Manual Breast Pumps

What are manual breast pumps?

Manual breast pumps are hand operated and can only be used for one breast at a time. The pump is placed over the breast and the other hand is used to ‘pump’ the lever in order to create suction. These pumps are often less expensive than the electric ones and are usually quite light and compact, making them a good choice for those on a budget or with limited space.

This type of breast pump is best for mothers who only want to pump occasionally and are not using expressed breastmilk as a primary source of nutrition for their baby.This is because the manual pump can be quite time consuming and tiring on your wrists. However, these are a fantastic choice if you want to have a well-deserved sleep or need to be away from your baby and still want them to have the benefits of breastmilk. If you have a slow let-down reflex or limited milk supply, then you may find a manual breast pump does not provide the necessary stimulation for a large supply of expressed milk. In recent times, Silicone Breast Pumps (a type of manual breast pump) have become highly rated by mums, the most well known being our best selling Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump.