After all, suckling by an infant is far more different from the sucking of your breast pump! The former is Nature's creation and is less harsh on your body than the latter. That has obvious reasons and no machine can ever match the instincts of a baby. Nevertheless, moms, rather the modern-day mothers, necessarily need to use breast pumps often. In most cases, working mothers resort to these devices. Personally, however, I feel that homemakers who are managing all aspects of a family single-handedly, need to use breast pumps too.

Common myths about breast pumps

Breast pumps cause breast sagging –

Most women are under the notion that breastfeeding or the use of pumps for a prolonged period results in sagging. This is because suckling or pumping stretches the breast skin for long periods - months and even years together!

However, famous medical journals have confirmed that while some women have noticed significant changes in their breast size post-pregnancy or towards the end of the lactating period, some have not! The latter segment, has, in fact, admitted that their breasts have returned to the pre-pregnancy size quite a few days after the breastfeeding period.

Medically speaking, breast size is largely dependent upon both genetics and one's physical nature and breastfeeding rarely has a role to play in the breast size!

Pumping causes permanent damage to breasts –

Unfortunately, most women are under this false impression and this myth strongly needs to be busted! You might experience pain while pumping. This requires considering the flange size of your breast pump. If this does not yield effective results, then you need to check your breasts. They might be affected by some infection, thrush, or engorgement!

Breast shields and nipple shields are all the same –

Breast shields and nipple shields are two products completely apart. Breast shields are an accessory that belongs to the breast pump and is associated with pumping milk artificially. Nipple shields on the other hand are aids that help the baby to suckle. They are simple silicone nipples that help the baby to latch on to the mom’s nipple during the early days of the breastfeeding season. About nipple shields, you need to remember the following things:

• They are only a short-term solution and their use fades away as the baby grows up
• They only provide the baby with a larger area for suckling
• Moms with sore, inverted or flat nipples should go for shields
• Moms facing excessive and overactive letdowns with incessant milk dripping can use shields effectively

Breast shields, on the other hand, are an interface between the mother and the pump. Their effectiveness comes with choosing the right size of the flange or the breast shield that is attached to the pump.

We will henceforth move our discussion on the size of breast shields.

How to find the correct size of the breast shield?

Start with asking yourself the following questions:

• Does the pumping feel too uncomfortable and painful?
• Is my nipple rubbing against the side of the flange?
• Is there any redness or whiteness in and around the nipple?
• While pumping, is an excess amount of the areola being pulled into the flange?
• Do my breasts feel heavy and milk-filled even after squeezing?

From the pattern of the above questionnaire, you can make out that these very answers will help you detect a problem with your pump and most importantly your shield size!

Settling into discomfort will add stress! Just check whether the pumping sessions are rhythmic and painless. Squeezing milk in the correct manner and amount does not require any amount of stressing to your breasts!