Breast Pump Suggestions

If I were you, I would not bother with a hand pump. I practically got carpel tunnel syndrome using mine! I could not have lived without the Medela double Pump in Style. (Well, ok, I would have lived, but I doubt I could have breastfed so long!) You can buy a used one on ebay and get new breastshields (the only part that really should be new and sanitary) at Target. I sold mine that way for 80 dollars with lots of extra pieces.

Hi M.,
My sugggestion to you is to call a place in Mesa at Southern and Gilbert called Baby, Mother and More. They give a free breastfeeding class and were a wonderful resource for me when I breastfed my son. You can rent a hospital grade pump from them for $30 a month and it is the best pump around. They have all the equipment you will need as well as all the advice too. Without their support, I would not have been able to breastfeed my son for a year. Good luck.

Hi M.!

Buying the right pump is SOOO important. A lot of them don't work well and would be a waste of your money. It sounds like the resource in Mesa would be a good place to start. They probably know which pumps are the best within each price range. Lactation consultants are usually good resources for these things also! Maybe the La Leche League
website?

Good luck!
J.

The Avent hand pump works really well. It's around $50, but well worth it. I use it before my more expensive plug-in pump because it's quiet, easy, and I control the flow.

Avoid going the cheap route on a pump! Evenflo makes a cheap, crappy, loud pump that I'm convinced is designed to make moms quit breastfeeding and buy more of their bottles for formula feeding.

Avent and Medela are great companies.

Also, you should never microwave breastmilk or heat it in plastic. Good luck, Mama!

I second Lisa R's response in it's entirety! I've used by Purely Yours through my first child, and am 6 months into my second child and it is still going strong. I work outside of the home, so this pump has helped me keep my baby fed and my milk supply up while I'm away from him.

Congrats on the pregnancy! Good luck!

I used Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pump. It worked really well and can run on batteries, plugged into the wall or through the car charger that is included. This let me pump anywhere, which was really handy.

I bought mine new, but I have seen several on sites like craigslist, where you can buy it used. It is cheaper to buy it used although you do have to buy new Breast Flange ($9.45), Ameda Silicone Diaphragm($3.55), and Ameda Valve ($3.55) as these are the only parts of the pump that actually come in contact with the milk other than the bottles.

I used to pump into the bottles that came with the pump, and then I would pour it into breast milk storage bags and freeze the milk. I was working full time and pumping at work. I'd send bags of milk to daycare with my kids and the sitter would just thaw the milk and pour it into the bottle for the baby to drink.

Hi M.,

Having had both a single pump and a double pump, I recommend springing for the double. I purchased mine from a friend for $50 and simply sterilized everything. You may be able to find one on eBay.

Good luck!

The only breast pump that worked for me was an expensive electric one. It was a double pump that my insurance paid part of! A hand pump was NEVER able to pump enough for me, nor nearly fast enough. The electric pump had a cigarette lighter hookup, so I could pump in the car, too. It kind of looked like a briefcase so I could carry it in to work without them knowing what it was.
I pumped into the bottle, then poured the milk into playtex nurser plastic liners, and then into another plastic liner, where I put the date. I then thawed them in the air (not too much microwave, it takes away nutrients) or in warm water, and poured them into whatever plastic bottle my boys prefered. I was successful with this technique while working full time from 8 weeks on, for all 3 of my boys.
So, my message, spend the extra $ and get the good pump. You will be VERY grateful you did!

I went through a few pumps and I would STONGLY recommend the medela pump in style electric pump. It is not cheep but it really works. I know when I was looking at mine I saw lots on eBay and Craig’s list (really cheep) When I was using the hand pumps I really never produced that much, the electric was awesome, maybe because you can just relax. It is also nice because you can pump both breasts at the same time! If you are using the hand pump it is also really hard to pump the one breast and feed on the other side. I found I did not have enough hands.
Good luck with your pumping and new baby.
(If you are worried about using, used pumps you can always buy the bottles/attachments new, not very expensive. Or you can sterilize them)
I would say don't go crazy on bottles just buy a few and then see what the baby likes. I went and stocked up on the DR. Brown bottles (I used with my first and love) but my second would not take them at all. I had to go and try other kinds.
You can transfer the milk that you have pumped into any bottle. I always put them in freezer bags for storage.
Good luck
Oh I guess I should say if you really want to use a hand pump the BEST I have found (with no lack of trying) is the Avent.
I went back to work full time with my second and I LOVED that medela pump, mine was even in a nice looking bag noone really noticed it was a pump.

