Types
Breast pumps come in electrical or manual styles. Manual pumps create suction from hand-held devices that the mother has to pump with one or both hands. This can be exhausting if the woman is pumping on a regular basis. Electric pumps use motors to create suction. Many electric models come with dual pumps which allows women to empty both breasts at the same time. There are both battery operated and plug-in models and some have car chargers.
Activating the Let Down Response
Breast pumps work by using air to create suction. This suction empties the breast of milk to be stored for later use. The first thing breast pumps do is to stimulate the letdown response. In electric pumps, this happens by attaching the device to the breast and starting it, which initiates a cycle of quick, hard sucks to stimulate the glands that let down the milk. In manual pumps, this occurs with your own suction as you pump quickly to stimulate letdown. Once let down occurs, both pumps should transition into a longer sucking pattern, either by changing the settings or slowing your own pumping pace.
Mimicking Baby's Suckling
Both types of pumps should now be providing suction that matches a baby's natural feeding rhythm. This pattern is called cycling time. These deeper sucking actions help empty the breast. Some electric pumps offer around 12 sucks per minute and high end pumps can be adjusted to 60 sucks per minute. Manual pumps provide as many sucks per minute as your hands can muster. This can be done to store milk for a later feed or to relieve building pressure between feeds and prevent engorgement. Emptying the breast completely with a pump between feeds also works to stimulate your body to produce more milk. The breast pump siphons milk from the breast into bottles or containers that make it easy to store.
