If you choose to breast feed your baby, you will probably want to invest in a quality breastpump. A quality breast pump, such as those offered by Medela and Ameda, is vital for successfully pumping breast milk. Many lower-quality breast pumps offer inconsistent vacuum strength or only a single suction speed, which can result in sluggish, and sometimes painful, pumping. However, you can still find the right breastpump for your budget; some lower cost ones to research are made by Evenflo and Avent.

Both the Medela breastpump and the Ameda breastpump offer a variety of options that are important if you wish to express breast milk. Adjustable suction and cycle speeds are necessary to the quick and painless let down of your milk. If the suction is too strong, not strong enough, too fast or slow, your milk will not come in as it does for your baby. You want to replicate your own baby's nursing behavior as much as possible, so these settings should be able to be individualized for each mother.

Choosing a breastpump that offers single or double pumping is also a good idea. If you are trying to pump at work or any other place where time is a concern, having the ability to pump both breasts at once will, obviously, cut the amount of time you spend pumping in half. Once you are done pumping, you need to store your milk. Many of the better breast pumps come complete with a storage system. This can consist of sealable, freezer-safe plastic bags or small, plastic containers that convert to bottles by switching out the tops for nipples.

When choosing a breastpump, make sure that it has more than one source of power. Nothing is worse than sitting down to pump and realizing that the batteries to your breast pump are dead. Most pumps offer a variety of power methods, including AA batteries, battery packs, AC adapters, and car adapters.