Breast Pumps - Saint Paul, MN

Madela is the best, but expensive. I've seen a bunch of them online at Craigslist.com for way cheep. (normally, these double breast pumps would be in the 300 range, and I've seen them practically brand new on craigslist for $75.) If you run everything through your dishwasher to sanitize it, usually your dishwasher is hot enough to do a good job. Or, there are places you can buy a new parts kit for 30-50 for everything.

Good Luck! I love the advent system so for my first son I bought the advent pump - but I would not recomend it, I don't know if it was just me - but I could sit there for 30 minutes and get maybe 4oz, while other's with the medila could get that in about 5 minutes. I am going to invest in a new pump here soon - my next son is due in june.
Good Luck!!

I work full-time and pump at work and have to travel a lot via air and car. I use the Medela Pump-in-Style with the Easy Expression Bustier and it's great. The pump is in a shoulder bag style, and there is lots of room to put extra parts. I also put everything that I would normally carry in my purse in there (wallet, makeup, etc.).

I've been using it for six months now, and haven't had a problem yet. I also have the battery power supply for if I can't get to an electrical outlet and I have the car adapter. It's great.

there's a new medela that might be good for you. the swing.

I use the Medela Pump n Style. It's nice for traveling because everything fits into a little backpack, and it runs while plugged into an outlet, or with a battery pack. Medela's can be expensive, and we didn't want to spend a lot of money either, so we got ours on Ebay (used, but I had my own tubing and breast shields that I got from the hospital where I delivered). You can also get these steamer/sanitizing bags if you get used tubing and shields. We got some from our lactation consultant (also at the hospital where we delivered), and microwaved to sanitize the used tubing that came with our pump.
I'm in WI, so don't know anything about what's available in CA, but here there are several places that also rent pumps which can also be cheaper. You should call the lactation nurses at your hospital and they will probably know of places in your area. Good Luck!

I agree with everyone who's mentioned the double electric pump by Lansinoh. It apparently is just like the Purely Yours, by Ameda, but quite reasonable. Target even puts them on sale (10% off) sometimes. I found mine easy to use. Oh, and the sound it makes put both my daughter and husband to sleep whenever I was pumping!

I really liked my Lansinoh double electric pump, which I got at Target. It was not fancy - not a lot of bells and whistles, so the price was quite reasonable (can't remember exactly - I had $50 in my head, but the Lansinoh site says "under $200" - so maybe more like $150...) - but it did have adjustable speed and intensity. The electric base is about 8-9 inches long, maybe 6 inches wide, and around 4 inches tall. No nice carrying case, but at that size, it's pretty portable. The double pump was especially important for me, as I couldn't pump one side without the other letting down full force anyway. You have to get a little creative if you only want to use one side, but for so little money and the few times I needed only one side, I thought it was a great buy.

first of all i dont want to forget to mention that your insurance company may pay for a pump for you! my husband has blue cross blue shield and they supplied me with the medela pump in style (which i highly recommend) for FREE as long as my doctor wrote a prescription for it.

its awesome!

I don't know if you'd consider this but I have a Medela Travel Pack which is a dual plug in or battery operated and it's a back pack. It costed a couple hundred and can be found for way less on e-bay or craig's list I'm sure. I bought mine in 2004. You can store the milk in their bottles to store your milk and dump it in your bottles or use their bottles with their nipples.

Hospital's rent out nice one's

or

You can find used one's on craigslist and just buy new tubing.

I trully believe you get what you pay for in a pump...I breast feed my twins for one year, worked full time, and never bought formula. MEDELA PUMP AND STYLE ADVANCE was worth it's weight in GOLD to me. I pumped at work, airports, in my car, etc. That being said, I BORROWED the pump (backback style). Go on Craig's List and buy it used or e bay. Buy new attachments, good as new! Don't cheap out on your pump if you really use/need a pump!!! My two cents.

I love my Madela electric pump. They are pretty small now. I know they are kind of expensive, but who knows, maybe you can sell it on craigslist or at a garage sale when you are done with it. They can just buy new tubes & shields. It is worth it!! Good luck.

