Discovering The World Of Breast Pumps - The Stories You Have Heard Are Not True

Before I even needed to use a breast pump, I’d heard a lot of stories about them! Mum, aunties, cousins, friends...you name it, they all had opinions about breast pumping. One thing you find out when you first get pregnant, and then again when you have a baby, is that EVERY person—whether they’ve had a baby or not—has an opinion on the subject of breast pumping. I’d heard tales of mums feeling like milking cows, whose purpose in life was to produce breast milk, sleep and change nappies. I’d heard horror stories that it was uncomfortable also. So early on… I decided I needed the very best in breast pump technology.

Being a businesswoman, who is juggling a newborn and a fast-growing social media marketing agency, I needed a reliable breast pump—portable, as quiet as possible, and most importantly, easy to use.

If I have an appointment with a client or a medical appointment, I need to be able to leave hubby with enough breast milk to keep our bundle of squawkiness happy. He’s a boy who likes his food! My second prerequisite when it came to choosing a breast pump was that it wouldn’t keep the neighbours awake or scare my work colleagues if I had to express in the office. There isn’t a dedicated space to do this, so the quieter the better. I know breast pumping is nothing to be ashamed of and it’s necessary, but I didn’t want your employees to know when I was  expressing.

I ended up choosing the Medela Swing Flex single electric breast pump. Before Leo arrived, I had a play with the breast pump to try it out and hubby and I laughed a bit. It looks a little more complicated to use than it actually is.

Using the breast pump was much simpler than I anticipated.

It comes with a Personal Fit Flex breast shield which means you can adapt the shield to suit your shape, so that you can make it as comfortable as possible. I’m not going to lie, it’s going to take a little while to get used to, but it’s certainly not hard.

My favourite feature is the 2-Phase Expression Technology. It mimics baby suckling at your breast and I imagine it feels so much more natural than the breast pumps of my mum’s era. I also loved how easy it is to clean, and is very portable. I love it that I can pop it in my bag and take with me so that I can express when I need to, so I don’t get any leakage. Also, I highly recommend the Quick Clean wipes, they are magic for cleaning your breast pump between pumping.

Medela also has an amazing range of products for pregnant and breastfeeding mums.

I’ve tried out a lot of Maternity and Nursing bras, finding that their nursing bra is easily the most comfortable.
It’s seamfree so there’s no chafing and there are no wires that dig into your tender breast. It’s made from this amazing feeling stretch fabric, so it adapts with your changing body. One of the features I love most about the nursing bra is the one-handed clip for quick release. I can hold Leo and use my freehand to unclip.  I also love the fact that these bras are available in a wide range of sizes for bustier ladies.

Even after I’ve finished breastfeeding, I might still resort to using this bra, because I love how comfortable it is.

Medela truly has thought of everything. I also got their Quick Clean range of accessories. There’s the Quick Clean Bottle Brush. The bristle design makes cleaning all of the accessories nice and easy, which is what you need when you’re sleep-deprived. And you can combine this their Quick Clean Soap, which is scent-free so it doesn’t deter bubs from feeding.

If you haven’t tried Medela products or have been wondering what breast pump to go for, then I can highly recommend the Swing Flex breast pump and their range of cleaning products, and maternity and nursing bras.