Expert: Sally Wendkos Olds - 9/6/2009

Question
I have a very hard time pumping while at work I pump every 2 hours and only get 2 ounces I want to get more because my baby eats more and I hate supplementing with formula. currently I am using a Lactina select its the only one ive found so far that lets me get 2+ ounces during pumping. can you offer any advice for pumping more? or do I need to try a different pump and if so what kind, I have already tried many

Answer
Dear Lyndie,

First, congratulations for giving your baby the best start in life by breastfeeding! And for continuing to nurse even after you are back at work, which I know is hard.

I don't know which other pumps you have tried, but I do know that many working women are happy with the Medela Pump-in-Style. I am attaching an excerpt from the manuscript for the forthcoming 4th edition of my book (see below) about getting information about pumps. I hope that the information here will be helpful.

Good luck!

Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D.
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  Although we provide a general overall view of the most popular types of pumps, it’s impossible for any book to remain up to date on the available products. To help you decide on which pump to use, see the box on page tk and the information that follows.

Choosing a Pump
  One good way to decide which pump to use is to find out which ones women seem to be happiest with. Ask a lactation consultant, other nursing mothers, or your local La Leche League leader. You can also contact the companies listed in the Resource Appendix, and when speaking to company representatives (some have lactation consultants on staff), ask them to send you information about their products. Most pump manufacturers have clear illustrations on their sites of the different pumps they make. You can also access several websites that offer comparisons of different pumps. Start your research a few weeks before you plan to pump, if possible.
  As of this writing, the following websites offer helpful information:
•   www.breastpumps.com, which sells pumps but is unaffiliated with any make of pumps, has good general information and an excellent tool for comparing different pumps.
•    http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastpumps: The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulates breast pumps as medical devices, and offers up-to-date information.
•   www.babylovesyourmilk.com: “Baby Loves Your Milk,” which sells pumps, goes by women’s recommendations and is unaffiliated with any maker of pumps.
•   www.amazon.com: Type “breast pumps” into the Search box. You’ll see descriptions of pumps with user ratings.
•   www.epinions.com: Type “breast pumps” into the Search box. You’ll find descriptions of pumps with user ratings.
•   http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddler/eating-and-sleeping/... This 2007 article from Consumer Reports has good general information but is not current on prices.
•   To find the most up-to-date information, type “breast pumps” into your Internet search engine. Although the information given in this book is accurate at the time of writing, new products are constantly being introduced, old ones discontinued, and prices change.

Whichever pump you choose, you need to look at the instructions and see whether the pump is easy to assemble, use, clean, and take apart. In a store, ask to practice assembling and taking apart several different display pumps. For health reasons you won’t be able to return a pump once you have opened the packaging, and if a pump is defective you’ll probably have to send it back to the manufacturer, not the store.

Important features to look for in any pump include:
• Gentleness: It should not hurt your breasts or nipples. The pump’s breast shield and flange should fit comfortably, so that your nipple does not rub against it. You can buy different flange sizes for some pumps that make all the difference in the world in comfort and efficiency.
• Comfort: The pumping motions of a hand-operated pump should not put stress on your elbow or forearm muscles.
• Effectiveness: It should drain your breast almost as well as your baby does and stimulate further production of milk, and it should do this fairly quickly.
• Safety: It should be easy to clean so that bacteria do not accumulate to spoil your milk.
• Portability: If you plan to carry the pump to and from work, it should be easy to carry and lightweight.
• Convenience: The fewer separate parts, the better. Additional parts should be available without having to buy a new pump or kit.
* Sound level: Some pumps are so noisy that it could be awkward if you plan to pump at work or at other places away from home. Listen before you buy.
* Open or Closed System: In an open system pump, milk particles can enter parts of the pump that can’t be cleaned, mold may grow in the tubing, and milk is exposed to the outside air, all of which may result in contamination of expressed milk. In a closed system, there’s a barrier between the pump tubing and the breast shield, so that no outside air can reach your milk. This protects your pumped milk from any airborne contaminants at your workplace, such as smoke, chemical residues, or other toxins. Although open-system pumps can be kept quite clean by thorough washing (and sometimes sterilization), closed-system pumps are easier to clean.

Used Breast Pumps – a No-No
This is one piece of baby equipment that you can’t safely borrow or inherit from someone else. A used breast pump poses a dangerous health risk for you and your baby – unless it’s a hospital-grade pump designed with special barriers to prevent contamination from one user to another. If the previous user had a fungal infection like thrush, if her breast milk contained any viruses, or if she had cracked or bleeding nipples and her pump was contaminated with blood are all situations that carry health risks. Home sterilization methods cannot eliminate all pathogens that may be present in the pump.