Reasons Moms Love Manual Breast Pumps

Ten Reasons it pays to have a manual pump on hand

It’s no secret that we love electric breast pumps. They can save a lot of time and manual labor when it comes to pumping. But that doesn’t mean that we solely recommend them. There are reasons that moms love manual breast pumps as well. 

More Control Over Suction

Every mom's body is different. Many moms find great success using an electric pump. However, this isn’t true for all of us. With a manual or hand breast pump, a woman has greater control over the suction, specifically the strength and duration of each suction. If your body is not responding well to an electric pump, rather than getting discouraged or continuing to try with an electric pump, try a manual pump. 

Clearing Ducts

For much the same reason in the last point, you can better clear a duct with a manual pump. A manual pump enables moms to apply greater suction for longer periods of time than many of their electric counterparts. This can be useful when you are trying to clear a clog in a lactiferous duct. Clogs at the beginning are uncomfortable or annoying, but they can lead to more serious problems. Having a hand pump around can help make a difference between healthy breasts and mastitis.

More Affordable

Being generally smaller with fewer parts, manual breast pumps tend to be less expensive than their corded or chargeable cousins. If you are on a budget, or just are not sure about making the investment in an electric breast pump, the manual options can be a great place to start. Try it first, and then move to another pump if you find that you will be indeed continuing to pump. You also have the added benefit of having a manual pump for when you need it.

Less to replace

These babies are pretty simple. You have the bottle, the flange, the handle, and generally some kind of membrane or valve. The only part that will generally wear out on a hand pump is the valve or duct that keeps milk from flowing backwards towards the flange. The rest of these pieces can be easily washed, dried and reused.

Less to Wash

With these smaller, less technical pumps, there is much less tubing and other accessories that will need to be washed and dried. This is a huge benefit for busy or tired mamas that might not have help on hand to wash used parts between sessions.

Multiple Manual Pumps

Because they are more affordable you can have multiple pumps. Having multiple pumps might seem excessive or like a luxury, but it can save you from having to pack yet another bag when you leave the house. And it saves you from the panic inducing “what if I forget my pump” scenario. Leave one in your car, one at work, if you visit family you can leave one there as well.

You’re No Longer a Wallflower

If you are an exclusive pumper, there will inevitably be times when you have to pump at a function, or just when you are outside of your home or office. If you solely use an electric pump, there’s a good chance you might be scoping out a discreet place next to an outlet, or to stash your pump bag as soon as you arrive. With a manual pump, you can fit it into a larger purse, and not have to worry about finding any outlets. All you need to do is find a place where you can feel comfortable pumping - even if that place is your vehicle.

Travel

Traveling can be a source of stress for pumping moms. You go to great lengths to make sure that you have everything packed, down to your pump and parts. You can travel with electric pumps. Pump bags should not be counted as one of your allotted carryon bags, and breast milk should not be subject to limitations on liquids. If you don’t want to worry about a pump bag and all of the parts however, traveling with a hand pump can simplify your pumping routine significantly. If you’re used to an electric pump you may want to try a hand pump at home for a few days just to make sure replacing the electric pump while traveling is something that you feel comfortable with.

Nursing Mom's Best Friend

Even if you plan to nurse your baby, having a hand pump can be, well, handy. There will be times when you need to relieve engorgement, or maybe pump and dump. Hand expression is always available to you, but you can speed it up a bit and make it a bit easier if you have a manual pump that you can grab and use. 

You Can Make Them More comfortable by Using them with BeauGen Breast Pump Cushions!

Moms who use manual breast pumps can reap all of the same benefits of the BeauGen Breast Pump Cushions as those who use electric versions. Most pumps come with two different sized flanges. If you need a size in between these, you can use our cushions to reduce the size of the flange. Inserting the cushion normally will reduce the flange size by two millimeters. Using the fold or turtleneck method will reduce the flange size by 4 millimeters. These benefits extend beyond sizing. Hard plastic isn’t exactly the ideal in comfort. Our flange inserts help to make pumping more comfortable, so that you can relax and do what a mom’s gotta do.