. You can use these suggestions individually or a combination of a few to assist your baby’s attachment to your breast.

1. Use a suction device

Just before a feed use a suction device to draw the nipple out. This can be any of the techniques discussed above including

• A breast pump
• Nipple everter
• DIY syringe everter
• Hoffman technique

Any of these can help to manually pull the nipple outwards. The effects are only temporary so try baby at the breast straight away.

2. Stimulate the Nipple

If your nipples are short or only slightly inverted stimulate them before a feed. Touching or rolling them between your fingers can make them protrude.

Making your nipples cold can also make them stand out. You can use a cold face cloth or an ice compress. Using ice should be used with caution as it can slow your let-down reflex.

3. Breast Shells

Around half an hour before a feed, use a breast shell over your nipple. This should be long enough to put the nipple outwards. Once it’s removed put baby to the breast to get the most benefit from use.

4. Hand Express

Before you attach your baby to the breast try dropping a few drops of milk into their mouth. This stimulates the suck reflex and can help baby to attach better. It usually has a calming effect on your baby so they are more patience as you help them to latch on.

5. Breastfeeding hold

Using a breastfeeding hold when feeding can help your nipple evert better. The ‘nipple sandwich’ is a great way to hold the nipple to get baby to attach properly. You can read more about this technique in our guide to the perfect latch.

6. Nipple shields

As a short-term measure you may consider using a nipple shield. It’s a thin plastic device which fits over your nipple. As baby sucks, it is pulled against the plastic and positioned the nipple perfectly in your baby’s mouth. Nipple shields can cause other issues, so I suggest getting professional lactation support for further advice. You can the guide to using nipple shields here.

Common Issues with Flat or Inverted Nipples

Sore Nipples

It is common for a flat or inverted nipple to hurt more when breastfeeding. You may notice this more if you have only one flat/inverted nipple and the other is everted. The most common reason is the pulling of internal adhesions as baby sucks. The good news is that this often eases over time. As baby feeds more these adhesions often stretch out and improve the inversion.

If the pain does not lessen over time, you should contact a professional to assess your baby’s attachment.

Breast Preference

You may notice that your baby prefers to feed on one side over the other. This is really common with newborns. Your baby will always take the easiest way to get milk. If it’s a little trickier for them to latch on you affected nipple they will usually prefer the everted nipple.

Make sure you try all the techniques above before attaching your baby to the rejected breast. It’s entirely ok to feed on one breast. To prevent engorgement or mastitis, you will need to express from the other side.

Get professional help as soon as possible to help you get baby to attach to both breasts.

Slow weight gain

If your baby is losing weight or slowly gaining, it’s important to get a professional check your attachment. Poor weight gain means your baby is not getting enough milk during a feed.

If you have a good milk supply the most likely cause is the poor attachment. A good lactation expert will be able to help you with this. They may suggest using supplementation, so be prepared to express milk or using formula top ups.

If you are using nipple shields, you should stop. The lack of sucking directly on the nipple is known to cause low milk supply.

The post Flat Or Inverted Nipple Breastfeeding Guide appeared first on Stork Mama.

I bet you’re all fingers and thumbs, flailing baby arms and unable to see if your baby is latched correctly.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could just lie back and relax during a feed?

Well, you can actually.

The answer is laid back breastfeeding, or ‘biological nurturing’ if you want its Sunday name.

Although Laid-back breastfeeding is technically a breastfeeding position, it’s so much more than that. It’s thought to be the most natural way to breastfeed your baby. Leading breastfeeding expert Dr. Suzanne Colson would argue it’s the best nursing position.

It is, in fact, one of the most uncommon positions taught during breastfeeding classes or by nurses.

Laid back breastfeeding offers so many benefits to you and baby. If you don’t want to miss out check out why it may be the best breastfeeding position for you.

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16 Benefits of Laid Back Breastfeeding

1. Vaginal delivery

After a normal, forceps or ventouse vaginal delivery you’ll be feeling sore and swollen down below. You may even have had a tear or episiotomy with stitches.

All that Pushing can often mean develop hemorrhoids after birth. All together it makes for a very sore bottom.

The great thing about laid back breastfeeding is that it takes the pressure off your vagina when resting. Your body is rests on your butt, it provides a lot more cushioning and relief when feeding.

2. C-section Mama’s

Whether it’s planned or emergency, you’re probably worried how you’ll manage to breastfeed after a C-section. Laid back breastfeeding is ideal if you have had a C-section.

Often nurses will position you onto your side to make breastfeeding in recovery a lot easier. However, it can be a nightmare when you have lots of IV drips running and a blood pressure cuff on. Laid back breastfeeding is the ideal position as you don’t need your arms to hold onto your baby.

Once your anesthetic block wears off, it may be too uncomfortable to rest your body weight on your side or leaning baby over your wound. Laid back breastfeeding avoids both of these situations.

3. Fast Let Down

If your baby often chokes, splutters, clamps down or pull away during a feed, you probably have a fast let-down reflex.

It simply means you milk flows out quicker than your baby can drink.

