Hello there. Are you new to the land of babies? Don’t be afraid, you’ve come to the right place!
What is the best breast pump for first time moms is a question you should answer sometime before your little bundle arrives into this world. Believe us, a breast pump is a lifesaver, not a luxury.
Your breast pump is going to be your companion. There’s going to be a level of intimacy between you so you need to consider your choice very well before committing.
That’s where we come in! We’ll use our expertise to guide you in the right direction.
Our Best Picks
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| Medela Freestyle Flex | Medela Pump in Style Advanced Electric | Lansinoh Manual Breast Pump | Lansinoh Signature Pro Double Electric | Philips Avent Double Electric | Elvie Pump Double Electric |
| Best Overall | Best Double Electric | Best Manual | Best Budget Friendly | Most Comfortable | Best Hands-Free |
| Double pumping | Double pumping | Expression | Double pumping | Double Pumping | Double Pumping |
| Closed system | Closed system | Adjustable two-phase technology | Closed system | Closed System | Closed System |
| MyMedela phone app | Adjustable speed and vacuum | Bottle holder stand | Overflow protection | Soft massage cushions Soft power cushions | Wearable and Hidden |
| Portable | Removable cooler bag | Easy Express handle | Lightweight and Dishwasher safe | Compact Easy to set up | Lightweight and Quiet |
| Built-in rechargeable battery | Portable battery pack | Compatible with Lansinoh products | Compatible with Lansinoh products | Easy to clean and quiet | Elvie Pump Phone App |
What Do You Need to Know As a First Time Mom Planning to Breastfeed and Using a Breast Pump?
Everything you need to know about planned breastfeeding and breast pumps is right here!
Introduction to Breastfeeding and Pumping
You might not know this but breastfeeding isn’t actually as easy as people think.
A lot of people find it quite painful; it can be. However, it shouldn’t be. Make sure you do as much research as you could to find the right way you should breastfeed.
It also isn’t as simple and natural as it’s said to be. That means that you might not produce milk for even days after giving birth. Don’t give up and opt for a breast pump or formula, sometimes it just takes time.
That being said, a breast pump is also imperative to have. Just because you’re going to be breastfeeding, doesn’t mean you won’t ever use a pump.
Pumping is what you do when you can’t breastfeed, whether it’s because you’re at work or resting. It’s also very convenient if you have extra milk.
Breastfeeding Direct Latch and Expressed Breast Feeding
You’re probably wondering if there’s a difference between direct latch and expressed breastfeeding and how to decide which one to go for.
Direct Latch
Direct latch is when your babe drinks directly from you. This is the natural way, therefore has lots of benefits.
The amount of milk produced from your body adapts to your babe’s needs; the more he/she drinks, the more your body produces and vice versa.
Breastfeeding creates a bond between you and your little one. If they’re suffering from anxiety or any stress, nursing is quite soothing to them. No to mention, it doesn’t cost a thing!
There can be issues, however, when it comes to breastfeeding. Aside from the pain at the beginning, your baby might find it hard to latch or suck.
Expressed Feeding
Rather than feeding your baby directly, expressed breastfeeding enables you to store your milk in bottles. Expressed feeding does give you some of the benefits of breastfeeding.
Expressing is when you use your hands to massage your breasts into expressing the milk out. This can increase your milk flow.
Since you’ll still be using your body’s milk, it should contain the nutrients your body custom made for your precious bundle. They will be exactly what your baby needs.
This is the best way to deal with your baby if it has a latching problem. You’d still be giving them your 100% natural, nutrients filled milk.
The downside is that it can be tiring and time-consuming.
Why Do You Need a Breast Pump?
A breast pump is practical in so many ways.
If your baby can’t latch or doesn’t feel like it, pump away! Why let the milk your body worked so hard to make go to waste?
Your breast pump can be your lifesaver if you’re overflowing. Your body can be producing more milk than your baby needs so you can relieve yourself of the pressure by emptying it in bottles for later use.
Pumping is quite efficient. Did you know that breast milk expires in 6 months if you freeze it? You can even push it to 12 months! You can store it in your fridge for 4 days.
Even if your , pumping is still your solution! If you keep pumping after your babe’s well-fed, you trick your body into thinking your baby needs more milk. This simulation will prompt your body to increase its milk.
Since pumping means you’ll likely be dispensing milk more often than with just breastfeeding, it will prevent your breasts from becoming engorged or the clogging of milk ducts.
A breast pump gives you the liberty of living your life. You can go back to your job knowing your baby has his/her all-natural meals at home. It also means your family can also feed your babe without your help. You can get reacquainted with sleep!
Here is an article on how to produce more milk when breastfeeding.
Types of Breast Pumps
Get to know the types of breast pumps so that you don’t feel lost when choosing one.
Manual Breast Pump
A manual breast pump means you’ll be doing all the work.
They have handles for you to use to manually pump out every drop of milk.
While they’re usually crafted to be easy to use, it’s inevitably strenuous and can be quite bothersome.
