From single or double-sided to manual or electric ones, choosing the right breast pump for you and your baby may be a little harder than you anticipated. Before you begin to shop around for the best pump for you, you'll need to consider a couple of factors.
How often you plan to express?
A lot of Malaysian mothers-to-be are not confident whether they are going to breastfeed for long period. So, investment in a good and quality electric breast pump may be expensive. Yet, a cheap electric breast pump may not be durable & long-lasting. Plan your budget allocation for the breast pump and if you are going to breastfeed for a longer period, get a trustworthy brand, a durable motor with a local warranty.
Only consider for manual breast pump as a spare or for short period breast milk expression.
Working/ busy mom?
If you're going back to work full time or know you'll be away from home for several hours, portable, speed and efficiency will top your list of must-haves. Get a smaller size motor unit with a rechargeable battery is always easier when going out. Battery-operated pumps may be cheaper, but they burn through batteries and work pretty slowly. In long run, batteries will cost you a lot.
We have even a wearable breast pump that you can put in your nursing bra and express the breast milk hands-free! Fewer parts meant fewer items to clean and more time for other chores.
Consider for double-sided breast pump because it saves half the time of the pumping session. With that, you always can use it as a single-sided pump in case you have to direct latch your baby on another side.
Flexibility
Across the board, adjustability is a key feature to consider since some women are more sensitive to suction (ouch!) than others; also some women may need more vacuum power to get the milk to flow. All-electric breast pumps can change the suction levels, but only a few can change the pumping cycles per minute. You may consider a hospital-grade breast pump shall you need a higher suction level with higher cycles per minute.
Get an electric breast pump with massage and expression modes because this is proven to stimulate and increase milk production
Breast shield size matter
Using the correct size breast shield while pumping is important for efficiency, and a breast shield that’s too large or too small can greatly impact the amount of milk you’re able to pump. Remember, pumping shouldn’t hurt! Pain while pumping will reduce milk production.
