Breastpump Advice

The Medela Pump In Style worked great for me. I pumped both sides at once, which helped save time. I also put myself on a strict schedule so my body was expecting to pump. I would pump according to time instead of volume, and I was lucky to have a door with a lock so I was very comfortable.

I did end up arranging to work from two days a week, but it was because I had a long commute, and my baby was not taking the bottle.

When I went back to work my milk supply became lower. I saw a lactation consultant who recommended the hospital grade pump. She called it the "Mercedes of breast pumps". It was completely true. You will get several more ounces of milk every time you pump and the smooth motion of the pump is painless. I can not speak highly enough about it and it is worth the money. As a side note, for my second birth <with twins>, I didn't even wait to go back to work to rent one. I just took one home to use as needed. Good Luck...A.

The hospital grade breast pump is definately better than any on the store front market. I have experience with the medela brand. The hospital grade definately gets more milk out and you are done in about 10-12 minutes if you do two breast at a time.

Hi D., the hospital pump is the best idea. I am a baby nurse and can asure you it works way better.

D.,
Go get yourself an Avent Breast Pump, it is not only very portable, but a million times better than the Medulla. I found that I was able to pump much more with that than the Medulla and it was very comfortable to use. It is not electric so you have to pump the trigger with you hand; I only used one hand to do it. Hope this helps. Happy Valentine's Day
Hugs,
T.

Hi!

I am definitely impressed! My son would never take a bottle after he had to go back in to go under a bililight at 6 days old. Well, I had a medela at home, and while he was in the hospital I was using theirs, which worked more quickly and easily, once I got used to it, which only took 15 minutes. I asked about renting it, but decided not to after he started refusing bottles when we got home from the hospital. Good luck!

I have the Ameda breast pump with backpack that I used for 3 months. It is in excellent condition. Here is the link

http://www.breastpumpsdirect.com/Ameda_Purely_Yours_Backp...

I am a proud mother of a gorgeous one year old girl.

I thought that I would try the same thing when I went back to work after the birth of my second child. I was looking for a time saver. I called the lactation consultant that I had previously used for my first child to find out more info.
She told me that I wouldn't get any more out of the hospital grade pump than I was getting out of my Medela PISA. I don't know how she would know that but I never did rent it.
I find that once you are back at work and you get more busy, you may find yourself pumping fewer times (due to forgetting) and still getting the same volume. That was my experience with my first child (I exclusively pumped for 10 months). I am actually going to try to drop my second pumping session today and see how it goes.

I would say to give it a try for a few weeks and see if it makes a difference. If not, then you haven't shelled out too much money. Have you considered buying another PISA? With the rental, you still need the collection bottles and breatsheilds, so you may have to buy more anyway...

good luck.

K.

Hi D.,
I used a hospital grade rental for the first 3 months of my daughter's life and then switched to the Pump in Style advanced when I went back to work. Although the rental had a much more soothing sound and is a better piece of equipment (i.e I would imagine that it would last for years whereas the Pump in style's motor would probably not), the amount of breastmilk that I get from both is comparable. I actually borrowed a co-worker's old pump in style to use as my 2nd pump at the office.....yes, I know that the manufacturer does not recommend this, but my lactation consultant informed us that there is no reason not to assuming that you have your own tubes etc. The argument that it should only be used by one person doesn't hold up given that they claim that you can use the pump when you have multiples (twins, etc.) and for subsequent children. Best wishes!
J.

D.,

Hospital grade pumps tend to be very effective at bringing in your milk supply They are generally used short-term for mothers who are having latching problems or have very low milk supply and need some extra help bringing in their milk.
As you mentioned, hospital grade pumps are quite expensive, and are generally rented out monthly by hospitals and lactation consultants. They tend to be quite large and bulky, so I don't think this would necessarily solve your problem.

Some mothers find that if they are pumping every day at work, that they can leave their electric pump (Pump in Style or other double pump) at work so that they don't have to drag it back and forth every day. If you are getting a good milk supply from your current pump, it makes sense to stick with it.
Hand pumps are generally inferior to electric pumps, and do not provide good suction. Hand pumps are best used by a mom who simply wants to relieve a little bit of engorgement every once in a while - they are not designed to keep up a full milk supply for a fulltime working mother.
You may want to try keeping your Pump in Style at Work, perhaps in a locked drawer or closet. Then, you could either only take your pump home on weekends, or if you really need to use it frequently at home, you may want to invest in a second electric pump for home use only.

