Need Advice on Purchasing Breast Pump

I tried three different pumps before I found the right one. I personally found the rented electric to be a waste of money and had the best experiences with the Avent manual pump. I had and Evenflo (I think) elecric that was ok, but honestly the manual always produced a better let down and resulted in filling a bottle quicker that the electrics. Congratulations and good luck.

I have used the Medela Pump n Style with my first daughter and the Medela Pump n Style Advanced with my second daughter (she's 11 months and I'm still using it). I absolutely love the Pump n Style products - and especially the Advanced. It is more money, but it works great and I'm able to pump at work very quickly and take very short breaks - 10 minutes pumping and 5 minutes cleaning. I highly recommend it.

Hi D.-

When I went back to work last year I used the Medela Pump and had no problems. It seems intimidating at first because of all the parts but I practiced at home a couple of times so that I knew where everything went and after that it was a piece of cake. Good luck with everything!

M.

I have an Ameda Purely Yours and pump 2x/day for my son during the work wee (I have been doing this for the past 3 months). At $150 it is cheaper than the PIS (closer to $250) and seems to work just as well, plus unlike the PIS it's a "closed" system so nothing will contaminate your milk ever.

I have an Avent Isis manual pump and really like this too. I know that the Duo is similar to the manual Isis in that you manually stimulate letdown and then the motor takes over. I've heard that lots of people like it but you can't use it hands-free.

I had an Ameda Purely Yours and pump electric dual pump. I liked it better than madela as we had that in our client office. I liked the suction of ameda better. And I used the backpack model that can run on Car adptor, batterry, and electric. Back pack and tote are good for storing.

All the best!!

I used the Avent manual pump for about 6 months, then switched to the Medela lactina plus model (the rental model). Try to find a new one on ebay (they sell the avent electric ones also). Way better prices. Re: the car adaptor--I have a universal car adapter that you plug into the lighter and is a regular outlet on the other end. This is what I used for my pump and it works with any appliance (like a hair dryer whemn you're camping).
I use the Avent bottles and would lean toward the Avent duo if I were to do it again. But I do love the Lactina (I got an extra Avent let down cushion and used them with my Lactina pump--I tried to make it as close to the Duo as I could.)
Good luck!

I used a Medela PIS to pump for 14 months. I bought mine used from a Lactation consultant on ebay cause I was hard up for a pump and had very little money. It worked wonderfully. I think they even have new ones now that more closely mimic a baby's sucking pattern. I also have a car adapter and found that to be a lifesaver more than once. I think most personal electric pumps these days are about equally good though. Good luck!!

Also, if you are looking for bottles to try, I would reccomend the Playtex Nursers with the Latex (brown rubber like) Natural Latch nipples. They are shaped more like a woman's nipple and collapse much like a nipple does (the sillicone nipples are very hard). Also, you use the disposable liners with them which means less cleaning for you and you can squeeze the air out before you give them to baby, AND the plastic is easier to warm up than a solid plastic bottle. Playtex also has a pump adapter kit so you can even pump directly into the liners. It made everything so much easier. http://www.playtexbaby.com/bottlesandpacifiers/products/b...

Hi, I pumped for 3 months with an IQ Duo (I got it off of Ebay, new, for about 1/2 price), and really liked it. The pump is really comfortable and the motor memorizes your pumping style, and the suction is quite good. I also bought an extra microwave steamer and left it and the pump at work, which worked out okay since you can just tote the bottles of milk in and out then, and steam sterilize everything else since the Duo is a closed system. The only problem is that there is no car or battery adapter, so you've got to be creative if you'll be traveling and needing to pump while away from a normal socket. I like that you can always just use Avent bottles to pump into -- it saved a lot of hassle looking for the right parts in the morning as I had to hurry off to work. Just grab 2 bottles and go. Plus you can freeze in the bottles, too. A really good system; the battery issue is a serious one if you'll be flying. And one more piece of advice: don't quit pumping if you intend to keep breastfeeding. I slowly got down to pumping just 1x/day while away from baby, and I lost my milk supply, and then he wouldn't really eat from me after that because bottles were so much faster for him. Good luck!

Another vote for the Ameda Purely Yours. It's much less expensive and seems to be a lot easier to clean since fewer parts come in contact with the milk.

I used the Medela Pump n Style for 7 months, trekking it back and forth during my commute from the suburbs to the city. It was dependable, not too heavy, and I liked the fact that no one could tell it was a breast pump. Plus, the bag made it possible to carry other things besides just the pump and milk.

The different pump speeds made it easier if I was short on time and needed to pump-n-go. The only thing I didn't like was that it was a little loud, and though I had my own office with a door, I felt like everyone could hear me pumping.

Good luck!
L.

tried 3 different kinds...go with the medela pump and style. dont know if the back pack style is still available but thats the only change i would make. good to have your hands. car adapter probably would have helped to because sometimes can't control engorgement and if baby is not hungry you just have to deal with pain-ouch. good luck!

Hi D.,
I bought the Medela Pump N Style and it's a terrific pump. I was able to pump from both breasts and adjust the speed and pressure as well. It's expansive but worth it, esp. if you plan on using it again with a second child.
Good luck on going back to work!