Laid back breastfeeding can help by working against gravity to slow the flow. When you place your baby’s head placed above the nipple, the milk can’t pour into their mouth. Your baby has control over the amount of milk they can swallow.

If your baby feels they need to pull away quickly, there is no resistance on their head.

4. Relaxation

Being a new mom and breastfeeding is exhausting, especially in the first few weeks. You’ll probably notice you feel extra sleepy when breastfeeding. This is the action of the hormone oxytocin.

Laid back breastfeeding is a great way to take advantage of the sleepy sensation you feel. You’ll be in a comfortable position, so take the opportunity to and relax while baby feeds.

The more relaxed you feel during a feed, the more milk you will signal your body to make.

Note: Always make sure you have another person around if you do this. This ensures your baby is safe from the risk of accidental suffocation if you are on a couch or around a lot of pillows.

5. Less Position Pain

A big drawback of most common feeding positions is poor posture. You probably contort yourself into all shapes to get baby to latch on. Then you have to sit that way until baby is finished feeding.

You’ve probably already noticed your arms, back, neck and shoulders always hurt.

Laid back breastfeeding takes the pressure off all of these areas. Just make sure you have plenty of support from the surface or pillows.

If you feel uncomfortable when lying back, simply adjust yourself until you get a spot that works right for you. A simple change of baby’s position or your recline can make a big difference to your comfort.

6. Large breasts

Having large heavy breast can make breastfeeding a small newborn difficult in traditional positions.

Laid back feeding keeps the weight of your breast off your baby’s head. It also makes it so much easier for you to see what baby is doing.

Your nipple is more likely to tilt upwards with laid back nursing. As gravity isn’t pulling it downwards, you’ll need less breast support, and it will help baby to latch on better.

7. Stimulate baby

Your baby is born with 20 reflexes that encourage them to naturally breastfeed without ‘learning.’

The rooting, sucking and Babkin reflex can all be stimulated by you with simple touch and skin contact. It will come naturally to you to want to stoke your baby.

When your baby feeds on their tummy, it stimulates all of these reflexes. Laid back breastfeeding is the only position where you baby is truly on their tummy.

Stimulating these reflexes helps your baby to be a ‘natural’ at breastfeeding from the beginning.

8. Improves bonding

You’ve probably already heard how important skin to skin contact is for baby.

There are so many benefits including improved milk supply, temperature control, and calmer baby.

The reason: Oxytocin. Yes, that hormone again.

Oxytocin is responsible for creating a strong bond between mom and baby. The more oxytocin your baby is exposed to, the better their brain develops. Your baby will cope better with stress and learn to communicate with people from your interactions.

9. Responsive feeding

Learning how to read your baby’s feeding cues is vital to being responsive to their needs. It will help you to be instinctive with your baby.

Your baby will give off subtle clues to communicate their needs with you. If you are aware of what these signs mean, you will know what they want.

Laid back breastfeeding is excellent for calming a fussy, crying baby before they feed. This is a late hunger cue. The skin to skin contact, touch, stroking and cuddling of laid back feeding, all helps to calm baby before feeding.

10. Improve latch

The latch or ‘attachment’ your baby’s mouth has to your breast will affect how well they feed.

A poor latch can cause nipple pain, low milk intake, and slow weight gain.

You can learn how to get a good latch here. Combine these steps with laid back breastfeeding, and you will get a good attachment. Gravity will naturally pull baby toward your breast, rather than you pulling toward your baby.

The laid back position also keeps baby attached rather than slipping back which is common with traditional positions.

11. Less nipple pain

Laid back breastfeeding improves your baby’s chances of a perfect asymmetric latch.

In this position, the nipple is tilted to the right angle and far enough into the mouth. This means baby uses the main part of the tongue in a soft wave motion over the nipple. A short latch means more friction on the nipples and therefore more pain.

Women who use the laid back breastfeeding position are found to have less nipple pain, bleeding, cracks or blisters.

This also makes it easier to identify babies who have other feeding issues which cause nipple pain.

12. The first feed

You’ve probably heard of the golden hour after birth. It’s the perfect time to start breastfeeding in the laid back position.

You will be exhausted after birth, so lying back and having skin to skin with baby will help you relax. Place baby on your chest, and they will start to crawl toward your breast and naturally latch on.

This gives you time to get to grips with laid back breastfeeding. Hospital beds have electric controls and perfect for an easy recline.

13. Late Preterm Baby

Preterm babies often have issues with feeding because of their immature reflexes.

Skin to skin or Kangaroo care is very beneficial to preterm babies. It helps them develop their feeding behaviors. The more skin to skin you can have with your preterm the quicker they will learn to feed.

If you get the opportunity to put your preterm to the breast to feed, opt for a laid back position. It increases the skin to skin you’ll have with your baby, plus stimulate all those essential developing feeding reflexes.

This position may also help you feel more relaxed about holding your tiny, uncoordinated baby to breastfeed.

14. Breast aversion

Sometimes your baby just won’t want to nurse.

This may be due to fast let down, traumatic birth, medical reasons or no cause at all.

Laid back breastfeeding can transaction your baby from the gentle skin to skin to attempting to breastfeed.

