Should I Buy a Breast Pump?

Electric pumps do work better but are expensive if you on't need it everyday. Battery powered may be better if you don't need it all the time. Also pumping five minutes after every feeding will increase your supply.

I would say if you plan on breastefeeding for awhile longer definitely invest in an electric one. They are wonderful. If you don't want to spend the $150+ on a new one, look into a used one on Ebay or Craigs list. Then since you do stay at home even once you ahve finished breastfeeding, you will have milk in storage to use.

I am a SAHM too, I also breastfeed. Yes get the electic pump!!! Everytime my sons appetite changes my breast pay for it.All the extra milk I freeze so my husband is able to feed him, and I can get some mommy time when needed. Also if you store enough and get sick you can go on antibiotics and still feed him until the meds are out of your body. But make sure to stay on his feeding schedule when you pump so you don't over pump!!

I would consider renting a double pump from a medical supply store. I rented a pump in the Springfield area for $25/month (had to purchase the attachments, but it was relatively inexpensive). I'm sure there are supply stores near you that rent them. To me, that made more sense the buying a really expensive pump that I would only use for a short time. ;)

Best wishes!

Don't buy a double electric pump. Just a single works great. I have a double and I never use them both at one time. They connect to each other anyway so it reduces suction. I find that I sometimes need two hands to do just one breast, and also you will get very bored-- it's good to have the other hand free to do other things like read. I play games on my cell phone! Save your money! Mine was only $40-- evenflo

I would say YES!!!! Get an electric breast pump! When my 10 month old was 5 weeks, my 3 year old had to be emergency hospitalized and I couldn't take the baby with me. I took a hand pump and pumped while I was there to freeze the milk for the baby to have the next day. Every hour you are away from the baby, PUMP...Your body will make enough to feed him. When my daughter got out of the PICU, the peds dept had an electric pump that I was able to use the was MUCH more efficient than the hand pump....So efficient that I went out and bought one. I got the Bailey something (Can't remember the name). You can normally find used ones online for sale. Mine was brand new and I got it for $15 plus $12 s&h and it is a $80 double pump. You can also contact your local LeLeche League...They usually have good ones that they will rent....HTH and good luck....

E.,

The down fall on being a stay at home mom is you are feeding more than working moms. The deal with working moms getting enough for daycares to feed their babies when they are at work is that they pump like every 3 hours at work to relieve the preasure of not nursing their babies. So they are going to get more out. When you are trying to pump after nursing your baby you are not going to get as much out. What my doctor told me when my kids were babies is try to pump more between feedings the more you pump the more you are going to start producing. This will help you get more out to save for when you are away from your baby. As for your question about buying one of the electric double pump they do work better than your hand held pumps but they are quiet expensive. So if you are planning on being able to use it more than with one baby it could be well worth it but if you are not planning on having anymore children I wouldn't suggest buying one.

I had the advent hand pump one and it worked just fine. I think you should pump first thing in the morning, when you are fullest, before the baby eats. Sounds cruel, but he'll get enough, and if not he'll keep sucking a stimulate more milk production. It'll happen. It helped me to have the baby in the room with me while I pumped. Sometimes its a mental thing. If that doesn't work, I have a friend who loved the whisper pump (or something like that) You can attatch it under your shirt, and walk around and pump...battery operated. She found hers on ebay.

I rented a pump when I went back to work with my first born (3 years ago). All hospitals usually have pumps that you can rent on a monthly basis. I got mine from the store at the Shawnee Mission Medical Center. The Symphony (which was the best at the time and worked great) was $60 a month. You have to buy the kit that goes with it which may be about $20 I think. It has been a while. I used it quite a bit when I had to finish out my teaching year and my parents came to watch my daughter. I froze quite abit also.

If you don't want to invest in a breast pump, some medical companies/hospitals rent them out on a monthly charge. That's what I did. While I had it I would pump a lot and freeze it. I would have enough for a couple of months. That may get you through this rough time without the full financial commitment of an expensive pump. Best of luck of to you. "Breast is Best!"

I agree that it depends on how long you plan on breatfeeding but I think it also depends on if you are planning on having more kids. New breastpumps (like the Medula) are very expensive. And since you have already started supplementing him on a regular basis, your production level has probably already gone down...my experience was that once I did that I could never get the levels to go back up.