D.,
If you are nearby, please give me a call to schedule an appointment to go over different pumps with you. As an IBCLC,(lactation consultant), I will properly fit you for your flanges and assist you with making the right choice of your pump purchase or rental based on your milk supply and your baby's needs.

Buying a breastpump off ebay is taking a risk of contamination of bodily fluids, such as HIV, hepatitis B, and CMV, and not recommended. I have also experienced women who purchase used pumps who do not maintain their milk supplies because the pump is worn out and when I use the pressure gauge to test the pressures of the breastpump, the pressures are not right.

Besides the breastpumps, I also carry a handsfree device that allows one to pump without holding the pump pieces. Many working moms can continue to pump in this fashion because they can eat, drink, or read a book while pumping. Even moms using a pump to increase a milk supply, or pumping for a premie really enjoy the ability to pump handsfree.

Amongst the rental pumps, or hospital grade electric pumps which I strongly recommend if experiencing milk supply concerns, the Medela Symphony breastpump is a favorite of the women I work with as an IBCLC. It's research-based to be the closest to a baby's suckle, and it functions gently and quietly. I have the Symphony pumps available for rental, and the vehicle adaptors for all of the Medela breastpumps, too.

Sincerely,
C. Chamblin, RN, APN, IBCLC
Breast 'N Baby Lactation Services, Inc.
525 Tyler Rd., Ste.L-2
St. Charles, IL 60174
###-###-#### www.breastbabyproducts.com

Loved my Medela. Get the car adapter. You can pump anywhere if you have it. I was the 5th woman of 6 to use this one...we shared it among a group of friends. I can tell you I pumped daily for a year and it worked like a champ. It's a lot of work but work well worth it. Congrats!

I had the Madela Pump in Style. It worked great. The bag was discreet. I wished I had the car adapter. I had the battery pack instead & it used a lot of battery power, but you can almost always find an outlet somewhere. Good luck!

Hi D.

I have the Medela pump and style advance in the back pack. I really like it and it works well. I have not really had any problems with the pump and my supply never decreased with it's use. I purchased it at Transitions into Parenting in downtown Naperville. I bought it at $100 off any other place I saw. You may want to check and see if they are having another sale. Good luck.

Jen

I used a Pump in Style but due to low supply issues I can't really say how good it was.

One consideration is renting a hospital-grade pump from a lactation consultant or drugstore. These pumps tend to be more efficient at maintaining supply and it may be cheaper in the long run depending on how long you pump.

Good luck!

Another vote for the Ameda Purely Yours. I have been using it for about a month and I really like it. It was recommended to me by my sister in law who has been using hers for nearly 6 years straight for 4 kids. I didn't think I could get a better recommendation!

It was much less expensive than the Medela but I can still double pump and it plugs in. I used it with the batteries at first and it ate them up. I didn't spend the extra money to get the one with the bag. I just put it in the diaper bag that I got from the hospital.

I have a Medela that I got from a friend. I am so glad that I did that!! You can buy new hoses, shields, flanges everything at the store for not much and you should be fine! This site has the lowest price on brand new ones. I hope this helps you: http://www.hackleyhme.com/

D. - I have used a Medela Pump in Style and it worked great. No problems, easy to take anywhere you go..a bit on the expensive side, but well worth it in my opinion.. Good Luck!!

Medela's pump and Style is the best I saw 3 years ago. You can also get different sized flanges to fit it if needed. I am not big but the larger flanges were more comfortable and prevented plugged ducts( that I got all the time)
B.
www.gottotsinc.com

I have and used the Medela pump in style, I got it off of ebay with alot of extras for half the retail price. It has a cute little back pack which made it descrete and also came with a cooler to "hide" the expelled milk in the fridge. It worked great for me and was very convenient.

Hi--I have the Medala dual breast pump (I think it is the Pump n Style) and it's great! Well worth the investment--I can pump both breasts in less than 10 minutes...Highly recommend it!

I also used the Medela Pump-in-style with the car adapter. I bought mine second-hand. It was great for breaks at work when I had to pump more quickly, but it took some getting used to.

The manual pump gave me better results but is a bit harder to use if you are trying to be discreet about it. I used the Avent Isis manual pump.

If you can, rent one. Your hospital should be able to provide places of rental. The Medela Symphony simply cannot be beat. If you are not able to do so, I highly recommend Medela Pump n Style Advanced. If you search hard and long enough on internet, you can find it for around $270 instead of $300+. Good luck!

I used a Medela Pump in Style and it was great, I was very happy with it, pumped 2 to 3 times per day at work and it did not affect my supply, it's a great pump. One note in response to the lactation consultant--you can buy NEW, unopened pumps off ebay, that's where i got mine, for $100 less than the usual retail price. Ebay doesn't necessarily mean "used." If you do buy a used one, make sure you buy new accesories and the only USED part you use is the motor (the big black box). I delivered at prentice and they actuallly gave me for free, when i left the hospital, a sterile, sealed pacakge of pump accesories. THey were just extras as I'd already purchased my new pump off ebay.