Hi Susan, 


Even the best manual pump will be inappropriate for a mother who works outside the home by the simple fact that it will take twice as long to accomplish the task. Only the rare employer will be supportive of an employee taking 30 minutes or more each time she needs to pump, which could be as much as four to five times in a work day if she works for 12 hours per shift. 


Manual/hand pumps are designed for occasional separations and assume that the baby is present for most if not all feedings most if not all the time, except for the occasional separation. The more sophisticated the pump, the greater the assumption of increased time separated from the baby. 


In my experience as a hospital-based LC with a center handling well over 100 rental pumps plus retail pump sales, those mothers who plan - and try - to sustain their supply with a manual or single electric pump (which will also need about 30" to fully express both breasts) find that they pump less because of the negative attitude of the employer or co-workers. They may try to pump less time, which means less complete extraction of milk, or they pump less frequently, which reduces stimulation overall, or both, any of which usually results in diminished supply. 


And, in a tangential way, those who have babies in the NICU who receive the pump-in-the-bag designed for the working mother find they see diminished supply because they need a pump designed to be used 8-10 times per day (approx 60-80 times a week), but are trying to get the same results with a pump designed to be 2-3 times per day (approx 15-20 times a week). It's like using a potato peeler as a screwdriver. It might work for the occasional repair but it's not the tool for assembling furniture or fixing the lawnmower. 


Cindy Garrison BS IBCLC 
Pittsburgh, PA 

A large US insurer provides only a manual/hand pump (outside of covering a 
rental for certain medical circumstances such as baby in the NICU, etc--the 
rental is not covered for back to work) and all women are given a manual 
pump when discharged from the hospital after birth as compliance with the 
new law to provide breastfeeding equipment as needed.. 
There's a lot of controversy among LCs, MDs, etc about this, both pro and 
con. 

So, what do you think? 
Can a full-time working mother maintain exclusive bf with a manual pump? 
Do any of you have personal experience with full-time work using only a 
manual pump? 
Is it a matter of pumping time? 
Or do wave forms, suck frequency, etc play a major part in maintaining milk 
production? 
Any research available? 

My concern is that no one kind of pump is appropriate for all mothers, and 
that a manual pump is not sufficient for employed mothers (here often back 
to work at 6 weeks postpartum, gone for 10 hours a day, 5 days a week). 
Thanks, Susan in Berkeley CA 



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