You didn't mention how old your baby was but my second was a large baby and I just couldn't keep up with her on production...she was even eating cereal by 3 mos. I know this wasn't a definitive answer for you but just wanted to give you some food for thought...no pun indended. ;)

I'd recommend a breast pump and one that you can plug in or use with batteries (I've pumped in parking lots, etc). And honestly, you have to go with one of the nicer models - they cost more, but they last - my medela one worked great, and it was a little over $200. I pumped while I was at home so that my husband and family could feed the baby too, so he'd get used to a bottle. And if you're not going to use it in a few days, just freeze it...it's very easy to unfreeze and use, but make sure you write the dates on the fresh and frozen stuff so it gets used timely.

Yes, yes, yes! Buy a good one - it's worth the couple hundred dollars. But first look in your local paper, on Craigslist, or on Ebay for a used one.

I got a used Medela (retail at the time was $300) for $90, and she threw in about 20 bottles, 2 extra sets of parts, and more. I just spent under $10 for new tubes that go from the pump to the parts. I bought it 5 years ago, and it was almost 3 years old when I bought it. I have only replaced the AC/DC outlet for $25 and it works as good as new! After I am finished breastfeeding my third baby this fall (and the pump will be 8 years old), I plan to pass it on to my SIL.

With a good pump, I can pump 8 to 12 ounces in about 10 minutes. I had originally tried a cheap $50 pump with my first one, and I would do the same as you - only a few ounces in a sitting. A good pump is a necessity, and you can always resell it when you are finished - they last!!!

Don't supplement with formula unless you absolutely have too. The less the baby nurses, the less breast milk you'll have. It's a supply and demand thing. Your body adjusts to the amount the baby needs.

Pump more often and you might want to invest in a nice breast pump. You have to stimulate the breasts and you might be losing your breast milk supply by supplementing with formula. My Medela breast was awesome buy it was over $200 new, so if you're not committed to breast feeding you might want to think about it.

I was stay at home mom that worked 2 days outside the home for the first year of my son's life. I'd pump around midnight after my son was a sleep. That way I wasn't taking any away from him. The first few times I would only get a few ounces. But after working on it for a while, I'd pump around 8 to 10 ounces at get setting. And definitely freeze it. And drink lots of fluids.

I was able to breast feed for the first 13 months by doing this. My little boy is 19 months now and I miss nursing him.

Good luck and if you have any questions, try to talk to a lactation consultant.

Try renting one; you may only need it for a little while.

The one you have is a good one I had used it with my fist sonthen my second child I bought a Medal loved it but didn't get much use out of it due to constant illness had to stop breastfeeding.Anyway it depends how long you want ot breastfeed for,you can increas your milk supply with drinking loads of water,and eating oatmeal cookies oatmeal cream pies oatmeal for breakfast and mothers milk tea there is some other things to to get your supply up.

I think you should do whatever is most convenient and cost effective for you. Full Medela pumps are expensive... that said, they're also top of the line!

I went back to work part time when my son was 3 months and instead of worrying about pumping, we substituted formula while we were apart. My body adjusted to the schedule and stopped producing for that feeding time and my son was plenty happy with a formula feeding! We went that way until he weaned at 10 months and it always worked really well for us.

(it meant that I wasn't engorged & leaking at work after the 1st week and on the weekends that was time DS and Daddy could spend together while I ran errands or we went out and had a fun activity without stopping to find a decent place to nurse)

There are pros and cons - I encourage you to find what works BEST for you and your baby!

T.

I agree with the other ladies that the Medela Pump in Style is the best pump, but it sounds like you only need to pump occassionally. If I were you I'd stick with the hand pump. 2-3 oz. sounds pretty normal to me. I used a hand pump with my first ds, and I'd pump every morning after his 1st feeding, because I always had "extra" from overnight. I'd get about 5 oz. vs. the 2 or 3 I'd get if I tried pumping midday. Also, even if you are able to pump more with the double electric pump, will the baby take all of that milk in a bottle? My 2 boys would only drink an oz. or 2 from a bottle if I was away from them. A lot of babies will only take enough from a bottle to last until they see mom anyway. You will probably start solids in about a month anyway, and then you can save that solids feeding for while he's away from you (along with a little bottle), that will sustain him until you are able to nurse later. One last thing, remember it takes more formula than breast-milk per feeding. So, just because he may drink more formula doesn't mean that's exactly how much breast-milk he needs. My 2nd son hated taking a bottle when I was away, so he'd basically just make up for what he missed during the day that evening with extra feedings. It all balances out.
Hope some of this helps... good luck!
One more thing, when you pump, unless you are stock piling, I'd just keep it in the fridge because frozen breast-milk loses a lot of important nutrients. I believe it's good for a week in the refrigerator. I mostly used the frozen breast-milk to mix with cereal when babies were older. Just a tip!

If you are only going to be using it short term you can always rent one from a hospital pharmacy or I've even seen them at a Children's Used Clothing Store. They are relatively inexpensive to do that - just a thought.