If you are going to be going to work, a hand pump will not keep the production going as the suction isn't strong enough. I would suggest an electric double pump. Modella(sp) is a good brand for this. If you are staying home and nurse most of the time then a hand pump is ok, but still not good for keeping the milk production up at all. I would call the hospital you are delivering at and ask for the lactation specialist and see what they would suggest.

Do you work full time or plan to pump exclusively? If yes, then you really need a double electric pump to keep up with the demand for milk.

If you are a SAHM, then you can get away with a manual pump for occasional feedings.

You can use other bottles, in fact, you may go through a couple of bottles before you find a nipple your little one will take, so don't buy tons of bottles and open them before you even try.

For a manual pump, I had an avent isis. For an electric one, I would definitely get a Medela. They are great pumps. You can look for one used on craig's list or ebay and replace the parts, but I would just get a new one. You can go to Baby, Mother and More at Gilbert and Southern. They sell the pump for about $270 there where it's over $300 at BRU. I know that sounds like a lot, but formula is a lot more expensive, so if you are committed, and answered yes to the first question, you really should make the investment. Especially if you are thinking of having more kids.

Good luck and congratulations!

Just curious, if you are set on breastfeeding, why do you need a pump or bottles??? Often the hospital will give you a breastfeeding starter set with a hand pump in it if you ask. Tell them you plan to breastfeed, but that you would like to pump occasionally too. It may be worth it to ask your hospital before going in. Just my 2 cents...for what it is worth :-) ~A. in CO

Here's an idea I didn't know about until I was looking for a pump. If you or your husband have health insurance, many of them cover getting a pump for you.

With my first I bought the Playtex electric pump. It was the pits and a waste of time. For my second I bought the me Medela Pump in Style dual pump. It was wonderful and so worth the money. I went to a store called Brest Fed and they were very helpful. I pasted a few links that might be helpful to you.
I used regular bottles. The pump comes with bottles, that you can use to feed with. But for storing the milk you will need to pour it into storage bags (made for beast milk).

Good luck, and don't worry, it will be fine.
www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastpumps
www.mayoclinic.com/health/breast-feeding/PR00002

First relax the pumping thing is not that hard. I used an electric pump when I wnet back to work. Before that my fiance was my electricity and used the pump parts by hand. I pumped intothe bottles that fit my pump and hten poured the feeding amounts into different bottles that I sent to day care with my son. My reccomendation is that you shake the stored milk well to thefat mixes back in. Good luck.

Definitely don't skimp on the pump. For time convenience, get an automated one (hospital grade). I had the 2001 version Medela Pump In Style for both my babies. It's great! I have seen these $200+ pumps selling for $50 on craigslist.com in Tucson. Really quite the bargain. I would recommend sterilizing all the attachment parts before using.

Renting is also a good option. The UA gives a discount to their students through their Family resource department to rent pumps. If you're a college student, I would check to see if your college has the same benefit.

I've used the hand pumps (Avent wins hands down for comfort, but it's a single pump), but they are definitely time-consuming, and not feasible for back to work moms. I would spend 15-30 minutes each session with the Medela PIS.

Don't forget the Lansinoh (lanolin based breast cream okay for you and baby). I found that applying a little each time I pumped, helped ease the friction, and prevented soreness.

Well I don't have alot of experience with different pumps but I uses the avent manual with my first two kids. It woked great. Now I really never had to work FT so if you have to use a manual to pump alot it does get exhausting. It about $50. Brands that I know are good are AVENT, medella, lanishol, some of the bottle brands are said not to work that great but I am not sure from personal experience but examples are the playtex one and the first years ones.

Also I really like playtex bottles so I would just get a few bottles that go with the pump and you can easily transfer the milk. If you freeze the milk you will put them in some type of storage anyways. Good Luck!