Its instinct for a baby to want to feed. However, certain positions may make this painful or uncomfortable for them. Laid back feeding is a great alternative to traditional positions that aren’t working for your baby.

Your baby calls the shots with laid back nursing. This means no forcing babies head toward the breast. Let them do most of the work and only give them a little help when they need it.

15. Reflux and colic

Most babies will have some degree of reflux or colic in the first month.

This can make it difficult for them to feed and keep milk down. Feeding can make them vomit, irritable or inconsolable.

The skin to skin will help to calm baby before a feed. The reclined angle and gravity can help baby digest the milk better.

Again because your baby can control the milk floe it may help improve their symptoms.

Once a feed is finished keep handling to a minimum but try to keep your baby upright. Holding baby skin to skin and slowly sit more upright when the feed finishes.

16. Unclog blocked ducts

You see in the next section just how to position baby for laid back feeding. Think of your breast as a clock and laid back feeding can have baby’s body positioned at any hour.

Babies often prefer a position which they were in in the womb.

Since your breast is made up of ‘segment’, they can become blocked at any time. You can then nurse your baby in a position which empties the blocked segment.

This means you and baby can work together to resolve breastfeeding issues, without needing resort to expressing or giving up.

How to do Laid Back Breastfeeding

The beauty of laid back breastfeeding is that it doesn’t require much learning. Unlike upright positions when you need to control a tiny, uncoordinated baby.

In fact, the laid back position can be tailored to suit your body shape or situation. It’s best to use trial and error to find what feels right for you and your baby.

The idea is to get comfortable and for you and baby’s natural breastfeeding instincts to work together.

These are the basics of the position

Prepare

Dress in comfortable clothing with easy access to the breast. You may want to strip baby to their diaper for the maximum skin to skin contact.

Choose a spot whether you can lean back. A bed, reclining chair or sofa are great options. You want a place that keeps you upright enough to maintain eye contact with baby.

Support

Make sure you have lots of support. If you need more support use pillows to prop you up to the desired level. Your neck and shoulders need the most support.

The angle you lean back can be adjusted so that when your baby is on you, they are supported without you needing to hold them. Are you comfortable and supported enough to stay there for up to an hour?

Baby position

Position your baby with their front onto your body. Gravity should keep them in position without slipping down or to the side.

The direction baby lies in can be tummy to tummy, over the shoulder, cross cradle or on the side (see picture below). Pretty much 360⁰ around the breast, apart from baby lying on your head!

Your baby’s cheek should rest near your breast. They will naturally turn toward the nipple.

(Source: Nancy Mohrbacher)

Follow your instincts

Your baby will have natural reflexes to show them what to do. If your body is telling you to help them do it. You’ll naturally want to stroke and touch your baby.

You can use a breast hold if you find it helps baby to latch easier.

Observe baby through the feed, for signs they are feeding well or full.

The post Laid Back Breastfeeding – A Position all Nursing Mamas Should Know appeared first on Stork Mama.

There are two routes you can follow:

A feeding schedule or feeding on demand.

The best method will be the one that works well for you, your baby and your family life. As a new mom, it can be hard to get unbiased information from family and friends.

This guide will provide you with information about demand feeding. It will help you develop the skills to observe your baby closely, so you know when they need to feed.

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Newborn Feeding Schedule

Friends and family have probably told you to get baby onto a feeding schedule as soon as possible. For breastfed babies means feeding every 2-3 hours and never more than 4 hours apart. It helps your baby develop a routine which can fit into family life.

A routine will appeal to your inner control freak planner. It helps you feel like you have a plan and less clueless about all this feeding malarkey.

The problem is that feeding schedules have developed over the few decades when formula feeding was a more popular feeding choice.

The need for new-born babies to sleep longer and feed in a pattern is a modern-day need. In fact, it’s harmful to breastfeeding.

So I’m going to throw a spanner in the works and tell you to ditch that plan.

Breastfeeding offers more benefits when you and baby feed on demand.

What!?

Feeding on Demand

Feeding on Demand, or responsive feeding is a way of closely watching your baby for signs they need to breastfeed. No more watching the clock during a feed or worrying your baby is feeding too often.

You need to Watch Your Baby, Not the Clock.

Your baby’s needs will be different from other babies. That’s why feeding schedules are not great for breastfeeding. They lead to hungry babies and stressed out Mamas.

Newborn babies don’t know how to follow routines. They do know how to instinctively give you cues to what they need when they are:

• Hungry/thirsty
• Full
• Needing comfort
• Ready to wean

With demand feeding, you learn to recognize these cues in your baby. That way their needs are met early, and you aren’t frazzled from a baby who is screaming for hours on end.

5 Benefits of Feeding on Demand

Feeding on demand is about so much more than keeping your baby from being hungry.

Child development studies have shown that when your baby’s needs are met promptly it improves their health. This includes their physical, mental and social well-being.

1. Helps Milk Supply

Your breastmilk is made on a supply/demand basis. That means the more your baby eats the more milk you’ll make.

Now you can see why it’s important for your baby to feed as often as they need.