YES! I bought a pump at Target for $50.00. It is a double, but I only use one side at a time. It works a lot better that way. I currently have a newborn and I have to pump all day long. I store the leftover in lansinoh milk bags. They have all the storage instructions on the bag. It is money well spent. I have one from First Years. A lot cheaper than formula! The one you rent is $60.00 a month. The rentable is able to buy new for $200-$250 $60.00 isn't worth it a month.

One thing to remember about the pump is that it's not a magic tool that will just make more milk, but it should be effective than your hand pump. The double pumps that I'm familiar with are the Ameda and the Medela and they're both quite expensive (over $200 unless you find one used). You're probably only making a certain amount of milk right now and you'll have to train your body to make more.

With my first baby, I wasn't making enough at first and the Lactation Consultant suggested that I pump first and then feed my daughter because the baby is better at getting all of the milk out plus that would stimulate me to make more milk than I had been accustomed to. I'm not sure that buying a breast pump will help you out for next week, but it would probably help you out in the weeks to come.

I'd just hate for you to spend that much money with the expectation that it'll get enough milk to feed your son that quickly. It does take a little time for your body to adjust to making more milk.

Hello!

I work full-time and pumped every day while I was breastfeeding. The double pump worked well for me, but if you can, try a single electric pump. The doubles can be hard to manage. For me, I only had about 15 minutes to pump, so it was a time factor. If you have more time, the single should be fine. Get one that is comfortable. I would recommend anything by Ameda.

Hi E.,

I think a breast pump is a great investment. when I had my daughter, she never latched on so I pumped all the time. It wasn't stressful at all - especially because I had help with the feedings - then you can store milk you don't use. I agree with others - the Medella pump in style is the best - you can even get a car adapter that if you can't find a private place to pump, you can always use it in your car. Just be sure to have a towel or something to cover up. good luck! I pumped for 10 months - so my daughter had breast milk past 1 year old and it has been worth it! she is a very healthy child!

Depending on how much longer you plan to breastfeed, renting may end up being more economical than buying.
I don't know where you live, but you can rent from Kangaroo Kids on Manchester Rd:
http://www.kangarookidsonline.com/

You can also buy a pump from them too... they could give advice on the best model for your needs. (they're also a great consignment place, and have a support group for breastfeeding moms)

Good luck!
A.

You can rent electric pumps at Walgreens you have to give creditcard number as security deposit. But, I had the same issue I couldnt get any milk when I pumped, so luckily tried that before I went and spent a fortune. Also the milk brand I used was Parents Choice with Lipil at Walmart it's suppose to be the best as far as being similar to breast milk. My daughter was coilicy (gassy can't spell) until I put her on that formula. good luck!!
C.

If you are doing fine with the formula and still able to bf when you are with the baby then you won't have to worry much. You can miss a feeding a day and won't affect your milk supply that much. I supplemented bf and formula with my 3 kids and they did fine. They even had formula bottles in the hospital at night and I still breastfed ok. I knew I would be doing both so it wasn't a big issue when they were born. I told the nurses if I was sleeping not to worry about waking me up for 1 feeding at night. I did usually wake up at 4 or 5 am and was able to feed the baby then and the rest of the day.
I was also very involved at church and when they were in the nursery they would get a formula bottle. So I eventually set up a schedule where I just skipped that bf feeding everyday about the time my schedule would be busy at church or wherever so even at home that one or 2 feedings a day would be a formula bottle and I bf them the rest of their feedings. This schedule worked real well especially when I had the 3rd baby and had a real busy life and 2 other kids to take care of as well and my husband was in the Army and was gone to the field most of the time and we lived an hour away from post and 45 minutes from the nearest walmart and our church so we were on the road a lot and would give the baby a bottle feeding when I was driving too or would feed him right before we left if it was close to his next feeding. Missing 1 or 2 feedings a day won't hurt and you will adjust to it. I didn't have a nice pump. Mine was a cheap one that didn't do a good job so I just came up with my own feeding schedule and used both options because I wasn't going to mess with pumping everyday.

It depends on how long you plan on nursing. If you are in for the long haul get one. It is good to have and its very quick. I had one but did not use it a lot because it was easier to just breast feed. I did not have to leave my child much. It was nice to have though when I did need to use it. You could rent one from the hospital if you think you might not use it for long. It is ok to supplement with formula. I did it and they both breast feed for over a year.

If you qualify for WIC they loan out the Medela Lactina Select pump which is absolutely amazing. I too started off trying to use the Avent hand pump, but had to switch over to this pump. I chose to exclusively pump instead of breastfeeding and this pump is amazing. I average 30-50oz a day, and my son is 8wks old. I use the Avent as my one the go pump as its very handy!

