Can someone please recommend a breast pump for a beginning mother who has never done this before? My daughter is going to try breastfeeding with the new baby but she will have to use a pump while she is working and at school. There are so many to choose from and do not know where to start. Also money plays a issue in the choice.
I understand money is an issue, but as someone who worked 40+ hours a week and pumped as well, you need a very good pump. I would recommend a Medela electric pump. Manual pumps are too slow and inefficient for everyday pumping. The money saved on not buying formula will pay for the pump in no time at all. Also, initially she is going to have to do some extra pumping to provide enough for her baby, it will level off as the baby gets a little older. At first, I had to pump 2-3 times at work but later was able to cut back to once a day at work. I also pumped onthe weekends for some to store for through the week. A great book to read is "Nursing Mother Working Mother" by Gale Pryor.
Ruthie,
A Medela double breast pump is the best way to go for a working mom. One with a battery back up is the best. Sometimes is is hard to find a spot to pump with a plug in. I pumped the while I was on maternity leave and twice a day once I was back at work. Make sure the daycare provider she is going to use can deal with the frozen breast milk. My daycare kept the extra milk in a deep freeze for my daughter. Here are the stats on how long the milk can be kept:
At room temperature (less than 77°F) for 4 to 8 hours
At the back of a refrigerator for 3 to 8 days
At the back of a freezer for up to 3 months
In a deep freeze up to 6 months
Good luck!
Jennifer n.
Medela is the best and is worth every penny. to save money check on craigslist.com for used ones. you can save a ton.
I have not nursed a baby for 3 years, so things may have changed. I found out there were not regulations on breast pumps. Anyone with a vaccum could sell them. When I was nursing we did not have the money to buy a $200 dollar Medela breastpump, but when I was done trying everything out there....THAT DID NOT WORK...I probably spend $200 anyway. Some leaked all over me, some HURT, some did not suck correctly or sufficiently. Medela is the most trusted and comfortable pump. For my last two babies I used this one that I bought from a friend. That may sound a little unsanitary, but the thing is, you buy the "plumbing" new, or get some from the hospital when you have a baby. "Plumbing" is all of the tubing and bottles, very inexpensive. Check out the mommy and me stuff that will post adds for sale. Try ebay....The working of the pump is all internal and the most expensive. Especially for working moms, Medula has it down to a science.
hope this helps
Try your local health department or local la leche league (breast feeding experts). I did this when I was nursing. Sometimes there are programs where you can rent breast pumps on a monthly basis and it is usually income based. Good luck.
Buy a good pump. Medela makes and awesome double pump. It's definately a necessity if you're going to be pumping at work. Most of them come in a nice leather bag, so they look just a diaper bag. Before buying one, make sure that she is able to breastfeed. you can also rent one from most hospitals to see if she can do it. It takes a big commitment to work full-time and pump (2-4 times a day taking a time out to pump, and having the space and boss who will accomodate). It may seem crazy to spend $200-300 on a pump, but if you add up the cost of formula for a year, it doesn't seem that expensive afterall.
Medela all the way. It is worth so worth it.
Medela totally. I Agree with everyone. I am a working mother and use one now. I go to La Leache League every third Monday at 730pm in Lees Summit. If any nursing moms or PG moms who would like to nurse when they deliver, come and meet us ladies. We have a good time and talk about it all. Send me a message if you would like to know more. We just had a meeting last night and we would like to see more mothers and mothers-to-be next month.
Hi Ruthie,
This may seem exceedingly redundant, but I swear by Medela. I had dreams of the Pump In Style, but my best friend had been unable to nurse her preemie and gave me a Double Deluxe. It has been fabulous during the 19 months we breastfed and is still in great shape for when we have another baby. I really like the Quick Clean steam bags for the tubing, but breast shields, bottles and caps can go into the dishwasher. (Put caps in a bottle/sippy cup basket.) Also, the Gerber pump & store bags were great for storage. Lay them flat in the freezer above the refrigerator for a couple days before moving them to the deep freeze, then you can stack them by date - earliest in the front for easy access. (It took me way too long to figure that out! I started out freezing them standing up and just got blocks that were awkward to store.)
Good luck!
Medela is the best breast pump. I love mine. Mine comes in a black travel backpack. This sounds ideal for your daughter. Check ebay, craigslist, friends, family, or used children's store. I'm sure you'll find one at a reasonable price.
