Primary vs. Secondary pumps
A PRIMARY breast pump is a pump that reliably empties you 100% of the time. It is a pump that you know will get you the expected amount of milk every time. Typically these pumps keep you attached to a wall or have a large battery reserve!
A SECONDARY breast pump is a pump that does NOT reliably empty you 100% of the time. These pumps are typically more portable/wearable and are often cordless. They are not as effective at “emptying” and you may find you pump less milk in the same time it would take a primary breast pump to empty you.
If you are pregnant and are in the process of choosing your breast pump, I HIGHLY recommend purchasing a PRIMARY pump. These pumps are much more reliable and are better for establishing and maintaining milk supply.
Now, I understand that SECONDARY pumps are much more convenient for pumping on the go, running errands, doing housework, working, etc. If you are planning to use a SECONDARY pump, here are some things you can do to prevent a negative impact on your milk supply:
don’t use the secondary pump more than 3 times in 24 hours
pump for 10-15 minutes longer than you would with your primary pump in order to remove more milk
use a manual pump or hand expression after pumping to help remove remaining milk and maintain supply
wait to use a secondary pump until milk supply has regulated, typically after 6 weeks
Examples of PRIMARY pumps:
Examples of SECONDARY pumps:
*THIS LIST IN NOT COMPREHENSIVE - THERE ARE A LOT OF PUMPS OUT THERE!*
Some people are lucky enough to pump JUST AS MUCH or MORE with a pump that is considered “secondary”. If that’s you, then keep doing what you’re doing! The important thing is discovering this for yourself. You can try using both a primary and secondary pump to see if your supply maintains - you will want to know if using a secondary pump has the potential to decrease your supply (by not “emptying” you)
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