Pick a time during the day that you can always pump and do it at the same time everyday so your body starts producing extra milk at that time of day.
I dont know if it matters or not what kind of pump you use.

If you decide to buy a pump, I highly recommend the Medela Pump N' Style. It's expensive, but totally worth the money. I used an older model with both of my boys and a friend of mine just got the newest model and loves it. Both of us have been successful with pumping while we work. If you plan on having more children, my advice would be to invest in one. If money is tight for you or you don't plan on having more kids, try renting one from a local hospital or even borrowing one from a friend. You can buy replacement parts for them so everything is sanitary.

Freezing your milk is a great idea. I did that with both of mine and even used it later when they were on solids to mix in cereal and to start them on sippy cups and even to have once I weaned them. One thing you should be aware of, you will have to pump quite often at first in order to get your body used to it. At first you won't produce much milk when pumping because the suction is different. It would be a good idea to contact a lactation consultant or La Leche League to get information on the best method for successful pumping.

Good luck!

The AVEDA hand held is the closest thing to really nursing I used. I nursed my kids until they were 18 mos, 3yrs and 4 yrs :) I tried them all and that pump was comfortable, quick and easy.

You can always rent a pump from places like Walgreens. They have the medical grade pumps that seem to work a lot better. I think some of the Once Upon a Childs also rent. That way you can try it for a month before making a large purchase.

Hi E.,

I think this is a personal choice and you need to decide what you want to do.
Personaly I think that breast feedinf it not best for everyone and sometimes it doesn't last.
I think that if you have had enough of breastfeeding your baby then you have and go on with your life, But if you want to continue breastfeeding then you are gonna have to take the necessary steps to do so. I can't remember which post said but they are right the more you breastfeed the more you produce.

I see a mom that has given her best effort at breastfeeding and is suplementing with formula so decide where you want to go from here. If formula feeding is done for more of a convienence factor then that is what it is but if you are gonna try to pump and then give him that there is no difference then breastfeeding him when he is hungry, you save the money and the time. I think you need to decide what your ultimate goal is and what is a realistic time frame on whether to keep breastfeeding or stop. This is just my personal opinion and from what I see on the outside.
P.S., You are not a bad mother is you choose to stop all together or whatever you choose to do, W.

If you plan to breastfeed for 6 more months then I would get the pump. But if you think you will stop soon then I wouldn't waste the money. The pumps are a lot cheaper than formula in the long run. You can pump and freeze. You will have to get your body back to producing more. One way to do that is to pump every 3 hours or let your son nurse one side and pump the other. You can probably get by with a single pump. If he eats cereal you can do that for a meal and pump and save.

I would recommend buying the Medela Pump & Style. I have used mine through two children. I work 2 days a week, so I only used it when at work and I was able to pump MORE than enough milk for use when at work and even threw some of my frozen milk away after my son stopped taking bottles (he's 19 months now). I usually pumped about 10-12 ounces at each session.
If you want to continue to breastfeed until your son is one year, then I think a pump is the way to go. Also, if you plan to have any more children, then it is also a wise investment.
My pump came in handy when I had my parents watch my kids any time my husband and I went away for a weekend. I pumped at the times I normally nursed and just tossed the milk.
The only problem I could see you running into is re-establishing your milk supply since you've been supplementing. But that shouldn't take too long once you use an electronic pump that is more efficient than a manual one.
As far as freezing milk, it stays good for up to 3 months in a freezer attatched to a fridge, and up to 6 months in a stand alone freezer. Just be sure to mark the date and time on the bags with a permanent marker.

I generally agree with the other responses - it's all about supply & demand. I just wanted to point out that when you're pump shopping (assuming you go that route) you'll notice a price difference between Medela Pump in Style and the Pump in Style Advanced. The big diggerence (not considering what kind of "purse" the thing comes in) is that the PISA has a feature to encourage let-down where it sucks lightly/frequently the first couple of minutes, then switches to stronger/slower (you can control the rate and switch it off the 1st mode immediately if you want to). I think that the let-down mode is very helpful (I've been exclusively pumping for almost 6 mo.) and is worth the extra $$.

I personally wouldn't go the rental route unless you're just planning on another month or two, because with that you also have to buy $30-$40 worth of stuff just for you, so you quickly approach the price of just buying a pump. I'd second what others say about Craigslist, BUT you do not want to buy one that's been used very much at all, because the motors do wear out, weakening the suction. The one I'm using was used once a day for 4 months before I got it, and after about 3 months of my full-time use, I started noticing a definite difference - I had to turn it up a lot higher to get the same effect. If you need to purchase replacement tubing, connectors, etc., Shawnee Mission Medical Center's Mommy & Me Store has all that stuff on hand, so you don't have to mail order it.

