1. Eat and drink well.
   Raw foods go a long way in keeping your milk flowing and healthy. Vitamins from fruits and vegetables are absorbed and distributed through the body five times more effectively than any supplemental form. Avoid preservatives and diet supplements as well. Drink plenty of water - 8 cups per day, minimum.
2. Exercise.
   We know the challenge of finding time for taking care of your body. But, taking care of yourself first goes a long way in helping you take better care of other things in your life. Even if it's just 15 minutes a day to do a low-cardio routine. As Nike says, "Just do it."
3. Feed and pump as often as you can.
   Frequency is key in maintaining and increasing milk supply. The female body is hardwired to reproduce milk as soon as it senses 'inventory' is low. Breast milk should not be kept at room temperature for more than 4 hours. Keep in the back of the fridge for no more than four days and it can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Breast pumping requires a bit of sacrifice, but the rewards are more than worth it. Stay healthy and live well.

Schedule your day.
It's important to keep your day scheduled such that you will have time enough to breast pump. Keep in mind that pumping twice in an eight hour shift is a good goal. Give yourself 10-15 minutes for each pumping session.

Check with the boss.
It may be a little awkward, but if you only have a 10 minute break and you may need a minute or two more for setup and storage, it's always a good idea to let your supervisor or person you report to know what's going on should any questions come up. Some states even have laws in place to protect working mothers who wish to pump. Check out www.lalecheleague.org for more information.

Make a space.
Where to pump can be tricky. The important factors here are privacy and consistency. A room with a closed door that can be locked is ideal. It is important to be consistent. Your coworkers will learn your routine and quickly begin to respect your privacy. This will prevent unwelcome intrusions. You will also need a place to clean your pump and store your milk in a refrigerator.

The Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pump is a great pump for work place pumping. It comes in a handy carry case and is lightweight and easy to transport. It will go a long way to help make pumping at work less uncomfortable and more natural.

• Nipple position
  The flange should be large enough for your nipple. The nipples should not rub top, bottom or sides of the flange.
• Comfort is key
  Keep the suction setting comfortable. Too much and you won't get any milk as you will be too tense. You don't want to be cringing while pumping.
• How to double-pump with only one hand
  Here's a great tip to free one of your hands. Put flange #1 in place on the breast. Using the arm by that breast, hold the flange with the forearm right by the elbow. Now you can place flange #2 on the second breast and use the hand of the arm holding #1 in place to hold #2 in place. Voila. Now you have a hand available to do whatever (like talking on the phone, holding a book, etc.).
• A good time to pump?
  If you can do it in the morning that seems to be the best. But really it depends on your body. Some get good milk expression late in the day. Avoid pumping immediately before nurse feeding your baby. Give yourself a good hour afterward to let your milk supply replenish.
• Drain the breast
  When you pump all the milk out of your breast, this will tell your body to make more and make it fast. Experts have a fancy name for the chemistry involved in this: Feedback Inhibitor of Lactation or FIL. The more FIL you have, the less fill (of milk) you'll get.

Armed with these tips you will be for effective using your breast pump, like the Ameda Purely Yours.

A manual breast pump will have a lever or a piston which you squeeze by hand to create the suction for extracting the breast milk. Those who prefer this model enjoy the size and ease of its maneuverability. Manual pumps are also quieter than the electrics and so a mother can pump one breast and feed the baby with the other without noise distraction. Disadvantages that are found by those who have used the manual pumps are the slow speed and tiredness of hands. Another issue to be aware of are the pumps which use a rubber ball and look like the horn of a bicycle as bacteria has been known to build up in the ball.

Electric pumps, although somewhat pricier, are far and above becoming the favored choice of busy moms. The idea of simply attaching a cup to your breast (or both breasts) and reading a book while you pump your milk is very attractive to most women. And as electric pumps become more light-weight and less bulky the challenge of maneuverability is minimized. Manufacturers are even researching suction patterns that vary from baby to baby and milk expression which vary from mother to mother. With the the turn of a dial, a mother can then set the pump to a pattern which suits her needs and rhythms. The best example of one of these machines is the Ameda Purely Yours breast pump, found for unbelievably low price right here at this website.

Research over the years has shown that bottle feeding with formula milk is not the healthiest choice. The chance of the baby contracting a bacteria infection, ear infection, meningitis or diarrhea are greatly increased when not breastfed. Dangers to the mother can also arise, as breastfeeding will stimulate hormones necessary for post pregnancy recovery.

Cost also can become a factor in the breast or bottle debate.  Buying formula every month can quickly add up and easily put a dent in the family budget. Who can beat the price of breast milk when you can get it for free?

Fortunately, today, we have some great alternatives available for working mothers. They can have the health and savings of using their own breast milk along with the convenience of letting their baby drink from a bottle by breast pumping. Done once or twice a day at their convenience, breast pumping will give peace of mind to the mother. And let's not forget about all those formula containers you won't be throwing in the landfill. Go green!