Preparing the breast pump

1. Study the instruction manual in the kit very carefully.
2. Every component of the breast pump will have to be sterilized before you being using it.
3. Afterwards, all of the pump parts will need to be washed in warm, soapy water, then rinsed off with hot water and dried on a clean towel. The plastic tubing does not need to be cleaned unless milk gets into it. If you do wash the tubing, it should be strung up to leave time to dry out and drain thoroughly.
4. If your doctor expresses the need, the full kit could be sterilized daily.
5. When you first begin with an electric pump, start with the suction level on the lowest possible setting.

Getting started

- Warm compresses, gentle kneading of the breast and mild nipple stimulation will assist with stimulating a quick let down.
- You should always loosen up when massaging the breast during pumping. A few mothers choose to close their eyes and envision nursing the infant, thinking of the baby in their arms. As long as you relax, you will have a better let down and be capable of pumping more milk.
- Your initial attempts at pumping should be counted as practice sessions, with learning to utilize the breast pump as the primary goal. Trying to pump a lot of milk during the first couple of pumping sessions can make the experience stressful.
- When using a hand pump, fast, short pumps at first are stimulating and will simulate manner in which a child breast feeds. Once the let down occurs and milk begins to flow freely, longer, steadier strokes are more efficient and less exhausting.
- Once you learn to pump, you should practice for five minutes on each breast at least once or twice a day. Always choose the least nerve-wracking part of your day for pumping.

Loosening up and recognizing that the pump is your friend is the single most important thing that a mother could do. There are many things a mother can do to assist with relaxing; like placing a picture of the child on the pump, playing cards or a game with friends, watching TV, reading books, or talking on the phone. Just watching over the collection bottle is usually not helpful and will make pumping more stressful than it needs to be.

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