Did you ever see a milking machine demonstration at a county fair? Now try to picture yourself in the cow's place.

Having a supply of pumped breastmilk on hand may be a good idea. Even if you rarely give your baby a bottle, at least he will recognize what's inside of it. However, if you don't have a reason to pump — for instance, no plan to go back to work or to attend an event to which you can't bring your baby — and you don't want to, then don't force it on yourself. You should, however, plan on bringing your baby with you whenever you go out for more than a few hours until he's eating solids, about six months old.

If you do decide to pump, get the most powerful pump you can. Some women with hair-trigger let-downs can use a hand pump or even express milk without a pump, but you'll have a better chance of success with a hospital-grade pump. Portable briefcase-style electric pumps aren't bad but are not quite as strong as the less stylish ones. You may want to rent a pump before investing in one.

Getting Started

Wait until your baby is at least four weeks old and, hopefully, settled into a regular nursing schedule. Pick a time at least an hour after he's nursed and an hour before you expect him to nurse again (or a time when there is something on TV that you like, since it's hard to pump and do much else but sit) and try to pump at the same time every day. If your baby for some reason cuts a feeding short, pump out the remainder. If you experience a let-down during a free moment, grab the pump and take advantage of it.

Use clean pump equipment and bottles (wash with hot soapy water and air-dry on a clean towel or run through the dishwasher). Wash your hands, get comfortable, and then do whatever best produces a let-down. This may be music, silence, or looking at a picture of your baby.

When you start to pump, unless your baby has just nursed, you'll probably get very little milk until your milk lets down. You should then pump until the milk flow stops. (For the first week don't expect to get much milk; your body has to adjust to producing extra for your pumping sessions.) Start on the minimum setting, and dial the pressure up until you're getting milk. If you're using a single pump, pump for five minutes on each side, alternating for as long as you are producing milk. Or you use an adapter that lets you pump both breasts at once — after all, you really don't want a pumping session to last longer than it has to.

Storing Breastmilk

Breastmilk will keep at room temperature for six to ten hours, depending on how cool your room is. You can leave it out if you're planning on using it that day (to eliminate having to heat it). It will keep in the refrigerator for as long as eight days, and you can add to it during that period. It will keep in the freezer for up to four months if your freezer has a separate door, and in a deep freezer for more than six months. Once thawed, it can be refrigerated for twenty-four hours, but not refrozen.

When you're ready to use the frozen milk, defrost it in warm running water. Don't use hot water, or you'll compromise the milk's immune-boosting effect. Shake it up, as the fat will have risen to the top. If you feed the baby unshaken milk, he'll get all cream, will get full, and may not get enough overall fluid.