Breast Pump?

yet another q for ya! how imparative is it for a stay-at-home mom to breast pump with the top of the line medela brand breast pump? i know it gives you convenience and the suction mimics the same of a baby. my concern is teh whopping cost. i know eventually i would want to wean him off and onto feeding from a bottle. but is $320 worth it? there are other features from medela and other brands out there (ie maual, electric, single to dual pumps). there's just so many out there that i'm pretty much confused.

what's your opinion on this? which breast pump do you plan or are using (or used)? why did you decide on your particular pump?

Re: Breast Pump?

Not much help here, but my SIL is also a stay at home Mom and has a breast pump so she can leave bottles if she ever goes out. I don't think she has the Medela though, I can ask which one she uses

Re: Breast Pump?

Re: Breast Pump?

I am a SAHM with the Isis hand pump. Works great. I do have a really good milk supply though, so I don't know if that matters..

before we leave the house, I always pump 2 bottles, takes me less then 25 minutes to do..

Re: Breast Pump?

approx 25mins is a concern for me also. but i could always pump and place in the fridge...

ugh! i just don't want to end up buying a breast pump and disliking it. you know the policy on returning a breast pump.. there isn't one.

so ladies, keep your picks and info on those coming! thanks so much!

Re: Breast Pump?

I went to a BF seminar recently and they discussed this. I think I am going to rent, at least in the beginning, to see how it goes.

Consider -- baby feeds every 2 hours -- for 20-25 minutes at a pop. Then you have to pump in between.... In order not to become a human lactation machine I want to get that milk out as quickly as possible. The newest Medela is supposed to be really fast and comfortable, but you can't buy it at BRU. So I plan to rent and try it.

PS - I work from home so it's not that I won't be around, but that I want DH to help out too.

Re: Breast Pump?

I think a breast pump make a world of difference. You need a good breast pump if you plan on pumping for any length of time. You also need on that can pump both breasts at once. I would suggest you rent a hospital grade pump which is cost effective as you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to find out you don't like it. I have the name of a lacatation consultant that rents the pumps. She's excellent and if EXTREMELY helpful. FM me if you want info.

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I had rentedthe hospital grade at first, I needed it for engorgement issues, then switched to hand pump

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I am planning on renting one from the hospital first. My doctor suggested doing that and see how it goes. She said why spend all that money on a pump if I don;t know if it will be the right move for me. So we are going to do that and see how it goes.

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I rented a hospital grade pump. I would personally go with that route if you re going to be at home.

Re: Breast Pump?

Due to the cost of the Medella ($320), I am planning on renting one first from the hospital and see how it goes. It's a big investment especially if I find out breastfeeding is not for me. I will buy one afterwards.

Re: Breast Pump?

We havent decided on brand but leaning towards Medella.
From my experience the manual breast pumps were a waste of money with DD. So I plan on getting an electric pump with #2. After talking with fellow moms at work the concensus was invest in the more expensive electric pumps.

P.S not all electric are even close to a couple of hundred $$$$>

Message edited 2/3/2007 5:34:37 PM.

Re: Breast Pump?

I asked my sister what she thought on the subject of breast pumps... She is a La Leche Leader and this is what she told me:

"For going back to work, needing/wanting to pump a lot and quickly....Medela Pump in Style (double pump) or an Ameda brand. Medela is probably the best brand, for all different types. BUT, for pumping here and there, not wanting to spend as much $$, the Avent Isis. It's hand-pumped, not electrical, but something about the natural feel of it really works. That's what I would recommend for you."

Hope that helps!

Re: Breast Pump?

I am a stay at home mom for the next nine months and got the single electric medela pump thinking I would only be pumping occasionally. Well my milk supply is down and now need to pump to increase it. So I invested about 100 in this single pump with an extra shield and guess what? I am not even going to use it. I am so ******. Now I have to shell out 250 for the basic pump in style with duel pumps.

I highly recommend the double pump if you are serious about breast feeding.

Re: Breast Pump?

Re: Breast Pump?

I rented a hospital grade pump for a few months, to get the milk supply up, then you can use the Medela Pump in Style-it is costly but in my opinion the most effective. I bought a few pumps-that was expensive-my dh "was like another one" but it would only take around 15 minutes to pump both at the same time. I would rent a hospital grade for a couple of months, they are inexpensive to rent. Good luck

Re: Breast Pump?

gals! thanks so much for all your input! i will discuss them with my hub and hopefully we'll come up with something that'll work best for us.

thanks again! and enjoy your week!

Re: Breast Pump?

I agree a good breast pump makes all the difference in the world. I cheaper alternative the the Pump in Style is the
Ameda Purely Yours.
http://www.epinions.com/kifm-Health-Nursing_and_Feeding-Breast_Pumps-All-Ameda_Purely_Yours_Dual_Electric_Breastpump/display_~reviews

Message edited 2/5/2007 8:40:39 AM.

Re: Breast Pump?

I used the Medela PISA and it was well worth it. I am mostly a SAHM (but do consulting work here and there) so it was really worth it to me. I justified it, by telling myself at 6 months the pump (and supplies; bottles, storage bags) pays for itself (not paying for formula - and a lot quicker if you need to use the special formulas)

I didn't buy mine until 1 month later (I used the isis hand pump first) and I was so happy that I got my PISA. My supply greatly increased and it was easier to do in the car or other places I had to go. I definitely think it was worth every penny - and now that #2 is coming - it will be even more worth it.

Re: Breast Pump?

I was looking on the BRU site and there are some around $100 or less that look ok. I plan on BFing but want to pump too so DH can be involved in feeding too.