Suggestions for a Good Breast Pump

I have a Medela Pump in Style that I have had for 9 years. I have tried other pumps, but this one is the best. Well worth the cost. It has been used for my four children, as well as three friends have used it (not recommended, but I know them well and they always bought their own tubing, breast shields, etc) for a total of 9 babies nursed with the aide of this pump. All that to say, it really is the best...I've tried cheaper versions and unless you are fond of pain and ridiculous amounts of time spent pumping, I wouldn't recommend them. Some insurances will pay for a breast pump if you get a lactation consultant in the hospital to write you a script for one. All it takes is engorgement, sore nipples, or a baby with a problems latching to get the script...maybe not even that. So check into whether or not your insurance would cover all or part of it. Congrats on your third baby!!

D.
mother to 4, step mom to 1, with one more on the way in March

J.,

First of all, congratulations on your pregnancy and on your desire to breast feed this time around. Breastfeeding is absolutely wonderful for so many reasons!!! Unfortunately, I think the best pumps are a bit expensive. I used the Medela Pump in Style Advanced (my lactation consultant recommended the Ameda Purely Yours and the Avent Isis as the other two high-quality pumps she would recommend). The Medela cost me close to $300 but I pumped 2-3 times a day at work for nearly 18 months. It was, by far, the best "baby" purchase I made!! There are cheaper pumps out there, but this is truly one of those cases where you get what you pay for. The cheaper pumps just don't have the suction and staying power necessary to maintain your supply. Case in point, one of my colleagues was pumping at the same time as I was with a very cheap pump-she always struggled with supply. A good quality pump will more than pay for itself. Imagine all the money you'll save on formula! I think $300 dollars wouldn't even pay for 10 cans of the stuff-and your baby will need a lot more than that during the first year.

I have used the Avent Isis with all three of my children. I've tried Medela and the hospital ones and they are VERY uncomfortable in my opinion, especially in comparison to the Isis - and it isn't expensive in comparison.

Trust me, if you want a good breast pump, you have to invest the money. I never regret buying the Medela Pump In Style Advanced breastpump! I breastfed exclusively for 3mths, then started back working and pumped for 9 more months until he hit a year. I would not have been able to do it without this pump. Whatever you decide though, get a double pump, works a lot quicker and it's more productive.

I use the Ameda Purely Yours breastpump and love it. The milk doesn't run through the machine or piping so, it is more hygenic than the Medela. It is also a bit cheaper.

Hi J.,

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I breastfed my 2nd baby after having formula fed my first. Breastfeeding was way more convenient in the end.
If you think that you will be pumping frequently, you really need to invest in a good quality pump. This is the item I would suggest splurging on. A Medela Pump In Style is what most women who pump and work fulltime use. Avent also makes a good dual electric pump which is comparable
If you are talking about primarily pumping for convenience, it is a lot of work and it is easier to just put the baby to the breast. It is not convenient to pump instead of nursing.
Good luck

J.,
I tried them all and ended up getting the Avent which I love and now give it as gifts at baby showers, etc. My future daughter-in-law told me she wants one when she her and my son have their first child, which if I get my way will not be until they both finish college. Anyway the Avent it comfortable to use, easy to use, and portable. I also found that I was able to pump much more milk out. The nurses at the hospital, my obstetrician and pediatricians offices now recommend it because of me. I got mine at Target or Wal-Mart and found it to be reasonably priced.
Hugs,
T.

Like others here I would recommend the Medela Pump in Style. While it is more expensive than other pumps, it is very efficient. And when you compare the cost to what you would spend on formula in a couple months, it easily pays for itself.

Good luck!
A.

I have a barely used breast pump that I got with my son. It's a Medela Electric Double breast pump and it was bought this year so it's brand new. I have sterilized all the pieces a couple times since I last used it which was in like June. My husband and I were actually going to sell it plus a Avent manuel pump that I received with my daughter that was never used on ebay. I also have some storage bags and bottles and breast pads. The pump includes a nice carrying bag that the pump is built into and also an ice pack and bottles and a little bag for those too. If you want to buy them from me I will sell all this to you for $150. The electric Medela was $280 and and the manuel Avent was like $40 I think. If you don't feel comfortable using the pieces I have you call always call Medela and they will send you new pieces for free, just tell them they broke. The pump worked great. I didn't get to use it more than a few weeks because my son was a little colicky and I didn't really have time. So let me know because I'm looking to get rid of mine!

I pumped and nursed, and used the Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breastpump. I really loved it and it worked very well for me. I never had any problems with the machine. Although it is a little on the expensive side, it allowed me to work and continue giving my daughter breast milk at the same time. It was worth the money for me. Good luck!