I TOTALLY would recommend the double pump because if you are pumping one, then the other ofter leaks.

I had the Medela battery operated one that had a wall plug. (The car plug never worked.) I used this for my first son and I was pumping at work for 9 months and doing 10+ oz a day. The biggest problem is transporting and storing because the shape was awkward, so I still ended up with the big black bag. (I work in a school, so I wanted to be a bit discrete walking down the hall.)

love love love the Ameda Purely Yours. i have used that and the medala pump in style and the Ameda one is better by far. it can operate on batteries as well if you do not have access to power, and it comes with a hand pump if you are desperate:)

I love the Ameda Purely Yours! Target has the same exact pump by Lansinoh. Both sell for $150.
I pumped exclusively for 11 months and it worked really well. It's compact, efficient, easy to use, and I always had an overabundance of milk.
I'm not sure about Lansinoh, but Ameda pumps have a warranty- if anything goes wrong they replace it. The first pump I got had a flaw. I called and they sent me a new one right away. I think the whole process took 2 days.
http://www.ameda.com/products/personal.aspx
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/602-###-###-####-###...

I have the Pump in Style Traveler Breastpump (doublepumping) that I used very little with my kids it looks like a backpack. I might even have some new tubes I'd have to check. I'd sell it to you if you are interested.

Let me know,
J.

Here's my 2 cents. I tried the Avent isis uno, and ended up hating it. It stopped working properly after less then a year of use (because I bought it before my son was born and didn't pump immediately). the company wouldn't do anything for me. It was a waste. I replaced it w/ the Medela Swing. That sounds perfect for you. It's small and portable, with a battery power option. And so far it's been great for me. I am also a SAHM but I pump occaisionally and go to work 1 day a week. For my uses it's been great.

I used the Lansinoh - got it at target for about $150 (double electric pump) and LOVED it. It was great, affordable, and unlike the Medela had a reverse flow valve so that no milk ran back down the tubes into the motor. I would definitely recommend it!

I rented one from the hospital, and then also used a medela electric pump, both very expensive. My favorite pump, however, was the 50$ hand pump by Avent! (try Target) Plus, it fit all of my Avent bottles and storage containers! it was a breeze to use and I really liked that i could control it so much nicer than an electric one! Good luck!

C.,
I had a Medela electric pump the first time around, which worked great, but was bulky, heavy and obvious all the time. Second time around I got an Avent manual pump and to my surprise it worked wonderfully. And it is small and very easy to use. I think its around $40 (or at least it was...)
Good luck! T.

I pumped with both of my girls (it was too painful for them to nurse after I got home from hospital) and I used a hand pump called Avent. I absolutely loved it and all I did was pump and put it in a bottle and bottle feed my girls. It kept up a good supply (I had 1/2 a deep freeze full of extra milk it pumped!) Good luck.

I am not sure what kind of insurance you have, but sometimes they will cover a breast pump. If you call 1-866-milk-mom and talk to Heather she will let you know if your insurance will cover it. You might be able to get a good pump from her and she would be able to tell you what would be best for you. Good luck!

Without any hesistation whatsoever...I would recommend the MEDELA. I know there are a few different types-- I think they categorize by color. I bought the lavender one with my son almost 9 years ago and used it again when my daughter was born 3 and a half years later. This is a small, single pump. It was one of the few on the retail market that was truly fully automatic. This makes a huge difference! I can't stress enough how much easier it was than having to actually "pump" with your hand. There are a lot that say "automatic", but you still have to push a button every time you want suction...not this one. You can adjust the speed and strength even during pumping via a dial. It was easy to clean and compact. It came with several storage containers (standard bottles also fit) and a nice little carrying bag for it all. It can plug in to the wall OR operate on batteries...great for traveling. I had to buy one once when we were traveling and I forgot mine...no other model came close to the Medela. I would absolutely buy it again. Nine years ago it seemed a little pricey at $80, but compared to the "hospital grade" ones, it was still cheap and worth every penny.

One last note...when I got it out to use with my second child, I discovered we were missing a small part. I called customer service and I had the part the next day in the mail, no questions asked and no charge!