A breast pump is a mechanical or electrical device that extracts milk from the breast of a woman who is breastfeeding. The expressed breast milk (EBM) can be stored for feeding a baby by bottle at a later time. Expressed milk can be stored at room temperature (66-72 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to ten hours, refrigerated for up to 8 days, or frozen for up to six months in deep freeze maintained at a temperature of 0 degree Fahrenheit.

The breast pump is a boon for working mothers who can't constantly be with the baby to breastfeed them. They can use a breast pump to express milk while they are away from their child, and can have the caregiver feed the milk to the baby when the mothers can't be around to breastfeed the baby. A breast pump is also be used to stimulate lactation for women with low milk supply or to relieve engorgement - a painful condition whereby the breasts are overfull.

Breast pumps are basically of two types: manual and electric. Manual Pumps are powered by hand. Manual pumps are lighter, cheaper and less noisy than electric pumps. On the flip side, it is tiring to manually power the pump for extended periods of time. In an electric breast pump a small motor supplies the power for suction making, it a better choice for long term use.