breast pumps can be so expensive! Is it really necesary to get one of the pricey electric ones? or will a manual one do? I plan on using it at first for an ocassional bottle so that when I eventually go back to work he can still have breastmilk... which means i will eventually be using it pretty frequently? so should i invest in an expensive one? which ones are the best? Ive heard so many stories of $300 pumps being horrible and not worth the money at all...
i had one of those. it was a gift from my sister. i preferred the automatic ones simply because both times i had my babies i got nasty nasty tendonitis in both arms. i had to wear full arm braces and stuff. the manual i started out with just wasn't doable for that reason. but it worked REALLY well. i just happened to have a generous baby sis.
I used the cheapest one Wal-Mart had. I think it was $30.00. It worked GREAT. Especially at first when Alexis just would NOT latch on the right way and my breasts became so engorged and painful. The pump really relieved me. I suggest investing in one of those, just in case you have the same problem I did. It was only a single, but it did it's job. Even if you don't have that problem, it's still good to have around just in case. They also have a double one at Wal-Mart for like....$70.00, I think. That'll be good if you plan on going back to work when you're able. But, breastfeeding is the best at first. At least for, 6 weeks, I think? Ask Maggie about that one. That way, your baby doesn't get nipple confusion and refuse the breast to the bottle. Luckily for me, that never happened.
I spent about 200 for my breast pump when my son was born 4 years ago. I love that it is automatic and I can pump a bottle of milk in like 10 minutes. I only use it when I'm engorged and in pain. I was trying to pump 4 oz a day, but I am lazy about it. Mine is a Ameda Purely Yours and it's the only kind I've used.
I'm a Lactation Consultant and I see the biggest problem with moms who go back to work, and then quitting breastfeeding soon after, is that their milk supply suffers due to a crappy pump. In breast pumps you DO get what you pay for. If you are only going to be pumping a few times a month, for an occasional evening out, then a hand or battery operated pump is fine (but not the Evenflo or the Gerber, they are both crap, and have such inconsistant suction that I have seen entire areolas bruised by them) but a mom who is even going back to work part time (meaning pumping at least once a day, 3 or more times a week) then she needs a FULLY electric, automatic pump. I suggest the Pump in Style, if you are going to own your pump, and nurse more than 4 months, or to rent a Medela Lactina or Symphony, if you want to rent, or are only going to breastfeed a short period of time. PLEASE do NOT buy a used pump. Even the best Lactina or Symphony uses a Closed System, and milk particles and bacteria, viruses and molds and yeast can get into and grow in the motor. Getting a "new kit" won't help you here. The pumps you rent are a completely different set up, and nothing can get into the motor, they are sealed, and the KIT collects and the pump makes the power. Using a rental pump (which run, new, about $975.00 to $1,400) will not cause a contamination risk. ANY used "Single Patient Use Pump" (anything from a hand pump to a Pump in Style) can cause cross contamination, and should NEVER be shared, even with "someone you know well." Go to www.medela.com for places to get a good pump. Please, don't buy them at Babies R Us, WalMart, K Mart ect. If you buy or rent your pump from a Board Certified Lactation Consultant, you will have someone to help you throughout your breastfeeding experience, and Babies R Us isn't going to do that. (Also, they often sell really OLD pumps as new. I have seen 5 year old pumps bought there, advertised as "brand new" and with the newest price.) You gain nothing by buying from people who can't SHOW YOU how to to use the pump, how to prevent your milk supply from going down, and who can answer questions when you need it. Good luck.
for working outside the home, Yes. Cheap pumps can not only decrease your supply, but they are notorious for causing breast damage, due to the fluctuating negative pressure. A better made pump will have consistant suction, and are much less likely to reduce your supply or cause breast damage. Here's a picture of the Pump In Style. There are several types. Shoulder bag or back pack. One with a Let Down button, and a less expensive one, without it. http://www.medela.com/newfiles/pnsorglrg.html Here is the Lactina. The more affordable, really effective, rental pump. Here is where to find an LC who will rent and sell pumps. http://www.medela.com/NewFiles/bnn.html
This is the one I use: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.htm...-2835059?ie=UTF8&asin=B000056HMV&frombrowse=1 It works great, have never have a problem with it. I pump 3 times a day, and have since my son was 2 months old. I went back to work part time. I didn't buy it new. I got 2 motors and 2 cord/plug ins from my cousin. All I had to buy were the valves and the boob-sucking part, which I bought 4 of each for about $30 CND. My friend, whose twins were premie, had a bunch of 4 oz glass bottles from storing her milk when still in the NICU, and she gave me those. I label my milk on the glass jar with a dry erase marker, and store them in my freezer, making sure to rotate as milk is only good for about 2 weeks in the fridge-freezer. Good luck! Hope it all works out for you!