You’ll notice your baby goes through periods of feeding all. The. Fricking. Time!

That’s because they are helping you up your milk supply for a growth spurt.

2. Allows baby to self-regulate

Feeding on demand allows a baby to learn the difference between feeling hungry and full. This means your baby will trust their body’s judgment on calorie intake.

Starting from an early age helps your baby to strengthen this ability.

With obesity becoming an epidemic amongst children, promoting positive eating behavior is essential.

3. Helps bond with baby

Breastfeeding is about so much more than eating. It involves lots of hormones that promote bonding with your baby.

With the power of touch, and skin to skin with your baby only strengthens this bond.

Breastfeeding is a great way to comfort your baby when they are upset. This means it’s much easier to calm and stop them crying as much.

The response you have to your babies needs also lets you baby develop early communication skills. It’s the building blocks to teaching them how to interact with other people.

4. Improves development

When a babies needs are not met their brain releases a stress hormone called cortisol. Studies have shown that prolonged periods of cortisol can lead to poor development. This includes mental and physical development in children.

The oxytocin which is released during frequent breastfeeding is an antidote to the cortisol. As we’ve mentioned above, it encourages strong bonds and emotional control and communication.

A baby who feels safe and secure will flourish better than a baby who feels the need to fend for themselves.

5. Growth and immunity

The amazing thing about breast milk is that it can change to meet the need of your baby. The breast milk you make for your new-born is different to the milk you’ll make when they are 6 months old.

The nutrients change to support your baby’s growth needs. Your baby will often feed more to get a bigger calorie intake for growing.

Your milk will also change to produce different antibodies. This helps improve your baby’s immunity when they are ill.

Your body will pass these antibodies over to strengthen your baby’s immune system and fight infection.

Feeding on Demand Concerns

Is my baby getting enough?

You may think that because your baby is feeding often they are not getting enough. Or you have comments from family such as ‘is that baby feeding again, they must be hungry’.

This isn’t true. Your baby will feed as often as they need to. Especially in the early days of establishing your milk supply.

Unlike with formula feeding, you won’t see how much your baby is getting with each feed.

The best way to know your baby is getting enough milk is by monitoring their pee, poo, and weight.

Starting a routine

Being available for your baby to feed when they need to can be tiring for a new mom.

You’ll feel like your baby does nothing but feed. That phase does eventually pass.

Try to take this time to slow down and get to know your baby.

Consider using a baby carrier so you can go about your routine and baby can feed whenever they want.

Your baby will actually begin to develop their own routine for feeding as they get older. This is much better than forcing a routine on your baby, which can have a negative impact on breastfeeding.

Sleeping through the night

Having a baby that sleeps through the night is an obsession for modern moms.

It’s important to realize that it’s completely normal for breastfed babies to wake frequently during the night.

You can consider developing a bedtime routine around 3-6 months old.

It’s unusual for a healthy newborn to go more than 4 hours without a feed, so expect to do at least one night feed.

When you are breastfeeding it’s best to room share with your baby so you can recognize feeding cues overnight.

You can also consider co-sleeping with your baby; however, it’s essential to make sure you set up a safe sleep space for baby.

Spoiling my baby

If you get comments about ‘spoiling your baby’ each time you pick them up, pay no attention.

I cannot stress enough that you can’t spoil a newborn.

Your baby cries because it has a basic need. That may be food, diaper change or a little comfort.

A new baby doesn’t know how to manipulate you. All they know is how to adapt to when someone responds to their cry and when they don’t.

As they grow, a baby who feels safe and secure is more likely to become less needy than one who doesn’t.

Newborn Feeding Cues

These are the feeding cues you need to look out for in a newborn.

It seems a lot to take in at first, but you’ll get to recognize them quickly in the first few weeks.

Knowing what to look out for will help you avert a 2-hour crying spree from your fussy baby.

Feeding Guidelines

We’ve already discussed that all babies will have different feeding habits. Feeding on demand means watching your baby and not timing feed.

If you have concerns about your babies feeding habits, it can be handy to know what is considered ‘normal’ for the average baby.

If you have any concerns with your baby, seek help from a qualified professional.

How often should I breastfeed?

Think of your eating and drinking habits as an adult. You may graze on snacks all day and drink lots of water. Your partner may prefer to have three large meals and only drink at mealtimes.

The reality is that even if you have set mealtimes, you are likely to have a snack or drink in-between. That’s how your baby will breastfeed too.

Your baby won’t wait until the next hourly feed if they are hungry or thirsty. They will show you signs they need a feed now.

In a 24 hour period, a newborn baby will probably feed between 8-12 times. That means every 2-3 hours.

Your baby may feed more often than this. If you are feeding less keep a close eye for any feeding cues, which may show baby is looking to be fed more.

Remember, if your baby is well hydrated, gaining weight, peeing and pooing then they are feeding enough, regardless of the number.

How long should a feed last?

Usually, a feed will last anything from 5-40 minutes. It depends if your baby is thirsty (short feed) or hungry (longer feeds).

Just like adults, some babies take longer to eat than others.

