I breastfed my daughter fully from the start, and still feed her twice a day at 21 months old. However, a breast pump can be useful for new mums for the following purposes:

• Getting your milk going in the hospital (the hospital pumps are too strong and hurt me, and also shared which is off-putting hygiene-wise despite their sterilisation procedures)
• Expressing to keep a stock of frozen milk for emergencies or when someone else is looking after baby
• Increasing milk production if low
• 'Pump and dump' after a night out!

After much research I chose the Swing Breast Pump from Medela, which is the only single electric, personal use pump with 2-Phase Expression Technology, designed to get more milk in less time. It won the BEST BUY - which award.

First researched and developed for hospital breast pumps, 2-Phase Expression is an advanced pumping pattern that mimics the baby's natural pattern. Basically, it has a slower pumping action for the first 2 minutes to get the milk going, then a faster different pulse to get the milk out once it's going, and can be set to your own preference of speed and strngth. With an included belt clip and shoulder/neck strap, as well as a compact design that allows it to fit easily in a purse or briefcase, you can use the pump anywhere.






For great customer service buy from:
£86.88 from John Lewis
www.johnlewis.com
(Note they will price match anyone cheaper via their Never Knowingly Undersold policy details here)

For more info see:
www.medela.com/UK/en/breastfeeding/products/pumping/swing.html

A thing to note is that you should regularly rinse the tube in hot soapy water and ensure it is completely dry before using again. There are manuals on the Medela website or Mothercare websites for any issues. Also, make sure if any water or moisture gets in the tube you bin the milk, as it can be contaminated and mould can grow.

You can pump directly into the Medela bottles. I found it best using the medela bottle but with an NUK latex teat (which fits the standard bottle) www.nuk.co.uk. The medela teats were no good for bubs, and the NUK ones are orthodontically designed for baby mouths, whilst latex is more natural feeling to the baby than silicone.

I also used to pump straight into Medela Breastmilk storage bags which can be sealed and frozen or placed in the fridge. To thaw them you then just place in some warm water for a few minutes. Perfect! Available from Boots



Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam bags are also brilliant for sterilising bottles. They can be re-used many times over.

Finally make sure you get the right size breastshield, advice here:
www.medela.com/UK/en/breastfeeding/good-to-know/right-size-of-breastshield.html 

CB