2007年8月6日星期一

Styles of pumps

Manual breast pumps are operated by squeezing a handle in a repetitive fashion, allowing the user to directly control the pressure and frequency of pumps. Though manual pumps are small and inexpensive, they can require significant effort and can be tiring because the user provides all the power. This style is recommended for infrequent usage such as when a woman is away from her baby for a single feeding. It is recommended that "bicycle horn" style manual pumps not be used. Though cheap, they can damage breast tissue and harbor bacteria in the rubber suction bulb, which is difficult to clean.[1]
Electric breast pumps are powered by a small motor which supplies suction through plastic tubing to a horn that fits over the nipple. The portions of the pump that come into direct contact with the expressed milk must be sterilized to prevent contamination. This style provides a lot more suction, making pumping significantly faster, and allows pumping of both breasts at the same time. Electric breast pumps are ideal for when a mother will be pumping daily. Electric breast pumps are larger than manual ones, but portable models are available (e.g. in a backpack or shoulder bag) that allow the mother to transport the pump.
Some breast pumps are designed to be part of a "feeding system" so that the milk storage portion of the pump is the baby bottle used to feed the infant.
Foot-powered breast pumps cover a middle ground between manual and electric breast pumps. They use the same collection tubing and breast horns as electric breast pumps use, but are powered by a foot pedal, eliminating the work of pumping by hand or the need for finding an electrical outlet with privacy.[2]

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