Rather than timing feeds, make sure your baby is having a mixture of both short and long feeds. This gives a good indication of a healthy milk intake.

If your baby is settled and relaxed after a feed it’s a sign they are full.

How long should I let my baby sleep?

It’s common for a newborn to become very sleepy and not wake for feeds.

If there are health concerns, you should consider hand expressing colostrum or cup feeding breastmilk.

This gives you peace of mind baby is feeding, without risking them losing weight or becoming dehydrated.

In the early days of breastfeeding try to feed at least once during the night. It’s a great way to boost your milk supply.

Your hormone levels are highest at this time and will signal to your body your baby needs more milk.

Going for long periods of time without feeding can also become very painful and cause you to become engorged. Demand feeding can benefit you too, by easing this discomfort.

When should I stop breastfeeding?

The current recommendation by the WHO is to exclusively breastfeed (no other drink or food) for at least 6 months. There is no limit to how long you can breastfeed for.

It will ultimately come down to how long you or baby wish to feed for.  Most babies will begin to self-wean between 1 and 2 years old.

Your baby will start to feed less or go long periods without feeding. Gradually they will stop feeding all together.

Conclusion

Feeding by schedule is beneficial to moms who need the convenience, routine and planning this provides.

Feeding on demand is more beneficial to breastfeeding and your baby.

It’s likely that routine breastfeeding results in more moms quitting due to poor supply issues.

Ultimately the decision is up to you. If either method is working for you, your baby and your family then stick with it Mama.

If you want more information and to have your own to be a breastfeeding success story, I highly recommend the Cindy and Jana’s Simply Breastfeeding Course ( Click through now and use discount code STORKMAMA20 for 20% Off).

The post Feeding on Demand When Breastfeeding appeared first on Stork Mama.

I’m going to hold my hand up and say I had no idea. What’s worse is I didn’t even know it was important.

But I want you to know that good breastfeeding latch is essential for feeding your baby. But what is it?

‘The latch’ is used to describe how your baby attaches to your breast and nipple. You’ve probably also heard this referred to as your baby’s ‘attachment.’

You see, if your baby doesn’t latch on the breast well, it’s gonna create a whole host of problems with breastfeeding. Including poor milk supply, sore nipples, baby weight loss and one unhappy mama and baby.

It’s not hard to see how a poor latch can result in you quitting breastfeeding right?

I created this guide for you to master a good breastfeeding latch. That way, you’ll have a better idea if you’re doing it right or not. Remember that getting your baby to latch is a technique you both need to learn. It takes time and practice to get right in the beginning.

If you’re a visual learner, I highly recommend you check out The Simply Breastfeeding Course. Cindy and Jana have a great training video on how to get your baby to latch. Plus it has tons of great advice to help you succeed at breastfeeding.

Right, let’s do this.

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How to Latch Baby onto Your Breast

1. Get Comfortable

First things first, get yourself into a comfortable position. Before you pick your baby up, fix your top, so your breast is ready. Your hungry baby gets irate quickly.  So you need to start a feed with as little fuss as possible.

Now I’m gonna sound like your Mom here, but sit up straight. Support your back and keep your shoulders relaxed. Seriously, I see those shoulders are still near your ears. Relax them!

Trust me; if you start a feed in a bad position, you’re going to get sore quickly. Especially if you’re sitting that way for over half an hour. Make sure you have everything to hand, so you don’t need to move during the feed. That includes your nursing pillow, burp cloths, and your drinks bottle.

2. Get Baby In Position

There are lots of different positions you can hold your baby in to breastfeed. Although you may only be familiar with cradle cross or the football hold.

The best one it whatever is comfortable for you and baby.  Even switch it up if you like more than one.

Start by holding your baby so their nose or top lip in line with your nipple. Support the back of your baby’s neck in the webbed part of your hand, between your thumb and forefinger.

This position lets your baby tilt their head back, just like you would when taking a drink. The tilt also helps you to guide your nipple to the roof of baby’s mouth.

Don’t hold the back of your baby’s head with your palm.  This pushes their head forward and prevents a good breastfeeding latch.

Put it this way, try and take a drink with your chin on your chest. Now take one with your chin tilted up. Which way is easier? That’s right the one with your head tilted back.

3. Wait For a wide Mouth

Now you’re both in position; you need to wait for your baby to have a big wide mouth. This should look similar to a big yawn.  Be patient; it will happen.

A wide mouth is essential to get your nipple to the back of your baby’s mouth.

If your baby doesn’t open their mouth or take forever, you can take a shortcut. You see your baby is born with reflexes to encourage them to open their mouth wide. You can stimulate these reflexes by:

• Gently brushing their upper or lower lip with your nipple
• Pull down on your baby’s chin
• Stroke your baby’s cheek
• Press firmly in the center of baby’s palm (or both palms)

4. Pull Baby in Close

As soon as you see that wide open mouth pull your baby into the breast, chin first. Do this movement quickly. And watch your baby like a hawk. They may only give you a small amount of time to do it.