Hi J.,

I pumped for several months with my first child and now I am pumping a lot with my second child. With my first, I rented the Medela Hospital Grade pump. It worked very well and was relatively comfortable, but the size of it reminded me of a car battery (not sure if they are smaller now after 4 years). If you need to bring the pump with you a lot, it is big. Also, if you plan to pump for several months, it may be best to buy one. I am now using a great little pump that can hook onto your belt and has a hands free kit - the Medela Freestyle. I really like it and it works really well. It is expensive (the cheapest I could find was on eBay for $299), but worth every penny if you need to pump on the go or at work. The one caution I have with this pump is to ensure you constantly charge the battery and to possibly invest in a car charger - seems this new pump still has some work to do with the battery life. I also find it worthwhile to have the Avent Manual hand pump. When you pump, your milk suppy is not always optimal, and this manual pump is best for getting out the last few ounces. Good luck!

Okay - here's my story! :)

I have two girls.
#1 - she refused to latch on, so I ended up pumping exclusively and giving her breastmilk in a bottle for 6 months! Plus side - I had pumped a lot of milk that I was able to give her my milk for 9 months.

Baby #2 - she breastfed for one year. I reused the pump before and it worked great - man - I thought it would have worn out by now!!

I used the Medela Pump in Style. Yes, it's $300+ but think of how much money you're saving not buying Formula!! :)

I did use/rent the hospital pump for one month initially - to make sure - but both pumps worked for me.

Manual pumps are good for occasional use. If you go back to work, you want your pump to be heavy-duty and efficient.

:) BEST purchase I ever got!!
In your shoes since you're not too sure - I would rent for the first month. Or if a friend has a pump that isn't being used, you just buy the replaceable parts. It is fine to share it - no way to get it dirty or anything like that - same with the hospital pumps.

I have now passed on the pump to my friend to use for her baby...

Best wishes!

My breast pump was expensive but the best...Medella Is the brand and it pumps both breasts. Do a search for a dealer of the Medella Breast Pump in your area.

I am a mother of two, my oldest is two and my youngest is 3 months. I am currently breast feeding my little boy. I have the Medela pump in style, which I realize is expensive. However, it is worth the money. With my first, I worked full time and pumped at least 2 times a day. This pump was my savior! It is fast, and relatively pain-free. It is my understanding that the hand-held pumps are more painful and they take a long time to extract the milk. So, in the beginning even though you have to spend a little more than you would like to, in the end it is worth it. It will be a lot cheaper than formula in the long run. I pumped for over 14 months, and I will be doing it again very soon when I go back to work. Hope it helps.

I did a lot of research before buying my breast pump and I settled on the Ameda Purely Yours breast pump (http://www.ameda.com/products/personal.aspx). It has all the features of the Medela Pump n' Style but is less than half the price. The reviews I read were overwhelmingly positive. I think it was around $150 plus shipping - I recall that not many stores carried it. Btw, my lactation consultant also had a lot of good things to say about it and she said her clients tended to be very happy with it. Good luck.

Congratulations on expecting your third little one and on deciding to try breastfeeding. There are so many benefits -- health benefits for the baby and financial benefits for you (don't have to spend as much on formula), not to mention the special bonding time you'll have.

I echo the suggestions of the ladies who have suggested the Medela Pump in Style Advanced. Medela is the gold standard -- and, though on the expensive side, it's well worth it in terms of quality and value. I've used it for five months now while breastfeeding my first child and have had a very positive experience so far.

Good luck to you!

You may want to rent a hospital grade Medela to check it out. It's like $40 to $60 a month, and it'll give you a good start, and help you decide on a double pump. I bought the Medela pump in style, it was great, but getting started with the hospital grade one really helped my supply.

Unfortunately good thing are not cheat and cheat thing are not good. look for a place that rent breast pumps. It's very frustration trying to pump with some equipment . Make the experience pleasent for you and the new bundle of joy. I used Medela and I was very happy.

I ended up pumping for 11 months 5-6 times a day b/c my baby didn't latch well and I wanted him the benefits of breastmilk.

I used the Medela Pump-in-Style for the first 4 months at home. I found it takes longer and it's more painful than a hospital-grade pump Medela Lactina (which they provided at work). I went on eBay and bought my own hospital-grade one for home. It's large but much better for long-term, full time use.

Good luck!

When I was pregnant, I decided that I wanted to breastfeed, but was worried that he wouldnt nurse (my first born wouldnt nurse at all) so we bought the cheapest electric pump we could find and it worked great. I had no problems with it at all. First Years makes it...

Good Luck!

Hi J.,

Don't cut corners when it comes to a breast pump especially if you are planning on making this the primary food source for your baby. Spend the money and buy the Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breastpump. The last thing you want to do is spend more time than necessary pumping.

I breastfed my daugther until she was 1 year old and now I'm breasfeeding my 6 month old son.

-C.