Not every mother needs a breast pump, but there are plenty of situations where they come in handy…or prove downright indispensable. We explore some of the pros that come from using a pump to express.

What is expressing?

Put simply, expressing is the act of getting milk out of your boobs, so it can be used at a later date. Some mothers pump and freeze their supply, others store it in the fridge to be used later the same week. You can express by hand, but it’s not the most elegant solution, which is why electric and manual pumps exist.

Why express breast milk?

 There are so many reasons why you may want to express milk. 

• Your baby might be drinking milk but not breastfeeding or latching as planned
• You might want to boost your milk supply
• To help reduce the strain on uncomfortably full breasts
• As a convenient option when you go back to work
• So you can split the night shift or share the parenting load with someone else. 

Manual breast pumps vs electric breast pumps

So, how do breast pumps work? Well, they’re designed to mimic your baby’s sucking motion to express milk from your boobs. And there are a couple of different types of pump available. 

 Manual pumps are activated by hand. They’re cheaper than electric pumps, quieter and more lightweight, however they can be slower to use and require a lots more input. They can be a good back-up device to have on hand to support an electric pump or used on the free breast while you’re feeding your baby.

 Electric pumps are a bit more souped up and do the hard work for you. They’re super efficient and can make expressing a much quicker process. Electric pumps tend to fall into two camps: wired and hands-free.

Wired breast pumps vs hands-free breast pumps

 For many people, ‘expressing’ brings to mind images of women with clinical-looking bottles pointing straight out from their chest and cables trailing all over the floor. Wired pumps plug into the wall and require you to sit in one place while you’re expressing. They’re pretty clinical-looking and can easily get tangled up…especially if you have a toddler on the loose. They’re efficient at helping you to express, but they can make you feel like a dairy cow, especially if you have to pump a lot.

Hands-free breast pumps, allow you to pump on the go and free up your hands to focus on whatever else needs your attention. You don’t need a plug socket to make them work and you don't need to lock yourself away to use them in the office. Just like with old school pumps, you can have one or two, depending on your needs. They’re easy to clean and come with a lot less kit, making them fuss-free. Best of all, they’re discreet, wearable and give you time back to do you. 

Call us biased, but we’re crazy about hands-free breast pumps. Take a look at the Wren.