Breast Pump

Question

Hi mummies! I’m a first time mom at 29 weeks now. I plan to breastfeed my baby when he’s born. I also bought a breastpump from baby express sg (based on good reviews and recommendations). However, I’ve never breastfed / breastpump before hence I don’t know how to use it. Scared that when the time comes to breastpump, I don’t know how to use it.There’s the option for bionic mode, suction level, frequency etc. What’s all that?Anybody care to help? 😅

Cherlyn · Accepted Answer

https://babyexpress-sg.com/collections/breast-pump/products/be-mine-dual-electric-breast-pump-1 I think the site does give a bit of explanation:) Essentially I find that the bionic (suckling/stimulation) mode helps bring on the letdown reflex to get the milk flowing out. I use this type of mode when I start pumping, and you can actually feel the strong flow of milk coming down. Once that has died down, then I switch to the suction mode. You don’t have to use every suction level. You can choose what’s confortable for you. I usually like a gentler suction level (every mum is different), but if I need to clear the breasts more quickly or if I feel there’s a duct that’s a bit blocked (eg. Hard lump), I put it at the highest suction level and massage the breast to draw out the milk. Don’t worry too much. You can slowly read the manual and play around with the settings when you start using it:) At work, I needed to pump quickly, so I usually used 2 pumps at the same time. At home, I realised that pumping one side at a time helped to yield more, so I would put a breastmilk collection cup ($3+ per pair on Shopee..) on one side and pump the other side. While pumping, you can also massage the breast push in towards the pump to clear the milk furthest away from the pump. These help to clear the milk well and prevent mastitis. But I also noted that if I tried to clear the milk excessively and squeeze endlessly, there would be some intermittent sharp pain while the breast was refilling later on 😅 so I learnt to strike a balance. It’s a learning journey.. don’t be stressed and try to enjoy the process:)