Nursing is beneficial for your baby’s emotional and physical wellbeing.
Being able to supply breastmilk for your child when you are not physically with
her creates a connection. This connection makes the separation easier for you,
and possibly for baby. Nursing is also an important way to support your child's
immune system as it develops, important especially if your child is in daycare
with others. If you plan to return to work while still nursing your child, you
will most likely need to purchase a breast pump.
Choosing a Pump
Many nursing-working moms choose an electric breast pump,
with two breastshields, so that you can express milk from both sides at once. A
one-sided pump can do the job too. Since you’re trying to pump efficiently, an
electric pump is the best choice for two reasons:
You are able to pump more
milk in a shorter time
The electric breast pumps are
most like the stimulation you would experience from your baby, so allow
you to express most milk.
A new advance in breast pump technology has made pumps more
like nursing a baby, by mimicking the two types of sucking a baby employs. Some
pumps even have a switch so you can go from “let-down” mode to regular nursing
mode. You can decide which kind of pump is best for you depending on your
needs, for example:
How long you intend to keep
nursing
If you intend to supplement
with formula
If you are working full or
part time, traveling, etc.
What type of carrying case
you prefer for your equipment