After giving birth, you need to provide adequate milk for your baby, but you don’t always have extra time to breastfeed.
Therefore, breast pump accessories are essential to help you pump and store milk for your little one. Below are some essential breast pump parts and accessories you need to have.
Let’s check it out!
Essential Breast Pump Parts And Accessories You Need To Have
What accessories do I need with a breast pump?
A manual or electric breast pump, battery pack, hands-free bra, pads, milk storage, washbasin, and lactation massager are all required for nursing moms.
Each accessory performs an important function, so don’t miss them!
1. Manual Breast Pump
A breast pump manual is convenient and easy to use, especially for mothers at work.
Since it’s not powered by electricity, you can use it anywhere outside without carrying around a lot of messy parts like an electric pump.
The operation of the manual is very simple. Simply repeat the gripping motion after placing the nipple shield on your breast. You can control the pumping frequency easily.
The difference with the hand pump is that it will take about 2 to 3 minutes for the milk to start flowing. Besides, after a while of pumping, your hands may get tired.
However, if you want a compact pump that can be easily adjusted or just used to relieve engorgement, then a manual one is what you need.
2. Electric Breast Pump With Extra Sets Of Pump Parts
The electric breast pump allows you to pump milk from two nipples at the same time. It is suitable for mothers who need a daily breastfeeding routine.
Moreover, it uses an actual breast pump motor to express milk, powered by batteries or an electrical outlet. Mothers can stay in their offices while using this convenient pump.
Depending on the suction strength, you can choose a different type of pump. If you love a light pump, its suction power cannot be as strong as sustained pumps.
But either way, an electric one is a must-have when expressing milk.
3. Battery Pack For Your Pump
A rechargeable battery pack is handy for any electric pump because you don’t have to always look for an outlet for the plugin.
It is especially for long trips or extended working time in the condition of power shortage.
However, you should choose a battery pack with the right voltage for your machine. Do not choose too high a voltage as it may damage the motor, and too low a voltage will not be enough to operate the pump.
Besides, you need to check carefully to avoid buying the wrong battery of poor quality. The best way is to buy batteries at major stores or order on a reputable website.
4. Hands-Free Bra And Breast Pads
Another important accessory is the hands-free bra. It helps you secure your chest shield without constantly holding it with your hands.
Besides, it also helps limit milk spillage because it is not fixed in one place. You can work and pump simultaneously without fear of milk leaking out.
Conventional bras sometimes can’t cover all the milk stains, and women will feel uncomfortable and embarrassed.
Thus, these pads are also an accessory to help absorb leaking milk after pumping and avoid sore nipples from breastfeeding too much.
5. Milk Storage
The entire milk collection system is also important. Breast milk cooler bags, extra ice packs, and extra bottles are essential accessories.
Owning many bottles will assist you to store excess breast milk at once.
Instead of just using one bottle and washing it again and again for the next use, you can make a large batch and store them in cooler bags if you are out.
For cooler bags, silicone ones are the best choice. It can withstand high temperatures whenever you want to warm milk and low temperatures to store it in the freezer.
6. Wash Basin
It would help if you used a wash basin to wash breast pump supplies rather than washing in sinks to avoid contamination. It will prevent dangerous germs from coming into contact with milk.
In addition, teats and all bottles or bags containing milk must be sterilized or rinsed with hot water or warm water after washing.
Besides, you can use a dry towel to wipe it. This step prevents bacteria from coming into contact with breast milk.
A dry pump is always good for you, so these pumps need to be dried and stored tightly closed in clean containers after washing the detachable parts.
Also, you need to clean the wash basin regularly to avoid harmful germs from growing in the crevices.
7. Lactation Massager
A lactation massager is a vibrating device that helps break clogged milk ducts and improve milk flow.
It helps dissolve small and soft lumps caused by the mother not pumping all the milk during each feeding. Besides, it can prevent mastitis, take antibiotics, and stop breastfeeding.
Besides, this accessory helps mothers reduce the pressure on nursing mothers whose milk comes out too much and quickly.
It will stimulate the breast to help the mother express milk before breastfeeding. Therefore, babies will not choke on milk while feeding.
How To Use Breast Pump Properly?
Many mothers wonder how long they should use a pump after giving birth. Usually, mothers can pump immediately after giving birth or wait more than a week before pumping.
Besides, you need to measure and set a fixed breastfeeding schedule to pump a regular amount of milk every day.
How to breast pump properly? Mothers should pump milk in the early morning because this is when the breasts are full of milk.
Especially for mothers busy with housework or outside work, pumping milk in the early morning is necessary.
The pump time can last from half an hour to an hour after breastfeeding. You can also pump before breastfeeding, which will help store milk for the next feeding.
FAQs
What Parts Should You Replace On A Breast Pump?
The important accessories you need to change during a period of use are the milk collection bottle and breast shields.
These accessories often get stuck in the crevices and grooves after a long use time.
Common bacteria germs and dirt will contact breast milk, stick to the bottles and make it difficult to wash off. If you find them torn, cracked, or discolored, it’s best to replace them.
The milk duct is also a part that needs to be replaced regularly to ensure that the baby’s milk supply is not contaminated by moisture accumulation.
In addition, the ends of the pump tube will be stretched after a long time of being attached to the milk pump.
It can reduce the pump’s efficiency, so invest in a new one immediately once it shows signs of stretching.
How Often To Replace Breast Pump Parts?
When should you replace breast pump parts? Replacement pump parts are necessary, so mothers should change them after a period of use so that the pump can operate at its best.
As for the baby bottles and shields, they need to be replaced every 6 months.
The milk pump valve needs to be replaced every 3 to 4 months as it is easily damaged during washing by hot water and sterilization.
However, if you pump 2-3 times a day or more, you should replace these valves once a month to ensure efficient pumping.
Other breast pump parts could be changed when the pump runs slower than usual.
What Are The Different Parts Of A Breast Pump Called?
They are breast shields, breast pump tubing, bottles, valves, and membranes.
These parts are considered breast pump accessories spectra, helping mothers greatly pump and store milk.
You can find these in some breast pump brands, such as the Medela breast pump accessory set, which is a resealable, convenient, and hygienic breast pump set.
Conclusion
Overall, a pump, battery pack, hands-free bra, pads, milk storage, washbasin, and lactation massager are essential breast pump parts and accessories for nursing moms.
Don’t forget to check their condition for replacement to ensure their best operation.
Hope this information will help you. See you in the next post!