I am currently still breastfeeding my 6 month old & use a Medela Pump In Style Advanced Backpack. I have tried 3 or 4 other pumps, and they all were from Medela. She needs to get a pump that allows her to pump both sides at the same time--it is definately a time saver & helps with the let-down response. A manual pump will also work, it takes a lot longer to finish pumping, but is a lot more portable. There are a lot of different pumps to choose from in a lot of different price ranges. Unfortunately what works well for one person doesn't necessarily work well for another.
I agree with all the pp.
If she is on WIC or other assistance she might want to see what programs they have to help with getting a pump.
It definitely is cheaper than buying formula. (And I think the gov't may be trying to encourage breastfeeding to cut back on the amount of formula they are purchasing ---they are the #1 buy of formula in the US.)
I would definitely suggest a Medala double pump, it works much better (I have tried both double and single) and cuts down on the time you have to do it. I hated to spend the money on buying one so the hospital (I delivered at Overland Park Regional) suggested someone who rents out the hospital grade double pumps. I think it was around $25-$30/month and that way if she decided she doesn't like doing it anymore or just wants to stop then she isn't in a long term commitment. I rented mine for 11 months and justified renting it because I would have spent more money a month buying formula. Good Luck.
I seemed to like the avent breast pump it is a manual one but it worked really well for me. I also when i left the hospital used a mendela that i had rented from once upon a child I ued the parts that the hospital gave me to take home that i used there. It was an electric like the hospital. But still portable.It was a double. Since they are expensive to buy i looked around for other options to try to see what i liked better that way i was not commited to buy something that i did not like. I however did buy the advent one and liked it the best it was more controllable and quiet as well. Hope this helped.
The Medela Pump N Style is awesome! I used it when I worked full time nursing 3 different children. I also used it with my 4th child when needed although I did not work full time by then. It was still going strong when I was ready to retire it! It took me about 10-15 minutes from set-up to clean up. Although it can be a bit pricey, it is well worth the money spent!
Ruthie, sounds like your daughter needs a double breastpump since she will be working and going to school. Pumping generally takes about 15 min per breast and with a double she can cut the time in half. Also, it helps her keep her milk supply up, 'cause it helps keep the breastfeeding hormones higher, like nursing twins. I like Medela pumps because they have researched the whole process. They are pricer, but you honestly get what you pay for. If a double is not in your budget, try the Medela Swing pump, it runs about $140 and has the technology to pump frequently without burning up the pump. A lot of other pumps will not work effectively if you are using them more than once per day. A personal double pump runs about $270 (medela brand), but it comes with a rechargable battery, plug in, cooler to store milk, and personal parts. Rental pumps are about $35/month. If your daughter goes to WIC here in Spfd, they have a great deal on pumps, check them out. Have people planning to buy her a gift, go together and get her a quality pump, you'll not regret it.
I am now pumping with my second child. I work outside the home and my babies were both breastmilk only babies. That being said, I swear by the medela pump in style. It is so worth the money!
My advice is to get two sets of everything. That way when she gets home from work, she just washes the first set and packs her bag with the dry set. She is ready to go in the morning! It has been a life saver for me!
My now 9 month old kept falling asleep while I tried to breastfeed so I had to pump. I tried the cheaper ones from Wal-Mart. Not only did they kind of hurt they weren't nearly as effective as the better one. I bought a used Medela In-Style breastpump from a coworker. I can't even explain the difference. It was so much more comfortable and timely. You can control the amount of suction and the speed. Even though it costs a lot more to get the better ones I would defintely suggest it. If you try to get away with the cheaper ones you will probably just end up getting the Medela so why waist your money on the cheap ones. It is completely safe and sanitary to get a used one so if you can find one that's probably your best bet. After I bought mine I saw one at a garage sale. I think I have even seen them in the newspaper ads. Good luck!!!
I am a SAHM and breastfed all three of my kids. Although I didn't frequently need a pump, there were times when I did use one. Because I didn't pump full time, I had an inexpensive, single pump. It was very loud and so embarrasing!! I couldn't use it anywhere in public, so then I had to buy a hand pump (which took forever)because I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I know you said money is an issue, but if you can manage at all I definitely recommend getting a good one!