Congratulations on choosing the best for your baby! Breastfeeding your child exclusively while you work is a big commitment - it's also an incredibly generous and loving thing to do for your beautiful baby.

All the best,
Chana

Hi, D.,

I want to throw something into the mix of advice that might be helpful. I, too, carry the Medela Pump-in-Style (backpack) to and from work everyday and it can be a drag. If you're able to buy (or rent) another pump, remember that it should be tax deductible. I'm guessing that since you're a lawyer, depending on where you work you might have a Flexible Spending Account option at work. If you do, this is something that you can claim through your FSA -- breastpumps are covered. So, while it doesn't make it inexpensive, it saves you money by allowing you to buy with pre-tax dollars. Just a suggestion. As it turns out, a wonderful friend of mine felt sorry for me, I guess, and decided to buy another pump for me just the other day to use (and keep) at work. Here's the thing -- she's really buying it for herself b/c she's expecting (hoping) to need it soon, and is sort of just "loaning" it to me now. B/c I already have the parts to it, I'll use my own and save the new ones for her (or buy her new parts later on). You have to find someone who's cool with that and not sketched out by sharing a pump, but if you know anyone close to you who's expecting, you might want to see if they're willing to do something similar. Good luck!!! -- S.

Hello D.,

I have gotten to were I only pump 4 times a day [every six hours or so] which means I only pump once at work. Reducing the amount of times I pump has really reduced my nipple soreness.

I hope this helps!

I pumped for a year at work. The hospital pump works better and feels better kept it at home. I kept th Pump In Style at work .Get an Avent hand pump too. They work much better than the Medala!

Good Luck,
G.

I just want to congratulate you on what a wonderful thing you are doing for your child. I don't know too many moms who breast feed and pump at work. I breastfed for 14 months and I TOO pumped 3 times a day for a while. As your son gets older, you could probably pump less. I was only pumping once a day in my 12 hours shift near the end. I used the Medela pump in style too. I also used the hospital grade pumps when he was born and in the NICU. I didn't really notice a difference. But if you'd like a second pump, i guess renting one is better than buying another. Do you know any other mom's out there that are done with their pumps? YOu could use theirs and just buy new shields.

Hi D.,

I tried the Medela Lactina, Classic and Symphony; in my experience, the Symphony is by far the best. The two minute start is one speed followed by the let-down phase which is slower and I find that this helps avoid breast pain and nipple soreness.

Hope that helps!

A.

I rented a hospital pump and loved it -- I thought it did work better than a pump in style (I had one for baby 2 and baby 3)....Also -- do you HAVE to take your pump home each night? Just take home the parts to wash? -- that's what I finally figured out -- that way too I wouldn't inadvertantly leave it at home! I don't know....just hate to see have to spend MORE money on something that's actually free! Cogratulations on the commitment to breast feeding...the sacrifice is well worth it. Go Mama!!

Hi D.. My son was delivered 6 weeks early due to complications. I used the hospital pump (Ameda Elite) they had at Morristown Memorial. It was wonderful. The suction was strong and effective. The downside was that it was costing $70 per month and was very bulky. My insurance did cover it because he was a preemie. Thank goodness. I did, however, switch to the Medela Pump in Style Advanced after several months because my insurance was changing it the cost was not going to be covered. I am "somewhat" happy with the Advanced, but did love the hospital grade. The hospital grade with quick (double pump) and easy. I found it helpful to get a bra that held the cups on to my breasts, so I could have my hands somewhat free for the baby. I would recommend calling the hospital and local lac. consultants. They do vary in price for the same pump. Reach out to me if you need more guidance.

My baby was 10 weeks premature, so I rented a hospital grade pump while he was in the hospital. I have now switched to the Medela Pump in Style. I found the Medela Symphony hospital grade pump more effective and less hard on my breasts than the Pump in Style we purchased. The main reason we changed was the cost. The hospital pump was $90 per month to rent. The other advantage of the Symphony for use at work is that it is pretty quiet. Good luck!