Others may tell you differently, but my experience is that I've been able to maintain a supply of 40-48 oz./day even with gradually decreasing to 3 1-hour pumping sessions/day (& no milk supply aids). Since you're still able to BF, though, you'll probably want to just pump either after your DS is done or while he eats on the other side, as well as maybe sneaking in an extra session at night.

Good luck!
S.

E., rent one! You can get one through your hospital (cal your OB or lactation consult.) And they rent them from lots of different stores, I know Kangaroo Kids rents them it on Manchester. Good luck. I can't imagine how difficult things are with you having a new baby and taking care of your parents. Try to remember to take some time for yourself.

Renting one is a great option. At 5 months there is really nothing wrong with supplementing with formula if your baby tolerates it well. The biggest problem with not doing the feedings will be a decrease in yur milk supply. As mom of a stubborn kid who wouldn't nurse (she's now 12 and still stubborn), I expressed milk for months. You can't beat the ease of the electriic pump- well worth the rental fee.

E.,
When my youngest was born she had to stay in the hospital for a month and because I had 14 month old twins at the time could not be at the hospital for every feeding. This caused her not to want to latch on so for 11 months (I had enough for over 12 months) I did nothing but pump with the Dual Pump that you plug in the wall and you can also get an adapter for your car. I didn't buy mine because I knew that she was going to be our last, so I just rented mine for $25-30 month which was less than formula and then I didn't just have a pump with nothing to do with at the end. Unlike what some of the other ladies said, I got my equipment (the cups/tubing, etc from the hospital so I didn't have to purchase anything extra but the rental of the pump except for some storage bages/containers). I also was at home with her except in the evenings (I had a part-time job then) They definitely get you more milk then a hand pump. and it takes less time. It makes perfect sense even if you are a stay at home mom to get a good pump that you can take with you if you need to. Good Luck.

If you are unsure if you want to purchase one, I would suggest renting one from your local hospital lactation consultants. If it works out well, then you know it is worth the investment. If not, then you don't regret the $200+ you would have spent buying A. electric double pump.

I nursed my first son until he was 13 months old. I worked about 6 days a month at that time. When I was getting ready to go back to work (after about 2 months), I started pumping. I noticed that my milk was fullest first thing in the morning and I also noticed that my son would get full off of one side at that time, so I would nurse him on one side and pump on the other side. (If he still wanted a little more, I would let him top off on the pumped side.) This gets kinda tricky so you may ask for some assistance when you first try it. I did this simultaneously because nursing him on one side encouraged the "let-down" of the other side and I couldn't see milk go to waste, so I pumped it at the same time. I would store that milk until needed when I went to work. Eventually, the milk added up for multiple feedings. Then, as he got older, he went longer between feedings, but since I still wanted to work toward storing milk, I would still pump in between feedings.

I purchased a medela pump in style advanced. I found it was effective for my needs. ...So much so, that I purchased a second one when my 2nd baby wouldn't latch on which required me to express all my feedings and also so that I could keep one at work (since I was working more) and one at home. I also have 3 friends (who work full-time) who have purchased medela and have no complaints about the breast pumps. If you decide to purchase medela, shop around on the internet because the prices are better than in the stores. When I had my 2nd son in 2006, I purchased a medela advanced backpack for about $230 (I think the price in the stores is roughly $100 more). Good luck to you!

I don't know how long you plan on breast feeding, but after I was done breast feeding I heard that you can rent a breast pump from a health equipment place here. I don't know if that is common everywhere, but it seemed like a reasonable price compared to buying the expensive pumps, especially if you were only needing it for several months. Just something to check into.

I would definitely quit using formula if you want to continue breastfeeding. I agree with the other respondant, go to another room to feed if you don't feel comfortable. You're mom will have plenty of time to help feed your baby when he/she is older.

Yes, the electric double pumps are more effective than a hand pump, and the pumps you can rent at a hospital are even more effective than the ones you can buy. I recommend contacting a lactation consultant at a hospital near you. Not only can the LC give you advice about how often to pump (you'll have to pump more than once to make up for a missed feeding), but they will most likely have an electric pump that you can rent on a monthly basis. If you think you'll be pumping only for a few months, this may be the best way for you to go. Even if you decide you want to buy one, the LC could give you advice on which pump to buy and other pumping advice. Their services are usually free, so I really recommend using them.

yes get an electric pump. manual is ok in a pinch but mostly you will just end up with a sore hand