Did you know that 85% of women who breast feed also make use of a breast pump? This is a growing statistic as more women are breast feeding for longer and needing to express breast milk for when they return to work. Other reasons for mothers pumping are their baby being born early or having difficulties with direct feeding and requiring keeping up their milk supply. Having a good quality double electric breast pump can make all the difference, to be able to pump with confidence is so important. No-one wants to be stuck to their breast pump for hours only to get a few drops of milk or to have the pump hurt them.
So how do you spot a good quality breast pump? Firstly, look for a closed system. This is a pump that prevents the movement of milk into the tubing and motor of your pump. Ameda is the only true closed system breast pump in South Africa as it has FDA approval for not only milk but also bacteria and viruses . The alternative is to use a pump that is open system, and you could get mould growing in your pump! GROSS!
Secondly, get a hospital grade breast pump! You are now able to get a personal use breast pump that is strong, efficient, and quiet. Hospital grade breast pumps can empty the breasts more quickly and the motor is more reliable. With the Mya Joy Double Electric Hospital Grade breast pump you are able to pump many times in a day and your pump motor will remain strong. The Mya Joy also has a 2-year warranty which goes to show how much confidence Ameda has in the Mya Joy.
How do you know that the pump will be comfortable? Women have different sized breast and nipples, and they are all perfect. This just means that you need to make sure that your breast pump flange, the thingy that touches your breast, is the correct fit. Make sure that the brand of pump that you chose, has a variety of flange sizes so that you know you will be able to find your best fit and pump like a princess. Ameda has 7 different flange sizes ranging from 21mm up to 36mm. Our standard flange size is 25mm. If you need help with working out what is your best flange size is, you are welcome to email us, and we will help you make sure you get the best fit. Use this link to send us an email
The next step is to use your pump correctly. Learn how to use the settings of your pump. This will help you to find your sweet spot, which is not always the fastest and the strongest settings. In fact, it can be very different for each mother. When you buy a pump from My Breastpump we help you with additional information about storing your milk, how to use your pump effectively, how to use heat and massage to increase your milk output and even when the best time to pump is.
The Mya Joy has a stimulation and expression phase. The Mya Joy will start on the stimulation phase. Here you have a chose of 6 different settings. You need to find the most comfortable setting and allow the stimulation to start your milk flowing. You should start to see some milk dripping from your nipple when this happens, press the M button to move you over to the Expression mode. The pump will automatically switch you over after 2 minutes. Here again you need to find the most comfortable setting of the 12 suction levels. You will notice that the stimulation mode has fast sucks while the expression mode has longer sucks. The change in setting is to allow your pup to mimic how a baby would suckle at your breast. . You will see that you milk flow starts to slow down after some time. This is when you press the M button to switch you back to the stimulation mode, Here the pump will remember tyour last setting and ghelp you with another let down. Once this happends you press the M button and move back to the expression mode. You can have about 4 different letdon in one pumping session. This should take you around 10 to 20 minutes.
So, what do you need for the ideal pumping station? Firstly, the best breast pump and then to be a bit organised. Wash your hands and sterilise your pump parts. With the Ameda’s closed system you only need to wash and sterilise 4 parts. Yes only 4, which makes it super easy to use. You can use the CleanEase, if you need a portable microwaving solution. Use a comfortable chair with support for your back. Have your pump close by and have a drink or snack ready. Think of your baby, watch a cute video or smell a baby blanket. This helps to get your mind focused on baby and making milk. You can use a warm, hot water bottle, bean bag or even a baby bottle with warm water to start messaging your breasts. This helps with your first let down. Place your flanges onto your breast making sure that the nipple is in the middle of the flange and that it does not rub against the sides. Use the pump by changing the settings. When you are done you can even use your hands to squeeze out the last few drops or breast milk. This is called hands on pumping and is great at getting out all the lekker fatty milk at the end of a pump. If you battle with your milk supply, try the baby sock hack. It is so simple but works like a charm. Before you start pumping place a baby sock over your bottle so that you can’t see how much milk you have pumped. This helps you to stop focusing on the output and to enjoy the session. It kinda works in the same way as watching a kettle boil.
Please comment with your pumping with confidence tricks. You are always welcome to drop an email if you need information on breast pumps.
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