Yes, I rented the hospital grade pump, I was told that would do the best job. I too pumped 3 times a day until my son was about 9 months old, then I pumped usually twice a day. Once he was eating more food, he didn't need as much milk. When he reached a year he only nursed morning and night so I only pumped once a day. By 14 months he had weaned himself. M. C.

Check your local pharmacy, not a chain type, but if you have one nearby that also has surgical supplies. I rented my pump, which was a Pump In Style. It was fairly reasonable in cost. I had to leave a deposit but then the monthly fee was around $30. I only needed to purchase the tubing. It was 5 years ago (yikes!) but I can't imagine the cost being significantly more. Good luck!

There is a woman that works out of Community Medical Center in Toms River that rents pumps that are fairly reasonable. Her name is Ginger. Also, try E-bay. They sell brand new pumps that are slightly cheaper than the store. Hope this helps

K.

Like you I am a working mother. The only difference is I am now not pumping. My son is 2 years old, but like you I had a difficult time pumping when I first went back to work. Having to drag the pump around with you everywhere is not the easiest thing to do. I tried a number of pumps and they all seemed to have died out long before they should have. I kept my nice and really expensive pump at home and I bought a pretty inexpensive electric pump for the office. I noticed that the ones that didn't cost as much as the Medela Pump actually worked a lot better. It sounds crazy but I bought one at WalMart that was The First Years and it lasted until I was unable to pump anymore. I would also recommend a single pump, not a double pump. If you are in a hurry it is nice to express quickly. I don't know about you but I had a difficult time trying to fit both breasts in at the same time. Hope this is some advice that you can see as useful. Good luck!!!!!

Hi D.,

A handpump is meant for occasional use. Typically if a mom is a stay at home mom and needs to pump so she can run to the DR. or run an errand she will invest in the handpump. However, if you work full time a double electric is recommended (such as Medela Pump In Style Advance). I would recommend purchasing the same one you use at work since it seems to be working for you there. The handpump is a lot more work and may cause you to be sore if you are using it often. The Pump in Style should keep your milk supply up if you use it consistently. They are very good pumps and mimic what a baby would do with their 2 phase expression.

I used a hospital pump when my son was in the hospital at 2 months. I was so happy I didn't have a chance to bring my Medela because once I figured the hospital one out is was great. Not pretty, but better, way better. If the cost is the same, I say rent the hospital grade pump. Good luck.

A.

I know you said you tried a manual pump but it's not as effective or comfortable as your electric pump.

If the manual pump you're using isn't an Avent, I would suggest that you give that a try before you go to something big and cumbersome.

I returned to work when my son was about two months old and couldn't live without mine. I used it at home when I had extra milk to express (they eventually started calling me Moo Ma because I was prolific:) The Avent worked incredibly smoothly and quickly - I was usually done pumping at work in about 15 minutes during my lunch break.

Get the hospital grade pump. First, you are very lucky that you get the chance to pump 3xs at work. I am lucky if I get a break at all. Sometimes I cannot take my lunch until 4:40-5pm, so pumping is hard for me.

Anyway, my friend had to get a hospital grade pump. I believe they are about $80.00 a month. She LOVES it. She also had the "pump in Style" and tells me there is no comparison. The hospital grade pump works better, extracts more milk by stimulating the nipple better and is all around very comfortable. She is a mom of twins and needs the extra milk and the hospital grade one is doing the job like a champ.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Hi D.,

I own the Medela Pump in Style as well. My my daughter was
born she was at the NICU for 1 week and they let me use the hospital grade Medela Pumps during the day as I used my own at home at night. The Pump in Style is a great pump when it comes to at home pumps, but truth be told the Hospital grade Medela pumps (I only have experience with these, both models) are superior in their performance. So much so, that once I got home I called back the hospital and rented one for several months to use at home and left my own packed for me to use when I was on the go. I had to pump between each actual feeding with her because I had a surgery scheduled during which I was required to pump and dump my milk for 3 day due to the surgery meds and anesthesia. The home pump is style is a great model, but I was really impressed on the speed of the hospital grade. I was able to pump both sides in a matter of 10 minutes on average. It also helped me with maintaining my flow. One word of caution though, the hospital grade is bulkier (does come with a case) and somewhat louder. Not over the top but if you are going to use it at work it might be a consideration. I would suggest trying it for a month and see what happens. After all it is a rental! I hope this helps and good luck.

