Pumping can have a way of making us human mamas feel a little like milk machines. But there’s good news if you’ve committed to breastfeeding for the long haul: There are a few ways to make the process a little less, well, sucky.
Even if you plan to exclusively breastfeed (often referred to as "EBF"), you'll want to have a breast pump on hand. Why? Inevitably, you'll need to be away from your baby for more than a few hours at a stretch — like when you return to work, or need to run errands or go to appointments alone — and you'll need to pump to prevent painful breast engorgement. Pumping is also helpful for moms who would like to share feeding responsibilities with a co-parent or other caregiver.
Electric breast pumps: These models plug into a wall outlet and are typically the most powerful breast pumps you can buy. You can opt for a double-electric pump, which expresses milk from both breasts at the same time, or a single-electric model, which requires you to express from one breast at a time. (Single-electric breast pumps are less efficient, since they essentially double the amount of time you need to spend pumping, but they tend to be more affordable than double-electric models.)
