Breast Pump - Should You Go for Manual or Electric?

A lot of new mothers today prefer to pump milk instead of breastfeed, and not because they don't want to breastfeed their baby, but because they can't afford to due to medical reasons. For instance, some women have inverted nipples. Such issue can actually be solved, but instead of forcing their babies to suck and get very little, these women just opt for a better solution, which is pumping milk. If you're a new mother yourself, you probably realize that there are two types of breast pumps: manual and electric. You're also probably here because you want to find out which of the two is better.

The Design

The design of both manual and electric breast pump is actually similar. Both have a shield you fit over your breast that works as the suction and a bottle to collect the milk with. The only difference is that manual pumps are a lot more portable and don't need electricity to operate. Electric pumps are bulkier in design and are rather loud.

The Function

Both manual and electric pumps have similar functions. With a manual breast pump, however, you will need to perform short quick squeezing motions to express milk. Also, with a manual breast pump, you can only express milk one breast at a time. Meanwhile, an electric breast pump has a machine to go with it that is the one sucking air through the tubes to express milk from either breast.

The Efficiency

There is no question to the efficiency of a manual pump, especially if it's one made by a good company like Avent. However, there is also no question that an electric pump has the advantage when it comes to efficiency. It is more efficient simply because it allows you to express milk on both breasts simultaneously. What's more is that you can do all that in just about fifteen minutes. As mentioned, you will need to perform quick pumping motions with your hand with a manual pump, which can be very tiring. In addition, it takes more than ten minutes to express milk from one breast, which means it can be very time consuming.

The Bottom Line

Choosing between a manual and an electric pump depends on the one who's going to use it. If you want a cheaper pump, then by all means go for a manual model. However, you should also keep in mind that while an electric breast pump is a little bit more expensive, the experience if offers you is worth every penny you pay for it.