I found it more convenient for me to express the milk myself(meaning with my own hands). I never had to worry about dragging around equipment and to me it was much faster than the timed pump. I was working and going to school f/t so I know exactly how you feel.

I worked part-time and am still breastfeeding my nine-month old. Pumping is a pain, but with my other two kids I rented the hospital it worked great. Have to give you big props for pumping at work three times a day because I find it very tiresome. I'm an attorney as well. I do litigation and am in Court most mornings that I work. I'm lucky if a pump once a day now at work.

It can be frustrating to try and keep your milk supply up. But, my daughter is only nursing three times a day now, morning late afternoon and at night before bed.

But, enough about my issues. I would recommend renting the pump I found it work great, it's just very cumbersome. Big, bulky, the ones I rented were blue,(the base) Good luck.

J.

my insurance covered a hospital pump for me for my 2nd child only because she was born 4 weeks early and it was helpful to her growth for me to have it.check around for best prices on diff models thats all i can suggest
A.

I am a RN and I was able to use the hospital pump at work. I pumped for 8 months after returning to work and my milk supply maintained through that time. It worked well for me because I was able to double pump, which stimulates more milk production and it only took about 10-15 minutes each time.
Good Luck!

My son was born 6 weeks premature, and never got the hang of nursing so I pumped for a full year. I absolutely recommend renting a hospital grade pump. I don't have any experience with the Madela Pump in Style, but I know that the hospital ones work really well. It was a little big and awkward, but I think in the long run it was well worth the extra trouble. It was very quiet I thought and ran smoothly. The pump that I purchased first was very loud and it didn't work well at all, and my hand pump was all but worthless!!!
I think we paid like $1/day for the one at the hospital, and there was no time limit on how long we could keep it. I think we had it for almost 11 months. A few times we almost considered trying to buy one, but they cost like $800.
Anyway, I hope this helps. Good luck.

Check with the local hospitals. Most have some sort of rental program. The hospital where my kids were born rents them for $1 /day! It can be quite a cost savings depending on how long you plan to use it. I used an EvenFlo pump for my second child...which worked good in a pinch...the hospital pump was definately a better pump.

I don't know anything about the hopsital grades pumps but I can say the Pump in Style works great. I too went back to work when my son was 6 months, and I solely pumped for eleven and a half months, with just one Pump in Style. My milk supply never went down. The pump worked so well, I have a 2 month supply in the freezer. I would recommend another Pump in Style for work, since the cost will be the same, and basing it on my experience with it.

S.

D. -
I mostly pumped for the 1st couple months for the twin girls (now 8 mos and on formula). I rented an Ameda Elite from the hospital where I delivered for $80/mo. I would highly recommend the Ameda brand for pumps. While I was pregnant I researched pumps very extensively and the Ameda Purely Yours got better reviews than the Pump N Style and actually costs less! I think whether or not to rent or buy depends on how long you think you will need 2 pumps, since the age of your son would indicate that he'll be moving on to solids soon and then starting to take less breast milk as a result.
J.

Hey D.
I used a breast pump when I nursed all three of my children (a set of twins and then a singleton). I LOVED the medela double pump and thought it was well worth the money. When my children were first born I had used the hospital grade in the hospital and then for the first month at home (rented it) and I found it to really be the same as the high end double medela pump. (not sure if this is the one you have as it's been a few years since I bought mine). The hospital had told me they were similiar too. I didn't think it worked any quicker, as long as you are pumping both sides and the same time, it's about the same. I just worked my speed up and was able to pump double in about 12 minutes time. That would give me 4-6 ounces per breast depending on how many kids I was nursing (haha).

Hope this helps you.

____@____.com
www.sensaria.com/jsammut
Bring the Spa Home

D.,

When you pump, are you using a double pump? I have never had to pump at work but have heard that the hands free pumping bras are a godsend to working Moms. I know that isn't your main concern, but just throwing it out there.
As for the pump, I would hate to have you invest another couple hundred dollars to have one at work, but seems like draging it in every day is a hassle for you. I use the hospital grade pump while in the hospital and it did work well, but my Medella did the job too. Sorry, not much help, good luck!

C.
Mommy to Jessie, Katie and Julia
www.TimetoChangetheDiapers.com
Adorable, affordable cloth diapers and reusable items for babies, kids and Moms!

