What is a Breast Pump?
Believe it or not, breast pumps are medical devices regulated by the FDA. Breast pumps are frequently used by breastfeeding women to extract (or express) their breast milk. They can also be used to • maintain or increase a woman’s milk supply • feed multiple babies • relieve engorged breasts and plugged milk ducts • pull out flat or inverted nipples so a nursing baby can latch-on to its mother’s breast more easily Many women find it convenient, or even necessary, to use a breast pump to express and store their breast milk once they have returned to work, are traveling, or are otherwise separated from their baby. Women are often delighted to learn that a breast pump can be used as a supplement to breastfeeding and that some pumps are designed to mimic the suckling of a nursing baby.