The single battery pump ice tea suggested is a good one. BUT, it is only for occasional use, and really shouldn't be shared, resold or borrowed, due to the issues I mentoned in the previous posts. Also, you can get these from IBCLCs, and she will be able to help you with everything you need durng your breastfeeding expreience, which Target can't do. You may pay a few more dollars, but an LC can't help you, if you have "save money" by using a retail store for your pump, unless you pay for a consultation. I get at least one or more calls a week, from mamas who bought Single Pateint Use Pumps second hand, and the thing died. These CAN BE good pumps (like the one above) but they are meant, both in usage life and safety issues, for ONE patient only. Worked with a pateint (refered from the hospital as it was so weird of a case) who got Hepatitis which we can only deduce was gotten from a borrowed pump which she got from her sister a few months ago. (The client didn't have Hep before the baby was born, had no blood products, her dh doesn't have it, but her sister, it turns out does) Is wasn't worth the money she saved. Her sister didn't even know she had the Hep, until my client was diagnosed. Now her baby has to be given Hep immunoglobins and she and her dh have to use condoms, and she is seriously thinking about having no more kids, due to the problems with the Hep. It isn't worth the money saved, really.
I had a medela pump in style. My insurance bought it. call your insurance and see if they'll cover all or part of the purchase.
yeah, the pump in style is the one i had. i practically never used it. so, how is it okay to use one of those for yourself for an extended period of time, perhaps through two children, but not use a used one? wouldn't the same trouble with bacteria and such present itself over time?
if you plan on using the pump so that you can go back to work i suggest that you invest in a decent electric double pump. when i had just a hand pump it would take me at least 20 minutes just to get an ounce or two out. when i finally got an electric pump it was so much easier and quicker and my boobs and my wrists didnt hurt afterwards. i got a first years pump it was only 90 dollars at babies r us. i suggest you do your homework on pumps and brands before you go out and get one. mine was perfect for me it came with a carrying case with an insulated pocket to keep the pumped milkand another storage pocket for whatever was needed.
i went back to work when my son was 6 weeks old and i had to pump 2 times at work and once in the middle of the night because he slept all night. i didn't have that much money so i got a Bailey breast pump that had manual cycling on it, which meant that i had to cover a little hole to make the pump have suction and uncover the whole when it needed to stop. so i pretty much controled the duration of suction instead of the motor. But it had an electric motor and i was able to pump both breasts at once and make about 4 oz from each. here's the site for the pump i got http://www.baileymed.com/ i bought the one that didnt have all the accesories like a bag and ice packs which saved me alot of money because i only paid $80 for the pump and i went out and bought a little soft 6pk cooler that had an expandable top so i could store the motor on top and the bottles and some ice packs i bought in the cooler spot. best of wishes!!! also don't freak out if the fe days before you go back to work your milk production drops, its just nerves and it'll go back to normal.
Most pumps made now no longer use the "Semi Automatic" power. (Meaning YOU have to uncover and cover a little hole to break the suction.) These are a bit a a pain to use, and you need both hands, also, some mamas tend to leave the suction on for too long with each cycle, causing damage to the breast. They may be cheaper, but unless they are for occasion use, most people don't care for them, and prefer a pump which cycles the suction without you having to do anything. Well, first of all, you aren't going to give yourself a disease you don't already have. There ARE problems with people who have children YEARS apart, when mold and yeasts get into the motor or the kit itself. If it's only in the kit, purchasing a new kit is the solution, if it's in the motor, and you are the original purchaser, the manufacturer may be able to clean it. If it is really old, it may not be able to be fixed, just like some broken pumps. But, you aren't going to GIVE yourself a disease that you don't already have. One of the problems is when you borrow a pump from someone who may have a virus or bacterial infection, and it can be passed on to you through the motor or kit of the pump.
i see. so the manufacturer can clean the motor for the original purchaser, but not for a secondhand user.
I plan to breastfeel exclusively the first few months, but I have to travel about three months after the baby's born and he will need a bottle. And we don't know yet if I'm going to return to work, but it wouldn't be until the end of June if I did. For someone who plans to stay at home and just needs to pump for the occasional night out or travel will a manual pump do? I don't mind paying the cost for the Pump in Style, but I don't want something I don't need or wont use. I do like the idea of pumping and storing extra breastmilk and would like to do it hassle-free and quickly, but is an electric pump too much for what I need? I've been thinking of getting both so I have something efficient for storing milk and something simple when I just want to express a little or empty a breast.
in my experiance, manual pumps aren't worth the plastic they are made off... but maybe someone else had a better experiance?
Kmarie, Babycenter.com has a store where they sell nursing supplies, and while I haven't bought anything from them I have used their customer reviews as a guide as to how well the pumps (and other things) work. I think they have the swing pump, as well as the pump in style, and quite a few others in their store, all with lots of customer reviews.
Sera, Here's just a suggestion since you mentioned needing to give him a bottle at 3 months. Start the bottle as soon as you can! I started trying at 3 weeks old because I had no idea that sometimes babies don't take bottles, and he never took it. I eventually had to quit my job because running back and forth in June in the AZ desert was no fun at all, plus he was feeling my stress and rush all the time. Also, you not only have to start a bottle early, you must give one to the baby very often, or they forget and refuse the bottle. With my daughter, I started a bottle by 1 week old and tried giving her a bottle every day (of pumped milk). I got lazy about it, and she refused it!! I changed to a different bottle and it worked, but I once again went a couple of weeks without giving her a bottle, and she is refusing again. It really makes it tough if you have to do anything without your baby. I'm telling you this because no one told me. Everyone told me about nipple confusion and giving the breast immediately, etc. but no one told me that breastfed babies may not take a bottle at all. Good luck!