I have used a hospital-grade pump and the pump in style and think the pump in style is equally as good, if not better than the hospital's.

Good luck with your return to work. I went back to work (also a lawyer) after 3 months and am finding it hard to juggle everything.

D. - the hospital grade pumps are best because of the size of the motor on those.

I can however, offer a possible second solution. I have a pump that I used for my boys and now that they are 5 and 3 I no longer use it. I have just been thinking about putting it on ebay to sell it. I know pumps are a personal thing, but with the purchase of some new pieces that are used for contact with your body, it may be much cheaper for you than renting one.

If you are interested in purchasing a second one I would be willing to discuss it with you.

Just contact me and we can chat.

C.

Hi D.,

Congrats about continuing your breastfeeding of your son. It may be challenging, but it's so rewarding! I've been nursing/pumping for 6.5 years now (three babes in a row) ~ and pumping at work has really worked out for our family.

I used the Pump in Style for a few years and following our third, switched to the Ameda. It was less bulky (comes in a small black backpack-style bag), and also is much more sanitary. Milk can get into the hoses on the Medela, and then back up into the motor, but not on the Ameda.

The Ameda Purely Yours worked great for me and is the style many hospitals rent. It was pretty reasonable too, at about $200.

Best wishes and best of luck to you as you start this new adventure!

M.

ps. if you have any problems with supply, Motherlove Herbals makes a supplement formula called "More Milk Plus" which really helped me tremendously!

I too used the Medela Pump In Style Advanced when I went back to work and can definitely relate to being tired of lugging it back and forth (still doing it 5 months later)!

I used a hospital grade pump in the hospital for the first few days after my daughter was born due to latching issues. Due to on-going latching issues, my lactation consultant wanted me to rent the hospital-grade pump for home rather than use my Medela pump. Her view was that new moms with breast-feeding issues needed to use hospital-grade pumps to bring in their milk supply - that home pumps were not as effective for new moms and could impact the amount of milk that came in and affect the milk supply.

I didn't end up renting the hospital pump at home because my milk supply was more than adequate and we resolved the latching issues. But I will say that once I went back to work my milk volume per pump session went down dramatically over time. I can't fault the pump solely since I did use it while on maternity leave at times with no issue, but now I wonder if a hospital grade pump would have made a difference.

I ended up having to pump full time because of latch issues. The pump in style, while good, didn't quite cut it. I rented the Medela Symphony, and it was AMAZING. I rented it for $75/month, and it was worth every sent. It's quiet (which the Pump in Style is not) and gentle. Definately invest in one! Next time around I may just buy one. Unlike the other models, also, the milk cannot backup into anything. If you buy it, it can be re-sold. You can't do that with the Pump in Style. good luck!!

Hi D.,

I am the mom of a 6 month old girl (Deanna born August 13) and I know what you are talking about regaring the dragging of the pump. I got sick of it and decided to leave my electric pump at home. Unfortunately I cannot provide advice on the hospital grade pump, but I did want to ask about the handpump. I have the avent on-the-go handpump set and while I expected it to be a lot of work, I am actually suprised at how efficient it is. Don't get me wrong, the electric pump is faster, but I feel that I get more milk from the handpump. By the way, fenugreek does work wonders for milk supply increase ... I got it at vitamin shoppe and use it every once in a while (when my frozen milk supply is dipping low). Take care,

R.

Hi D.. I'm a mom of 2 (3years and 6 months) and have used the Ameda Purely Yours double pump for both of my children. It's a great quiet pump, and it is less expensive than the Medela. I purchased a 2nd one when I went back to work for exactly the same reason. Plus I wasn't sure how long my original one would last, since I used it for 9 months, 3 or 4 times a day with my first, but it is still working well! I got both of them at www.momsmaternity.com. They had the best price, plus free shipping.
I hope this helps!
C.

No experience with the hospital piump to share, but if you plan to have more children and breastfeed them also, I'd invest in another pump of your own.

I borrowed a friend's pump in style this time around and keep it at work (I just carry my shields/bottles to and from), but I also have a purely yours/ameda pump that I got b/c I donated milk to a milk bank (thats another story!). I dont think the purely yours is as expensive as the pump in style and I found it worked very well.

good luck!