Breastfeeding mothers are very hard, and breast milk is not an easy task, so it is very important to choose a good breast pump. It should be comfortable, quiet, simple to operate, not too heavy, and not easy to tip over.
We tested some of the major brands of breast pumps in the lab, and combined with the experience of thousands of mothers, recommend 3 of them.
Medela Swing
Medela's single-sided electric breast pump is the best performing breast pump in this test. It can be used either by connecting to a socket or by using 4 AA batteries. The battery lasted for 8 hours during the test, which was very good.
Suction can be adjusted in multiple steps and should help you find a gear that you feel comfortable with. The supplied bottle has a capacity of 150 ml and a base prevents the bottle from tipping over. You can also use a separate storage bag when you go out.
Some breast pumps are noisy, and this is the quietest one in the test. And the weight is light, the comfort is comfortable, and the feedback from the mothers is very good. There are two modes of Swing, stimulation mode and breast pumping mode. Stimulation mode mimics baby sucking and stimulates breast milk secretion.
The cleaning operation of the breast pump is also simple, it is easy to disassemble, disinfect and assemble, and it can be dried quickly.
Philips SCF332/01
The petal massage pad of the Philips Aventura single breast pump can massage the breasts, as well as a gentle stimulation mode and a 3-position adjustable breast pumping mode. It is easy to use and comfortable with low noise. The battery life of the 4th 5th battery is a bit short, but you can use the power outlet when you are not out.
Mothers responded that the breast pump has a good suction range and can be adjusted to a comfortable position according to their needs. The breast pump is light in weight and comfortable to hold. No matter whether the bottle is empty or empty, it is not easy to tip over.
As an electric breast pump, the noise when it works is not too loud and has a short hum. Its cleaning and drying operations are also relatively simple, you can put the parts in the dishwasher or separate disinfection.
In the test, the battery life is 3 and a half hours, which is shorter than some electric breast pumps, but it is enough to maintain several breast pumping operations. It is basically enough for one day to go out.
Philips SCF330/20
This is the best manual breast pump for this test. If you don't use a breast pump often or have a low budget, then this is a good choice.
It comes with a 125 ml capacity bottle with a soft petal massage pad for comfortable use. The breast pump is light and easy to grasp, and the hand is small and effortless. However, it takes a long time to use, and it is as tired as other manual breast pumps.
The suction and disassembly of the breast pump is very convenient. It can be cleaned by dishwasher or manually cleaned. Some mothers feel that there are some minor challenges in the initial assembly, but it is ok to operate a few times.
This manual breast pump is small enough to travel or take it to the workplace.
How do we test the breast pump?
A good breast pump is easy to use, the speed of breast pumping is fast and the noise is not too great. We sent a series of breast pumps to the lab for testing, and then combined with the mother's experience to score. Our recommended breast pump not only excelled in the test, but also recognized by the trial team mothers, I hope to help you.
We tested the most important aspects of breast pumps, which are:
Is it easy to use?
Electric breast pump performance
Is it comfortable to use?
Is the noise loud?
Is it easy to use?
Using a breast pump to suck breast milk will require a mother to have a process of adaptation, and our test is to see which breast pumps can be a good helper for mothers, and which are more upset for breastfeeding mothers who are already tired.
Settings - The first assembly to use, and the ease of preparation before each use.
Power cord length - don't underestimate this. If the power cord is too short, you should hold the socket tightly every time you use it, and you can't adjust it to your comfortable position.
Weight / Stability - We check if the breast pump is heavy. The breast pump is too heavy to hold in your hand for a while. In addition, it is easy to tip over when the breast pump container is full.
Bottle/container - The availability of the bottle or container that comes with the breast pump, whether it will drip when it is full.
Electric breast pump performance
Most electric breast pumps are plugged into the power supply, but some use a battery, which is very portable. But you have to make sure its battery life is long enough. A good electric breast pump allows you to adjust the suction through the buttons and find the one you feel most comfortable with in a few settings. We examined the suction adjustment range of each electric breast pump and see if the suction changes.
Is it comfortable to use?
This is very important at the time of purchase. We test the comfort of grasping and sucking, as well as the shape and material of the breast shield. We also tried to understand the feelings of the actual use from the mothers.
Is the noise loud?
One of the concerns of many mothers about breast pumps is its noise, and the noisy breast pump is annoying. It can be embarrassing to work in a workplace or in a quiet place. We measured the noise level of each breast pump and found that some breast pumps emit a variety of strange sounds, and some are quiet.
Based on the importance of each test, we have the following weight assignments:
Tester evaluation 50%
Performance 25%
Ease of use 25%
Tips for using a breast pump
It may be difficult for many mothers to treat breast pumps as their own baby when breastfeeding, but there are ways to better imitate the way the baby sucks and make the most of the breast pump.
1. Lubricate the breast shield of the breast pump. Apply a small amount of lanolin cream or vegetable oil to the inside of the breast shield. This reduces the friction of the breast when it is placed against the plastic shield, reducing the possibility of scratching, while it helps the breast pump to grasp more of the breast like the baby's mouth.
2. Both sides suck breast milk. You may notice that when you use one side to suck or breastfeed, the other side will also spill a small amount of milk. Taking advantage of this milking feature, it is best to simultaneously suck the breasts at the same time, which also increases the secretion of hormones in the body's breast milk, allowing you to produce more breast milk than when you are breast pumping separately.
3. Keep your baby in sight and smell the baby. If you are not using your breast pump, you can put your baby's photo and breast pump together and carry your baby's blanket or clothes with you. The baby's photo and taste can help catalyze the hormonal reaction and promote milking.
4. The body leans forward when using the breast pump. Let gravity assist you when using a breast pump. Forward leaning allows breast milk to flow more easily into the breast shield and bottle. It reduces the wasted breast milk that accumulates around the breast shield.
5. Relax. Of course, sometimes the noise and plastic parts of the breast pump make it difficult for you to relax, but trying to create an environment that can easily get milk will help you produce more breast milk. If possible, dim the lights as much as possible, sit in a comfortable chair, order a candle, and listen to some very comfortable music to simulate the feeling of relaxation when you are close to the baby.
6. Develop a timeline for using a breast pump. If you use a breast pump at work or rely on a breast pump to feed your baby, you need to follow the prescribed plan. This will help your body produce a habitual reaction at a fixed time and thus more natural and rapid underground milk. . The more regular your breast pump usage plan, the more breast milk you produce.
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