Always Always Always pull your baby towards you. Do not push your breast or shoulders toward your baby. If you go to your baby rather than bring them to you, you’re in a bad position.  This is bad for two reasons:

1. You’re more likely to move around during a feed. That means constantly fiddling with your latch and causing pain and friction.
2. Adopt this position regularly, and your gonna cause yourself unnecessary back, shoulder and arm pain.

Pulling your baby close helps them get a good, deep latch with the nipple positioned deep in the mouth. Make sure your baby’s chin and jaw press into your breast tissue. That helps to stimulate your milk flow.

5. Look For Signs of Feeding

Now your baby is on your breast you want to check for signs they are sucking. As soon as they go on your baby should start with short, quick sucks. Then after about a minute, they’ll change to long, slow sucks.

Have a listen. You may hear the sound of your baby swallowing.

Around day 3-4, when your mature milk ‘comes in,’ you’ll feel your let-down reflex. It’s kinda like a toe-curling tingle or ‘relief’ sensation.

You might feel this with your colostrum (first milk), but don’t worry if you don’t. You’ll know your let-down is on point when you start to leak milk from your free breast as baby begins to suck.

>> Learn How to do Breastfeeding Compressions <<

Breast Support Positions

You’ll find latching your baby onto your breast is so much easier if you know how to support your breast during a feed. Especially if you’ve been gifted with large boobs.

Let’s look at the different hold you can learn to help your baby latch on better.

By the way, I’d recommend using a good nursing pillow or a rolled-up towel for arm during a feed. It just helps to make you much more comfortable, especially if you don’t have a good breastfeeding chair.

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The C hold

Curve your hand into a C shape and hold it at the side of your breast. Your thumb should be at the top of your breast and your fingers underneath. Don’t press down on your breast. The idea is to simply provide support.

Make sure your hand is well away from the nipple. You want to give your baby room to attach.

It can be difficult to see what area your fingers are touching, so aim to have your small finger touching your ribs.

The U hold

This hold is similar to the C hold but supporting a different area. Cup your hand underneath the breast in a U shape.

Your thumb should be on the outer side of the breast and your fingers on the inner side.

Remember to keep your fingers far back enough to give baby enough breast tissue to latch on.

The Nipple sandwich

Ok I know that’s a bit of a weird name but bear with me. This breastfeeding technique was developed by lactation consultant Barbara Heiser.

The idea is to reduce the breast, so its easier for baby to take into their mouth. You know, like how you press down on a burger before you take a bite.

With the hand in the C hold, slightly press the nipple together to make it change from round to oval shaped. This means baby doesn’t need to latch onto such a wide area.

Slightly pull the breast tissue back toward your rib cage. This pressure is pushing the nipple out slightly, making it easier for your baby to grasp.

Gently press the thumb deeper into the top of the breast. This action gives the breast an upward tilt to position it into the roof of your baby’s mouth.

Hold the breast in this position until baby gives you a nice open mouth and pull them onto the breast. Once you are sure your baby is latched well you can remove your hand.

If you continue to support your breast adopt the C hold. Make sure you don’t continue to press down as this can block the milk flow.

The V hold

You may have seen women using the V or cigarette hold to support their breast. You place the breast between your fore and ring fingers like you are holding a cigarette.

I don’t recommend this position for support. It won’t give you the same flexibility as the C or the U hold.

The Vi hold is a great hand position to use if you have a fast let-down reflex. The pressure on your breast tissue slows your milk flow. You can use it at the start of a feed to prevent your milk causing your baby to cough and splutter.

IF you don’t have a fast let down your fingers are just gonna get in the way of your baby trying to attach. With a normal let down, you don’t want to slow or block your milk flow. That’s why I don’t recommend this hold unless you have a fast let down.

Signs of a good Breastfeeding Latch

Chin In

When your baby is latched well their chin should be pressed into the underside of your breast. Try to keep the chin as far away from the nipple as possible. How do you do that? Make sure your baby has a wide open mouth before you pull them in close.

The chin will do most of the work to get the milk to flow.  Your baby’s nose should be touching or close the top of the areola.

Areola view

You should be able to see quite a lot of the upper side of your areola when you look down. Your baby’s mouth should cover the whole underside of the areola.

It’s difficult for you to see this so you might want to check in a mirror or have your nurse or partner look.

Relaxed lips

Your baby’s lips should be folded outwards onto your breast. This position creates a tight seal between the mouth and breast, resulting in good suction.

If your baby’s lips are pointing inwards, you can try gently pull outward with your finger or try to re-attach baby onto the breast.

No pain

Breastfeeding can be tender as your nipples get used to the friction. However, once your baby attaches well, it shouldn’t be painful for you as they feed.

If your baby appears attached well the issue may be poor tongue position. In this case, you should stop and re-attach baby.

Full Cheeks

Your baby’s cheeks should be big and round as they feed. This fullness shows the nipple is in the right area of the mouth and baby’s tongue is in the right position for feeding.

Swallowing noises

You should hear your baby making gulping sounds, especially when your mature milk ‘comes in.’ This may be more difficult to hear when you still have colostrum.

Instead, you may hear the milk ‘hitting the tummy’ and causing a slight rumbling sound.

