How to: Use your Spectra pump

Specifically, one button on the pump.

There is a button with wavy lines on it. This button is used to switch back and forth between stimulation mode (the faster mode) and expression mode (the slower mode).

When you turn your pump on, you’ll notice that it starts in the slower mode or “expression mode.” This is the mode intended for use when the milk is flowing. In the photo above, I turned the pump on and the cycles are set to 50 because that’s what I left it on last time I was using the pump. This means that the pump is doing 50 sucks per minute. On the Spectra, you can change the cycles in this mode to as low as 38 and as high as 54. Experiment to find out what works best for you!

In order to achieve a letdown (to release the milk from the ducts and send it down towards the nipple) most people need to start their pumping session on the faster mode, the “massage mode.” So after you turn the pump on, push the button with the wavy lines. You will notice that the cycles change to 70, which means that the pump is sucking 70 times per minute.

These modes are meant to mimic what a baby does at the breast- sucks fast in the beginning to initiate the letdown and then sucks slower once the milk is flowing.

To recap: when your pump turns on and it is in the expression mode, you need to push the wavy line button to switch it to the massage mode. Then, when the milk is flowing faster, push the button again to switch it back to the slower mode.

Hope that helps! As always, please let me know if you’d like to set up a consult to chat more.

Happy pumping!

Jess