Seeing as how you’re going to have to pump each breast at a time, it’s also time-consuming. Not to mention, pumping one breast would cause the other to leak.
It is, however, the cheapest option.
Electric Breast Pump
An electric breast pump automatically pumps out the milk. It expresses the milk out of your body, with little to no effort from you!
They’re quite convenient. You’d have your milk ready within a container within a few minutes! Said container is usually a bottle, which saves time of having to transfer the milk from a bag.
Usually, electric breast pumps have different suction levels. This gives you the freedom of adjusting the pressure however you like.
Single Breast Pump
This is usually the cheaper option. Single breast pumps are used on one breast at a time. It can come in handy if you’re on the go or a tight budget.
Double Breast Pump
Perhaps the most convenient of all, double breast pumps work on both breasts at the same time.
This is quite efficient, since expressing one breast can cause the other to leak. This way, no milk goes to waste!
Needless to say, it’s the fastest option.
Hands-Free Breast Pumps
Hands-free breast pumps include a bra that holds the pump to your breast so you can have your hands to yourself. This is great for multitasking!
Some pumps aren’t hands-free but have compatible bras that can make them as such so keep an eye out for that.
Battery Operated
Some breast pumps are battery-operated rather than electric. These are great for on-the-go pumping!
If you’re not home for hours or have to go to work, having one of these bad boys will save your life! Especially if you’re traveling somewhere and don’t have access to electrical outlets.
Open vs Closed System?
Essentially, most breast pumps work either open or closed system.
What does open and closed system mean?
Closed System
If a breast pump has a closed system, it means that it has a barrier between the pump and the container.
This barrier ensures that the milk goes down and doesn’t get back up the pump. Say goodbye to overflow and leaking.
Closed systems provide the best hygiene. They protect the milk against bacteria, viruses, and so on. The milk goes from you to the pump and straight down the sterile container with zero contact with the outside world.
Open System
An open system, on the other hand, means the milk might overflow and leak from the container into the pump due to the lack of a barrier between the two.
Open system breast pumps are probably more cost effective, but the drawback is more cleaning and sterilizing.
This is a bit less hygienic since the pump might not be completely sterile. You can sterilize them, but closed systems are the better guarantee.
What Breast Pump Should You Get?
Alright, so now that you have the information, how do you choose a breast pump? That depends on your own needs.
Lifestyle and Pumping Needs
What’s your life like? This is the first thing you should consider.
Are you a stay-at-home mom? If your baby is your full-time job, an electric pump should be your best bet. You can plug it in an outlet and pump that milk out.
You might also consider a manual pump if you feed your baby regularly without a breast pump. This way, you’d have the option without spending so much.
If you go to work, on the other hand, you might need something else. If you work at an office, for instance, where you have outlets near you then an electric pump can still be a good choice.
You might also want to consider a battery-operated pump; it can be quite convenient at work. Medela Pump In Style Advanced is both electric and has a battery adapter.
Budget
How much are you willing to spend?
If you’re on a really tight budget and don’t even pump that often, you can settle for a manual pump. It’s noticeably cheaper and gets the job done just fine!
Electric breast pumps aren’t exactly cheap. They can range between just under a hundred bucks up to five hundred.
Don’t let that freak you out, you can buy perfectly good electric pumps that are at the bottom of that range.
Lansinoh Signature Pro Double Electric is a perfect example of that! This is one of the best brands when it comes to all-things baby-related and its pump is no exception. It’s pretty affordable!
Comfort
Don’t get too focused on the technicals and forget about the comfort! You need to make sure your choice is comfortable, trust us, you don’t want this to hurt.
If this is your only concern, Philips Avent Double Electric can be just what you’re looking for.
Portability
Moms who are constantly on-the-go, travel frequently, or have jobs that require being all over the place are better off with battery-operated pumps. They’re more versatile and some could even be charged using your phone’s power bank!
Elvie Pump Double Electric is just the low-key pump that can save you. You can wear it and resume your life! It’s undetectable and pretty quiet so you can go out in public while it’s on.
Suction Strength
Some pumps have all it takes but are quite weak. This can be annoying if you have lots of things to do.
Too much strength also means you can be left sore and maybe even injured!
What you need is a well-balanced pump that can pump in no time and with no pain.
A pump that has adjustable suction is another good idea. You can find your own balance by adjusting the vacuum level.
Noise
Opinions vary when it comes to noise. Pumping at home means this might not be an issue but if you pump on-the-go often, you might want a stealthy pump.
Covered By Health Insurance
Don’t forget to check if your health insurance covers certain types of breast pumps! This can save you a decent sum of money.
Accessories
What comes with the pump? What kind of container? Are there bottles? How many? What about flanges?
If that’s important to you, you might want to consider Medela Freestyle Flex.
Other Things to Consider When Using a Breast Pump
Now that we’ve covered the basics, here are some other things you might want to think of.
Flange
A flange is the part of the pump that’s fitted around your breast as a sealant.
Having the wrong size of these breast shields could lead to pain, irritation, and clogging of ducts. You should make sure the flange fits you perfectly and if it doesn’t, you should find ones that do.
