It seems like you should just be able to put the pump pieces together and fit them to your breasts and press the “on” button on the pump right?  And you can!  However, that may not provide you the most effective milk removal.

A Deeper Look:

Before you do anything with your pump parts, it is important to make sure your hands and any surfaces/pump parts that will come into contact with milk are clean.  Cleanliness at this step ensures you the ability to store milk on the counter and in the fridge or freezer for the length recommended by health professionals. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap.  Then assemble your pump parts.  Make sure you check your pump parts before each use for mold or for signs of wear and discard pieces that show signs of either.  

For more information on when to replace pump parts, click here.
For more information on how to clean pump parts, click here.

Next, before you attach the flanges to your breasts, turn on the pump, make sure the suction level is low, and turn off the machine.  Some pumps automatically resume the level of suction used directly before you last shut off your pump, and it is quite jarring to start a pump session at a high level! 

Although it is possible to hold your flanges (also known as breast shields or horns) to your breasts while you double pump, going hands-free while using a pumping bra makes the pump session a lot easier and it frees up your hands to massage and compress for maximum milk removal.  Once you have donned your pumping bra and slipped your flanges into the flange openings of the bra, center your nipple at the entrance of the flange tunnel opening (top and bottom and side to side).  Then, connect your tubing (and any backflow protector or other milk barrier) to the flanges.  Using olive oil or coconut oil (or some other lubricant specifically designed for nursing/pumping) on your nipples will reduce friction and can make the pumping experience more comfortable. 

For more information on flange sizing, click here.

Now you are ready to turn on the pump!  Before you do, take a few breaths and relax.  The more relaxed you are, the easier it will be for your body to give up milk to a machine.  Once you’ve turned on the pump, start in stimulation/massage mode until you see milk start to flow—this is your first let-down.  Some pumps automatically start in massage mode and after a few minutes will switch to expression mode; others require you to initiate the switch to massage mode when you start the pump.  Some mamas will achieve a let-down in thirty seconds, others might take a few minutes.  

For more information on let-downs, click here.

Once you are in expression mode, increase the level of suction to your comfort.  When you notice your milk flow begin to slow, switch back to massage mode until you feel or see another let-down.  Aim to pump for at least 2-3 let-downs each session and for a total amount of 120 minutes spent pumping a day to maintain your supply (though some women need to pump longer).   Breast massage and compression will help make your milk removal more efficient.

For more information on how long to pump, click here.
For more information on massage and compression while pumping, click here.

Once you have achieved 2-3 let-downs and your milk flow has slowed, you may decide you are done and turn off your pump.  Before removing your flanges, tip forward to make sure all of the pumped milk falls into your collection cup.  Once you have removed your flange, try hand expressing to remove any milk remaining near the nipple.  

For more information on hand expressing, click here.

Remember, pumping should not hurt.  You may find your milk flows faster with a higher suction, but using a higher suction does not mean you will produce more milk.  If a higher suction is causing you irritation or pain, it may inhibit your milk flow and let-downs in the long run.  Just listen to your body! 

The EP&Me Take:

Although I was nervous when I first began pumping because I was doing something I was unfamiliar with, it was easy to put together the pump parts and pump.  But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.  It didn’t feel like I was doing it wrong exactly, but it also wasn’t quite right.  I could feel that just attaching the flanges to my breasts and turning on the pump wasn’t enough, but how to pump more efficiently seemed elusive. 

I quickly learned that I needed to use a pumping bra so that I could be hands-free.  My favorite one is made by Momcozy.  I found it affordable compared to some of the other options available, and I could buy a few to wear so that I didn’t have to do laundry at the end of every night.  I thought they held up well through my year of pumping, and I would choose to use them again with a next baby. 

My Little’s pediatrician recommended coconut oil for lubrication when pumping.  It’s something we have on hand anyway, so choosing what oil to use was easy for me. Plus, I thought coconut oil would be a little more manageable than olive oil due to coconut oil’s more solid-state at most home temperatures.  I thoroughly washed out an empty, small face lotion container and refilled it with coconut oil, that way it was easy to have it near my pump whether I was at home or traveling.

I liked to live on the wild side and rarely (read: habitually forgot) to turn the suction level down at the end of my pump or to turn on the pump and check the level before attaching it to my breasts at the start of a new pump session.  At the start of almost every pump session, I would turn on the pump and then race to lower the suction level to something manageable before switching over to massage mode.  Trust me when I say that if you can get in the habit of lowering your suction level before you turn the pump off or before you attach it, the start of your pump session will be much more peaceful!

Although I pumped on a few different pumps, the one I used the most was the Spectra S1.  My standard routine was to turn on the Spectra, race to lower the suction on expression mode to level 5 and press the button to switch to massage (often referred to as the “bacon” button!).  From there I would spend a minute or two on the highest level of suction offered under the massage mode before I got my first let-down.  Once I saw my let-down had occurred, I would switch back to expression mode.  I would sit for a few minutes just letting the pump do its thing often just trying to breathe and settle the nausea I experienced mostly heavily with my first let-down of a session, but then I would help remove milk through massage and compression (not to be confused with massage mode!).  Around minute 15, my milk flow usually slowed, and I would switch back to massage mode until I got another let-down, usually around minute 17-18.  Once again, I would switch back to expression mode, and after a few minutes, begin to massage and compress.  I would repeat the process once more around minute 34 and by minute 37, I often felt like I had removed all the hindmilk (the very fatty milk that is more prevalent at the end of a pump) I could. 

At this point, I would turn the expression mode suction up to level 10 or 11 and really compress any remaining milk out of my breast one side at a time.  I generally spent one minute doing this on each breast before turning the machine off.  Before removing the flanges, I would tip forward to allow any remaining milk to flow into the milk containers.  Next, I would unhook one side flap of the bra, slip the flange out of the bra opening, unscrew the one-piece flange from the milk container and hand express into the milk container for a minute or two before rehooking bra flap, inserting my breast pad, and the repeating on the other side. 

I know, I know: my pumping sessions were not quick, but it was so much more comfortable for me to pump at a lower suction level.  When I first started pumping, I was told I could find my “ideal” suction setting by turning the suction level up until it was uncomfortable and then turning it down one notch.  I did not find this advice to be true.  Although I wasn’t in pain from the high suction itself, I found it jarring and it led to blood blisters on my nipples.  They were not painful, but I just didn’t like them and I wasn’t sure what would happen if I continued pumping that way.  When I first made the switch I had to work a bit harder at emptying my breasts, but after a few weeks, my body responded well to the lower suction.  

I also started off my pumping journey using the wrong flange size; in addition to being painful, it meant I was not pumping efficiently, and thus I was actively pumping for 70-80 minutes!  So 45 minutes to set up and breakdown everything was an improvement for me.  Once I figured out the proper flange size, I dropped down to 4 pumps a day at 45 minutes each, which is only an hour longer than the minimum recommended time you need to pump in a day to retain your supply.  When I later dropped down to three pumps, I didn’t add time to each pump session, I just kept everything the same, and I usually fluctuated between 120 minutes and 135 minutes of pumping a day.   Between having properly fitting flanges and training my breasts to empty to a lower suction, I was on cloud nine.  I will never call pumping pleasant, but it certainly was much easier, and I dreaded it a whole lot less.

Now the fun bit: once my Little was a bit older, I took advantage of the pump sessions that occurred before she woke and after she went to sleep to do things that I enjoyed.  I would watch a show I loved or read a book I had been curious about.  It made waking up earlier and going to bed later than my household easier on me mentally, and I think it helped me associate some more positive feelings with pumping!  Pumping is hard, selfless work—you deserve a little me time. Good luck mama!