Manual Breast Pumps

If you’re shopping for a breast pump, one of the designs you’re likely to consider is a manual breast pump. Manual breast pumps require you to pump a piston or squeeze a lever to create the suction to empty your breast, compared to automatic breast pumps which are either electric or battery operated and do the work for you.

Manual breast pumps empty just one breast at a time, and some require two hands to operate. However, many moms report that using a manual breast pump feels much more natural than an electric breast pump and that it’s easier to control the suction on a manual pump.

A manual breast pump may not be the best choice for the mom who pumps every day, but it can be a great choice for the mom who only pumps occasionally. They also work well for the mom who likes to pump on one breast while her baby nurses on the other, because manual breast pumps are much quieter than electrics.

Manual breast pumps are also smaller, lighter and more affordable than electric or battery operated pumps. However, it does take a bit of practice to get the hand of using one. The faster you can squeeze the pump handle, the better they’ll work, but this can get very tiring for your hands. Some moms find them very slow, and some find that they don’t empty their breasts completely. This can be a problem, because it’s important to empty our breasts completely to encourage milk production. For this reason, manual breast pumps may pose a problem for moms who are already having difficulty producing enough milk.

You can find manual breast pumps at most stores that carry baby supplies. They range from about $30 to $60 in price. Check out the Avent Isis manual breast pump or the Gerber manual breast pump. Both of these are very popular models, and are easy to find.

Check with the manufacturer before purchasing any used breast pump. Breast milk can carry bacteria that can be nearly impossible to get rid of. Some breast pumps will be listed as “one user” pumps. This means that it’s not sanitary for the pump to be used by more than one person, because they cannot be properly sanitized between users. Never buy a used breast pump that is considered a one user pump.