Breastfeeding is widely viewed as the best option for feeding a new baby, and many organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization, recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a baby's life. But breastfeeding moms who need to return to work or who will be away from their baby for travel, or even for a day, will need a breast pump to express milk to be fed to the infant while mom is away. The best breast pump for any given woman is dependent on the frequency of pumping and the specific needs of mom and baby.
Manual Pumps
Manual pumps are best for moms who won't be away from their babies often. These pumps are the cheapest but take longer to use and can be inconvenient if you need to pump frequently. Because there's no power source, the lactating mother must manually press a lever or bulb to express her milk. A couple of top-rated manual breast pumps, according to Consumer Reports, are the Medela Harmony and Dr. Brown's manual breast pump. Dr. Brown's manual breast pump is a hit with reviewers for its comfort and for giving the user the ability to control how much suction is used.
Battery-Operated Pumps
Battery-operated pumps are good for moms who don't have to pump often but don't want to spend a long time dealing with manual pumping. They can't handle the extended pumping needed by working moms, but quickly pumping enough milk to handle a night out or a weekend trip is a simple job with a battery-operated pump. The First Years MiPump or Medela Single are good basic battery-operated pumps.
Electric Pumps
Electric pumps work fast, making them ideal for moms who need to pump frequently and efficiently. The Medela Pump in Style dual breast pump can be used on both breasts at once and features a changing rate of speed to mimic the changing rate of suckling of a real baby. Ameda Purely Yours Electric breast pump gets rave reviews for its comfort during use and ease of cleaning, including a patented system that keeps the pump and tubing separate from the breast shield. These kinds of pumps come with a carrying case and accessories to make pumping at work easy.
Hospital-Grade Pumps
Hospital-grade pumps are mainly for special circumstances, such as women who need to pump to increase their milk supply or who have to supply all of the milk expressed for a premature baby being kept in the hospital or a baby who has difficulty latching on for normal breastfeeding. These pumps are the most powerful out there and are generally faster and heavier than home models. Most women who choose this option rent instead of buying, with the Elite Electric breast pump by Ameda and Whittlestone Breast Expresser being popular models, according to Consumer Reports.