Nipple Shields
If you’re breastfeeding naturally and facing some troubles, you might want to look into buying some nipple shields.
They’re used when babies struggle to latch on, have been bottle-feeding for a while, or if your nipples are flat, retracted, or inverted. You can also use them if your nipples are simply sore, they will help you keep feeding your babe while reducing the pain.
They can also be used to protect the nipples from being sore or cracking while pumping.
Nipple Cream
All mothers swear by nipple creams. Whether you’re going to be breastfeeding or pumping, you’re going to need this one!
Breastfeeding, and pumping for that matter, are going to leave your nipples dry. They’re going to itch, hurt, and might even bleed.
Nipple creams moisturize your nipples; they soothe them, thereby reducing your pain.
Breast Pads
These are another essential. Breast pads are incredibly useful when it comes to leaking.
Leaking doesn’t just happen during breastfeeding; it can happen before, after, and even spontaneously when you’re not or have not been nursing at all.
Rather than risk walking around with stains on your clothes, invest in these babies, pun intended, to spare yourself the hassle. Remember Regina George’s tank-top? Yeah, let’s avoid recreating that look.
Breast Milk Bags
Not all pumps come with breast milk bags; some come with bottles only.
Most people think bottles would suffice, but when it comes to storing the milk, bags are much more convenient.
They don’t take up that much space and leave you the bottles to use elsewhere. Trust us, you can’t have too many bottles.
Lactating Massager
Lactating massagers are also quite useful.
They’re a solution for clogged milk ducts, latching problems, and low milk supply. They can also be used to massage your breasts when they’re full, during nursing, or pumping.
Heat and Cold Pads
Another anti-clog method is using heat pads. They relieve the clogged ducts, effectively getting rid of that problem for you.
Some can even be used simultaneously with breast pumps to increase the milk flow.
Cold pads are used to relieve you of the pain that comes with engorgement. You can use them with a lactating massager and between feedings as well for the best results.
Nursing Bra For Double Pumps
If you like a breast pump that’s not hands-free, you can make it so!
Order up a nursing bra for double pumps and you’ve got yourself a hands-free pump! This way, you can do other things while pumping.
Collecting Cups
Sometimes you can’t really take your shirt off and breast pump just anywhere. This is why collection cups were made.
Not only are they hands-free but they’re also undetectable. You can connect Freemie Cups to a compatible breast pump for discrete pumping.
You remain hands free, get on with your work, and relieve your aching breasts. No bottle or flanges needed!
Bottles
Once again, there can never be too many bottles. It’s wise to have spare bottles.
There are two types of bottles, collecting bottles and feeding bottles. The former has a regular lid and is just used for storing.
Bottle Warmer
A bottle warmer is an efficient and easy way of warming chilled breast milk before your baby’s feeding time. It’s definitely easier than using the stovetop.
Sterilizer
Because your baby’s health isn’t to be trifled with, having a sterilizer is a must. You can use it to dry and sterilize cups, bottles, breast pump equipment, and even pacifiers.
Pacifier
If you value your sleep and sanity, pacifiers are a must-have! They’re basically baby-whisperers when it comes to calming them down. They didn’t get their name by chance!
The baby mimics the suckling sensation even between feedings, which eases your baby’s mind. They feel safe, comfortable, and even happy while suckling.
Breast Milk Supplements
If your milk supply is on the low side, use breast milk supplements to stimulate its production. This includes fenugreek, fennel, oats, and palm dates.
FAQs
Here are some questions frequently asked by new mommies.
How often to pump and how long to pump each session?
If you spend a large portion of your day away from your baby, you should breast pump every 3 or 4 hours. This way you avoid a low milk supply.
You should pump for around 15 minutes.
If you’re breastfeeding, make sure your baby’s latch is correct. If you don’t breastfeed often, try to do it so that your body gets the need to produce more milk.
Breast compressions also increase your milk.
Breast pumps and hand expression also helps so don’t leave your breasts full and aching.
If all else fails, you can use a supplemental nursing system.
What is the ideal amount of milk yield?
Ideally speaking, you should pump 25 – 35 ounces a day.
Do you have to burp a breastfed baby?
Yes. Even if your baby is breastfed and not bottle-fed, you should still burp him/her.
When to start breastfeeding a baby?
Right away! You shouldn’t wait a long time before you try to breastfeed your baby. As soon as you and your little one is up for it, go ahead.
When can I start breast pumping?
It varies from one person to another so consult your doctor first. Generally speaking, you can start pumping from day one if the doctor approves it.
The Verdict
See? There’s no reason why you should worry about making the right choices; we’ve got you!
You know all of the types of breast pumps, the differences between them, how to choose, and what else you need besides the pumps!
As for the pump itself, you can’t go wrong with Medela Freestyle Flex, our top choice. Don’t want to spend that much? It’s your right! Lansinoh Signature Pro Double Electric is also one of the breast, sorry best choices.
Now baby mama, all there’s left for you to do is to hit the buy now button and go have yourself a baby! Already got one? Go take a nap, you’ve earned it!