I am due to have my second baby in 5 weeks and am looking to buy an electric pump for occasional pumping(so my daughter can be included in feeding the baby, the occasional outing). I had many problems breast feeding my daughter(inverted nipples, over ejection reflex, and improper latching(which I was told I was doing correctly untill she was not gaining weight and was lethargic) but I was determined even if I had to pump it she would have breast milk over anything else. I didnt want to take any chances so I rented a heavy duty pump just like the one i used in the hospital. Worked great and eventually we did not need it with the help of the shield I sucessfully nursed my daughter untill she weaned herself. I do not anticipate to many problems this time, I know alot more than I did last time I know to have a lactation consultant visit right away, and my nipples are no longer inverted thanks to the length I did breastfeed for. Anyway there are a lot of pumps on the market and they are pricey so I would like to hear from others personal experiece which ones are good.
i have a medela "minielectric" breast pump that i bought when i had my son, for about $65. I used it a few times (maybe 10 or 20 total) when my son was 2 months old, and i thought it was horribly painful. I had problems nursing him anyway (i still don't know why, i guess the first child is just harder) but when i used it again (so i could leave the house for a couple of hours) when Willow was about 1, i thought it was slightly uncomfortable, but not painful. i like this breastpump because it's small (you can just throw it in the diaper bag) and you can use it manually, with batteries, or plug it into the wall. You screw a bottle right onto it while you pump, and it's ready to go. There are only a few parts to it, and the ones that come in contact with your body or the milk can be washed in the dishwasher (i don't know if it's recommended, lol, but that's what i've always done).
