Newly pregnant moms may be wondering, why invest in a breast pump? Truth is, owning one has endless benefits. A breast pump ensures you have the choice to offer all the benefits of breast milk to your baby at all times, even when you cannot be with them. It also enables your partner and family members to help out with feeding times.
Once you’ve made the decision to purchase your very own breast pump, you’re faced with a hurdle – which one to buy! Though there are various breast pumps on the market, they can be broadly be separated into two categories: manual and electric. There are pros and cons to each, so the key is selecting one that best fits into your lifestyle and needs.
Manual breast pump
To use a manual breast pump, moms need to pump the handle on the device to create a vacuum and thus manually express the milk into a container.
The pros include:
- More affordable than electric breast pumps.
- Quieter than electric breast pumps.
- Generally smaller and more portable than electric pumps.
- Manual operation allows you to control the flow.
We recommend: Vital Baby Flexcone™ Manual Breast Pump (R600.92)
The Vital Baby NURTURE™ Flexcone™ Manual Breast Pump with its unique super soft silicone breast cup and Flexcone™ massages the breast by gently mimicking the natural suckling action of your baby to provide the most natural and effective experience. It has a discreet, lightweight and portable design with a super comfy handle to reduce hand fatigue and provide a smooth operation.
Electric breast pump
Electric breast pumps do the work for you. The motor takes on the task of pumping the milk into a container.
The pros include:
- It expresses milk faster than a manual pump.
- It is able to express a lot more milk than a manual pump does, making it a great option for moms who have to return to work.
- They usually have speed settings, allowing mom to adapt the pumping to her comfort level.
- It does not result in hand fatigue, as no manual action is required.
We recommend: Vital Baby Flexcone™ Electric Breast Pump (R2257.20)
Behaving the same way as your baby would when feeding, the Vital Baby NURTURE Flexcone™ Electric Breast Pump offers a 2-phase expression for the most effective, fast and comfortable way of promoting breastmilk production.
Phase 1: Fast, small pulses at first to massage and stimulate the breast to help gently induce milk flow.
Phase 2: Slower and longer pulses to encourage ‘let down’ – the clever natural hormone reaction where your milk will start to flow smoothly.
The Flexcone™ works by gently squeezing the breast to imitate the natural massaging of your breast which occurs when baby is breastfeeding.
The pump has 9 speed settings in each phase, making the pump perfectly adaptable for every mum’s comfort level.
Both Vital Baby Breast Pumps are available at Clicks, Babies R Us and Takealot. Follow Vital Baby on social media – @vitalbabysa.
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