Ear wiggle

Another sign of a good latch is the movements on near baby’s jawline. Carefully watch your baby’s ears for a slight wiggle, or you’ll see their temples moving up and down.

Nipple Shape

Always inspect your nipples at the end of a feed. They should look normal or just slightly elongated.

If they appear ‘lipstick shaped’ or misshaped at one side, this usually indicates a poor latch or suction.

Signs of a Bad breastfeeding Latch

If you notice any of these signs, stop breastfeeding and try to reattach baby.

When these signs persist, seek professional help as soon as possible to avoid severe damage to your nipples.

Pain

If it’s painful to feed, this usually is a sign that your baby has not latched on deep enough. The tongue causes pain from the friction of pulling on your nipple.

Bleeding, cracks or blisters

You’ll notice any damage as your body quickly tries to heal the damage. Cracks, blisters and bruising can make feeding extremely painful.

Use a good nipple cream to heal your nipples. If you are waiting for help but need to feed baby try spoon or cup feeding some expressed milk. Another short-term solution is to use a nipple shield as a barrier.

Pursed Lips

If your baby’s lips are tight together over your nipple, their mouth was not wide enough before attaching.

Try using the sandwich hold described above. It narrows to the area for your baby if they are reluctant to open wide.

Cheek Dimples

If you notice your baby’s cheeks are sucking inward with each motion, then they are not latched on correctly.

It’s likely the nipple is not far enough into the mouth, or the tongue is in the wrong position.

Clicking noises

Once your baby is attached, you may hear a clicking sound instead of a swallow. This noise is a sign of poor latch.

It usually means baby is sucking on their tongue rather than on the nipple.

Coming Off the Breast

A baby who is latched and has a good feed will usually come off the breast themselves once they are full. This could take around 20-30 minutes or more.

If you need to end the feed early or need to re-attach baby due to a weak latch, then it’s essential you don’t just pull baby off.

A suckling baby can create quite a strong suction. If you pull them off too quickly, you’re likely to cause damage to your nipple tissue.

There are three ways you can gently remove your baby from your breast without causing damage.

You can break suction from

• The Top. Take your finger and press down on your breast close to the nipple.
• The Bottom.  Use your finger to tilt babies chin downward.
• The Side. Place your finger into the corner of your baby’s mouth.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Now you’re all set to master a good breastfeeding latch.

Follow my step by step guide and use those breast holds if you need the support.

One your baby is attached lookout for signs of a good latch and signs that you need to re-attach your baby.

Once you get this right, your gonna ward of a lot of breastfeeding problems and as a new mom, you’ll be happy to avoid that headache.

Go forth and breastfeed as you’ve never breastfed before. You’ve got this Mama.

The post The Secret To A Good Breastfeeding Latch appeared first on Stork Mama.

Choosing to breastfeed has so many benefits for you and your baby. You may also want to express some breast milk for times when you can physically nurse your baby.

If you want to pump occasionally then a manual breast pump is what you need.

Otherwise, check out our electric breast pump buying guide.

Most breast pump guides are aimed at an electric breast pump. We created this one specifically for manual breast pumps. We’ll help you wade through all the information so you can find the perfect breast pump which fits your family’s needs.

In this article you’ll find:

• 5 Best Manual Breast Pump Reviews
• Manual breast pump Buying Guide
• How to use a manual breast pump
• Advantage of manual breast pumps
• Disadvantages of manual breast pumps

First let’s start by looking at our top 5 best rated manual breast pumps.

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5 Best Manual Breast Pump Reviews

1. Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump

The Medela Harmony is the most popular manual breast pump on the market. It’s the only manual breast pump made by the Medela.

They have tried to include their two-phase expression system into this pump. You turn the handle to start with fast, quick motion. Then turn again to change to long, slow motion.

This mimics that way your baby feeds and helps you get more milk when pumping.

It’s a great quality pump which will last a long time.

It comes with a Medela collection bottle and breast shield. These are all interchangeable with the electric Medela breast pumps if you decide to move onto one in the future.

If you need extra equipment such as bottle teats, or a larger breast flange, it’s very easy to get addition parts for this pump.

2. Philips Avent Manual Comfort Breast Pump

The Philips Avent Comfort Manual is the most comfortable pump on our list.

The shield of the pump is designed to site at an angle, which makes it much more comfortable to press whilst sitting.

Another comfort feature is the textured petals in the shield. This helps to massage the breast as you pump, to encourage more milk flow.

You can collect milk in the bottle then feed baby with the teat they supply with the pump.

We found that the wider pump handle was much easier to use than our other pick, and resulted in less hand fatigue after a while.

Whilst you can’t buy different breast shield sizes, you can use other Avent bottles with this pump.

3. Lansinoh Manual Breast Pump

The Lansinoh Manual pump is our most efficient choice.

The shield is designed with a soft rim which makes it comfortable to use but also give a tight suction.

This pump is extremely effective even on petite and plus-size breasts, as you are supplies with two shield sizes (25mm and 30.5mm).

It’s similar to the Medela as you can use the two-phase expression with a simple switch.

