Despite there being so many pump options on the market, there is little variation on how pumps work and the features they offer.

It can be challenging, however, to navigate your new pump as you figure out which each of the buttons do and which settings allow for the most comfortable pumping experience and the most pump output.

In today's blog, I am going to go over everything you need to know how to work your Spectra S1 and how you can utilize the pump features to maximize comfort and output.

If you don't have the S1, that's perfectly okay! You can take what you read here and apply the fundamentals to whichever electric pump you're using.

How easy it will be to translate may depend on the pump though, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave a comment down below!

The fundamentals

Motor

Spectra S1 Button Guide | What do these buttons do?

One of the many things that I love about the spectra S1 breast pump is how intuitive the button layout is. It can be overwhelming when you first unbox it, but as you can see in the graphic above, it's pretty straight forward.

The one thing that I do want to mention, and a point of annoyance that I mentioned in the full S1 review, is that when you turn the pump on, it starts off in expression mode. This is different than other pumps such as the Medela Pump in Style or Symphony.

Expression mode is made to mimic a baby's active feeding pattern, which consists of long, strong sucks that are lower in number compared to when they first latch on to elicit a letdown.

At the beginning of your pump session, it's recommended to start off with a few minutes of "quick and shallow sucks" which is achieved in the massage mode.

This means that every time you pump, you'll press two buttons to begin: The ON button followed by the Letdown button. After a few minutes or once your letdown starts, you’ll press the letdown button again to toggle to expression mode.

A bit confusing at first but you'll get the hang of it!

Spectra S1 Display Guide | What is the pump telling me?

If you’re ever confused about which mode you’re in, just look for the wavy line symbol in the top left corner.

If you see it, you’re in massage/letdown mode.
If you don’t, you're in expression mode.

Another way you can tell is by the cycle speed and suction level.

In massage/letdown mode there is a set cycle speed of 70. You won’t be able to adjust this, but you do have control over suction level.

If you can adjust the cycle speed or raise the sution level to greater to 5, you’re in expression mode.

Assembly

Assembling the breast shield is easy, but there may be more parts than you’re used to.

The backflow protector consists of three parts: 2 clear plastic shells and a white diaphragm. The plastic shells are different sizes, with the smaller attaching into grooved portion of the diaphragm and the larger shell sandwiching the diaphragm from the outside.

If that description was confusing (don’t worry, it’s easier when you’re following along with pump parts in hand) here’s another way to think of it:

With the diaphragm in front of you and the “cupped” or concave side facing to the left, the large shell goes on the left and the smaller shell on the right.

The tubing attaches to the larger shell, and the smaller shell is what connects to the breast shield.

Finding the right settings for you

The most important thing to consider when you're pumping is your comfort.

As a quick reference, here are a few reasons why pumping may be uncomfortable:

Using the wrong size flanges
Too high of vacuum pressure
Increasing suction level too quickly
Too slow of a cycle speed
Nipple trauma or infection

What settings you use and when you use them plays a significant role in how comfortable (and productive) your pump experience is.

To understand the pumping experience, it's helpful if we first cover infant sucking. That's what the pump is trying to emulate right?

Babies generally transfer well with a strong stuck of at least 150 mmHg of vacuum pressure. 1 Babies who use a lower sucking strength ~ 100 mmHg can have difficulties in maintaining and building their parent's milk supply.

One of the challenges pump manufacturers face is that the infant suck speed and strength is variable, meaning it isn't consistent throughout a feeding session. Babies tend to use softer but more rapid sucks in the first few minutes of feeding and transition to a slower, stronger feeding pattern.

The S1 gives you a bunch of flexibility in controlling both the rate of sucks per minute and the strength of each suck.

But with more control comes greater responsibility and greater opportunity to "over suction"!

So how to do you find the balance between a comfortable pump experience and a strong enough suction?

The answer lies in the vacuum pressure values the S1 can achieve.

There are five levels of vacuum pressure in the massage/letdown mode ranging from 50 mmHg ( on level 1), and I would guess somewhere between 180-200 mmHg level 5.

Note: There is no information from Spectra as to what levels correlate to with what vacuum pressure. They do state, however, that the mmHg levels in massage mode are less than their max mmHg level in expression mode. The max mmHg for Spectra USA S1 around 280 mmHg.

For massage/letdown mode I would encourage you to shoot for level 3 or higher before switching to expression mode.

In expression mode, start with the suction level that feels most comfortable and gradually increase the vacuum pressure during your pump session.

Not everyone can comfortably pump at the highest vacuum pressure and luckily there is no need to pump on the highest settings, but you should shoot for as high of a suction level as you can tolerate.

Just ballparking, shooting for suction level 8-10 I think is a realistic expectation assuming that you're using correctly sized flanges.

Need help with flange sizing? Check out our flange sizing guide, which outlines everything you need to know to find the best flange fit possible.

You can also play with the cycle setting to see if adjusting the number of cycles per minute allows for more comfortable pumping.

If my nips are especially sensitive because I've accidentally pumped at too high of a setting, I find increasing the cycle speed takes the edge off allowing me to keep the same suction level.

But don't be afraid to turn your pump down.

Painful pumping and oxytocin don't jive, and you need oxytocin to release your milk. Listen to your body and adjust accordingly.

Pumping tip: If you can find no comfortable combination of suction strength and cycle speed, you can just stick to the massage mode. Make sure you're keeping with the upper end of the suction speed though. And double check your flange size!

Trouble shooting

In a perfect world there would be no need to trouble shoot because we would never have an issue. Unfortunately, this is far from a perfect world and issues are bound to happen.

Here is the Spectra Manual for your reference but I did want to quickly a common issue.

Low or no suction:

Make sure your membrane is securely attached to your breast shield and ensure there are no tears. If you're using duckbill valves, check to see if the opening is closed when not in use. If you're using "traditional" membranes, look to see if the flap lays flat against the membrane adapter body. Replacing the membranes/valves may solve the problem.
Ensure there are no holes or kinks in the tubing and the tubing is securely attached to the motor and backflow protector
Double check to make sure the backflow protector shells and diaphragm are securely connected

I hope you've found this primer helpful! It can be an exciting but overwhelming experience pumping for the first time or using a pump you've never used before.

If you have any questions about your S1 or in the market for one and are ready to order, please let me know. I am a breast pump rep for those with Tricare Insurance but can help anyone figure out the best and most affordable way to obtain their pump.

Are you having issues with low supply or pump output that you've yet to find the solution for? I would love to help develop a plan that will get you on your way to seeing the results you're looking for. Booking with me is super easy. :)