Breast Pumps: The Working Mom's Friend

Nursing your baby once meant having your bundle of joy at your side almost round the clock, particularly during the first six to 12 months of life.

Not anymore. Among today's working moms, breast pumps allow many women to give their baby the benefits of mother's milk even when they can't be together all the time.

Breast pumps are devices designed to help you package Mother Nature by expressing your milk, then storing it in the refrigerator to use for bottle feedings later.

"The benefits of the modern breast pumps are amazing. They work remarkably well and in the case of the double pumps -- which express milk from both breasts simultaneously -- the whole process is very quick and easy. Most important, it is making breastfeeding possible for almost every mother and baby," says Linda Hanna, program coordinator for Lactation and Prenatal Education Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

For many women, the entire pumping process can be completed within 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the type of breast pump used.

Finding the Right Breast Pump

You can choose from inexpensive hand-operated models that cost as little as $15 to sophisticated electric or battery-powered models that cost $150 or more. Personal taste or finances are the main criteria.

"What works for one woman may not necessarily work for another -- a lot depends on how much milk you need to express and the length of time you plan to keep using the breast pump," says Carol Huotari, manager of the Breastfeeding Information Center at La Leche League International in Schaumberg, Ill.

If you plan to pump for several months and the time you have each day to pump is limited, Huotari suggests checking out full-size professional automatic breast pumps. Although they are large and most are not portable, they get the job done quickly.

Often these can be rented from a local hospital or breastfeeding organization. Since these breast pumps provide stimulation that helps get your milk production going, they're particularly useful if your baby is premature and not able to suckle your breast right away.

The newest electric breast pumps often express both breasts at the same time, and are reportedly quick, quiet, and easy to use. Although they can cost up to $200 or more, they are portable -- a real bonus for moms who must express milk at work.

If you only need to pump once in a while -- for example, if you are going to be away for a day or two -- you can also hand express your milk directly into a container, without using a breast pump at all.

Next: Storing Your Breast Milk.