You are supplied with a collection bottle; however, it will fit most wide necked baby bottles.

We love how easy this pump is to assemble, which make it easier to clean between uses.

4. Sumgott Manual Breast Pump

The Sumgott manual breast pump is a newcomer, but very popular with moms.

It has a comfortable breast shield with petals similar to the Philips Avent Comfort. Moms report that it’s just as effective as a good electric breast pump for removing your breast milk.

This pump is very lightweight and compact to carry it around. We highly recommend it for travel use or returning to working part-time after maternity leave.

The only color the feeding bottle comes in is pink so you may not want to use it for a baby boy.

You’ll need to decant the milk as it doesn’t fit other branded bottles.

5. Zenda Naturals Manual Breastmilk Pump

The Zenda Naturals is a great budget manual pump.

It’s based on the design of the original HaaKaa pump, but with higher ratings.

This pump has a gentler approach the expressing. It’s made from soft silicone and removes milk from your breast by applying gentle pressure to the collection bottom.

For regular expressing it may not be effective enough. However, we would highly recommend it to use as a pump to relieve engorgement when you are away from baby.

It’s also a great pump for catching expressed milk from hand expressing.

We love that it’s really compact to carry around. It only has the one piece, so you don’t need to assemble it or clean numerous parts.

Manual Breast Pump Buying Guide

Before you buy your breast pump, consider what features are essential to you. We’ve found the functions that rate as important to moms to get you started.

Comfort

This is essential for any breast pump as it will affect how much milk you get. When buying a breast pump look out for the effort the brand has made to ensure comfort.

Soft breast shields, cushions, custom fit and good handle designs are all good sign the pump is comfortable.

Remember you’ll be expressing for around 15-30 minutes, so your breast and hand need to be pain-free during that time.

Portability

Manual breast pumps are usually used for work or travel. They are so much easier to carry around than an electric breast pump.

You may want to consider other features that make it portable. A carry bag is handy to keep all the parts in one place and not scattered over your bag.

Collection

How the milk is collected is essential, especially if you are keeping it for baby. Look out for pump which has a two-phase expression to copy baby’s suckling and get more milk.

You also need to consider what bottles are included with the pump. You’ll get a collection bottle, but not necessarily a feeding bottle.

You’ll need to consider whether the pump is suitable to use with other brand bottles, or if you need to decant into a feeding bottle.

Ease Of Use

Your breast pump needs to be easy to use, or it will frustrate you. Check how many parts the pump has.

Too many fiddly little pieces mean it is a pain to assemble and clean between uses. The pump action of the bottle is also very important.

A pump which is nice and smooth to use will cut down on hand fatigue, which is a common issue with manual pumps.

How to use a manual breast pump

Benefits of Manual Breast Pump

Using a manual breast pump can have many benefits compared to hand expressing or using an electric breast pump.

Cheap

Manual breast pumps are very budget friendly. You’ll be able to pick one up for around $30 or less. That’s not a huge initial outlay, especially if you are not going to use it very often.

Hygienic

Compared to electric breast pumps, manuals have a lot fewer parts. You don’t need to worry about milk back flowing into motors and tube, causing mold. You can clean all parts of a manual pump between each use.

Easy Assembly

As there are fewer parts, manual breast pumps are usually easier to assemble than an electric breast pump. Some newer silicone suction models require no assembly at all.

Easy To Use

It’s very easy to use a manual breast pump. Set it up and simply push a lever up and down. With an electric breast pump, you need to find your comfort setting with dials and buttons.

Speed Control

Some moms find electric breast pumps painful to use even on the lowest setting. Manual pumps mean you have full control over the pump suction. This can provide an extra comfort feature for you to express more milk.

Portable

Manual breast pumps are very lightweight and compact to carry around. The few parts make them a lot more convenient to carry than an electric breast pump with a motor.

Quiet

Discreet expressing is essential when you are pumping in a public place such as work. The lack of motor makes a manual breast pump virtually silent to use.

No Power Source

The lack of motor means you don’t need to worry about finding a power source to pump. There is also no cost to worry about with electricity or battery supply. You’ll never need to worry about running out of charge or using it during an emergency situation such as a power cut.

Low Maintenance

A manual breast pump is extremely low maintenance. You don’t need to worry about buying extra tubing or a motor wearing out. You are more than likely to get the use of a manual breast pump through a few babies.

Disadvantages of Manual Breast Pump

Tiring

The biggest drawback of a manual pump is the problem of hand fatigue. Pressing a lever up and down for 15-30 minutes can result in some serious hand fatigue.

May Not Be Strong Enough

Some moms find that manual breast pumps are not effective enough for them. They simply need the stronger suction that you can only get with an electric breast pump.

Double Pumping

You can buy two manual pumps and double pump; however, it really is a hassle. Plus, you can’t switch hands if you start to get hand ache. If you need to pump double, we highly recommend getting an electric breast pump.

Slower Than Electric

Electric breast pumps are much quicker at getting more milk than a manual breast pump. They have a stronger suction. Plus unlike your hand, they pump at a constant rate. You tend to slow down toward the end with a manual pump.

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