I am looking to buy a manual breast pump but I am not sure what brand to buy. Ive been reading the reviews on some and they all say they lose the suction after a few weeks or months. Can anybody reccommend a good one that isnt too expensive??
I loved my Aventi (sp?) hand pump. It worked perfectly for me and I was able successfully pump for two kids even though I had tried others with my first two kids and had no luck at all. I wish you the best!
I loved my Avent Isis. I will tell you that it is not meant for everyday use though. My sister rented one that she used everyday and it I remember correctly she liked it and it wasn't that expensive. Good Luck.
I used the Avent Isis and I loved it. I never had a problem losing suction. Yes manual pumps are a bit harder to use than the electric pumps BUT you can control the amount of pressure and suction, unlike the electric which tend to be too hard. I would never use an electric!
I've had two Avent Isis (Ises?). I bought the second only because I was out of town when my little one got sick and I couldn't nurse him. I've loved my Avents. I've never had a problem with them loosing suction and I used mine for almost two years each. I used mine only for supplemental pumping--because I work from home and always with my little ones--but I did pump at least once every single day to donate to the Mother's Milk Bank.
So basically ... I loved the Isis and highly recommend it!
Our hospital gave us a manual medela pump, they usually run about $30. I used that for about 5 months until I returned to work and purchased the fancy $300 medela. Most of the parts are interchangeable. Both worked well.
I used the Avent one and didn't have a problem with it losing suction. I used it exclusively with both of my children.
I tried for six weeks the first time I had a baby. I found out that the brand of pump I had actually caused the milk not to produce. Its always best to breast feed directly. I ended up renting a pump but by then it was too late. Point being that the cheap ones might not be the best route. Contact your La Leche Leauge. The pump that seems to be best was the Medela. I think they have manual pumps also.
Manual pumps are not intended for frequent use, that might be why their pumps loose suction.
Here's a link on the Medela site on how to choose a pump right for your needs http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/product-selector
Here's a link not related to a particular brand.
http://www.breastisbest.com/infobreastfeedingpumps.html
BTW I have used the Isis and the Pump In Style as has my sister and we both prefer the Pump In Style, although it's pretty expensive.
avent all the way. I used mine with 3 kids and it's now being used by my SIL with no problems.
I used the Medela Harmony wtih our second daughter and it worked great. It was just as fast as the electric one I used with our first. If the pumps are losing suction, it's most likely that a piece or part is missing. I did have one problem where this tiny little white ring came off and the handle kept falling off the pump...but when I finally realized what was missing, I returned it and was able to exchange because it was within the return time frame and also I had my receipt. You can get one at target for about $35.
Have you used a manual pump before? I ask this only because I used the Medela Harmony for the first several weeks after my hospital stay and it no where compared to the ease of using an electric pump. I have since rented the Medela Symphony from Babies-R-Us and then finally purchased the Medela PIS. They are both so easy to use and well worth the money if you're going to be doing a lot of pumping. Regarding the Medela Harmony, the handle on mine keeps on detaching from the mounting...causing it to lose suction.
The best manual has got to be the Avent Isis. I know lots of people that prefer it over double electrics!
I used a Medela PIS when my son was a baby because I worked full time. But when DD was a baby I started staying home. I just used the Avent Isis, and my output was just as much with it as with the Medela PIS! My OB told me that she offered her Medela PIS to a friend and friend turned her down because she preferred her Avent isis.
it's about $50, but worth it. I don't know what it's like for multiple-times-a-day use, though.
