Which Type of Breast Pump should I choose as a new mother, Electric or Manual?

Being a mother for the first time brings content and joy in our lives. It also marks the beginning of a phase when we are constantly on our toes, working round the clock, to provide the best for our children. If hindered to do so, it fills us with anguish and remorse. Most of us encounter this feeling of helplessness, for the very first time, just after giving birth.

The very first challenge a new mother faces is breast feeding her newborn. Already overwhelmed with the changing hormones, it sometimes becomes a harrowing experience for the new moms. “I can never be a good mother!”,I remember listening to my friend Shweta when she was struggling to breastfeed her newborn. A few months later, I would witness the situation repeating with myself and later with my friends and family.

We are all aware of how important breastfeeding is for both mother and child. Nevertheless, it is not an easy task. It is a skill a mother acquires over the days and not something that she is born with. The phase of breastfeeding often carries a baggage of challenges along with it, breast engorgement, plugged duct, drop in milk supply, separation from child are just a few to name. There are many common issues faced by mothers during breastfeeding.

Breast pumps are broadly of two types: electric breast pumps and manual breast pumps. There are many differences between electric breast pumps and manual breast pumps . Which to choose for ourselves is sometimes difficult to decide. Manual, electric, single or double pump? In this article we are listing down a few situations which would help you to choose the type that suits your needs.

The type of breast pump you choose will largely depend on the phase and the duration for which you require it in your breastfeeding schedule.

• If you are a working mother with long hours of separation from your baby, you need to keep the feeding bottles ready and that too, in a very short time. Here, the electric breast pump comes in handy which can help in expressing more breast milk in a short interval of time. You can also go for a double pump as it takes less time by expressing simultaneously from both breasts.
• Electric Breast pumps come in handy for mothers with premature babies or babies who are unable to breastfeed and mothers have to be completely dependent on the breast pump for maintaining their breast-feeding schedule.
• Manual breast pumps are better options for mothers with full term babies, who are being breast fed and need a breast pump for occasional or brief separations from the baby.
• Manual breast pumps can also be your option if you are a mother with a late preterm baby, or baby with low birth weight. In your case, continuing breastfeeding might become a huge challenge as your baby may consume small volumes, may fall asleep quickly or may not be able to latch onto the nipples. Instead of giving up breastfeeding you can use a manual breast pump.
• If you are looking for a breast pump for occasionally expressing to prevent engorgement, the manual breast pump is the better option.

In general, electric breast pumps work wonders for most mothers, right from those who need it occasionally or exclusively. However, manual pumps are great to have in hand especially for the early days when you are dealing with issues of engorgement and establishing the milk flow. You can also switch from one type to the other as your needs change over the time.