My daughter has bad reflux and really needs to sit up to feed. Therefore, I need a great breast pump that I can use everyday that will express the whole breast. I know Medela is the best, but I am wondering if I should rent the Symphony from the hospital or buy the Pump in Style? Anyone try both or just 1? The LC's told me the Symphony will express the whole breast in about 10 minutes, which would be ideal for me. The big debate is: $65 a month for the Symphony or around $300 now for the Medela. I don't care about the money, I just want the best so my daughter can continue to get breast milk. Thank you all so much!!!!
I will tell you my experience. I rented the Symphony from the hospital but I hated that it was soooooooo big and bulky and not so convenient to take to work and pump. It is definitely faster and does a better job. The Pump in Style is what I went to and it was very convenient and never had a problem but definitely took a little longer. Well hope this helps since I had both
B.
I have used both and the hospital pump worked the best for me. The hospital pump took less time and helped to keep my milk supply up.
Best of luck.
The Pump in Style worked great. To boost my milk production I used Fenugreek (a natural herb recommended by a pediatrician in our group) and it was awesome! Way better experience than without the herb. Pump In Style worked well and for the money....what is a little extra time. : ) Good luck!
I have the Medela and have used it for both my children. I can usually express both sides in about 10 minutes. I can do one side at a time or both simultaneously. I also purchased the adapter and pump in my car while I'm driving home! It's been the single best purchase with regard to bringing in my milk, keeping it, and increasing the volume of it.
The hospital pumps work really well and they are reallllllly quick. That said, the reflux might subside or lessen and she might be able to return to the breast. 65 is a lot, I think I was paying less than 20 a month for a hospital rental.
P.
I'm not sure where you have looked into renting pumps, but when I used a rental(the first 2 months postpartum to help my milk come in and to get used to pumping for when I went back to work) it was only $30-35 for a month. The place I rented from was here in Winter Haven, across from the hospital, near all the Gessler clinics-
As an aside I was given the Playtex duel pump-$189-very nice but no comparison to the Medela hospital grade! I used that for 3-4 months before switching to the Avent manual pump-LOVE IT! Light, easy to use/clean, and much faster, since you control the pumping!! I would rent the hospital grade one then drop only$45-50 for the manual once you get used to pumping!!!! Good Luck! L.
there are a ton of responses here.
I like the medella pump in style, I've used two different ones and the hospital one was medella too. I really like them. i used the car charger on our trip to the keys when the guys didn't want to stop for me to nurse the baby, i gave him a bottle in the car seat. (group road trip)
then w/ my next son, my milk started going down and i used the pump in style right after nursing to get it back up.
good luck!
I had the same dilema and bought the In Style. I really liked it (only nursed or about 7 months) and went with that because I can use it for future babies. That and 7 months of renting (plus the cost of the tubing) would have already paid for my own.
I bought it on BabyCenter.com and got a good deal--they had a sale on them plus free shipping.
Hi M.,
I breastfed all 3 of my children a grand total of 4 years combined and had to go back to work when my eldest was 6 weeks old, so I needed a pump that would keep my milk supply. After reviewing all of the breast pumps I could purchase, I went with the Ameda Purely Yours breast pump. You can only get it through the internet or a medical supply store, but it was worth the investment, and has lasted not only through my own three children, but my two friends' children, who bought their own breast accesories (for personal hygiene issues) but used the actual pump, with bag and cooler, etc.
Check out the link:
http://www.ameda.com/products/personal.aspx
Congratulations on your baby! C.
Hi M.. The only pump I have been able to use successfully is the Symphony. I have one rented from the hospital right now and am paying the $65. I actually only use it about twice a week, though. But I've tried all the other pumps including the hospital grade one they had out before the Symphony and was really disappointed. The Symphony, in my opinion, is the way to go. The cool let down button makes full use of my experience. But, some people get loads and loads from the other ones. It depends on you. Have you pumped before? If not, it might be worth renting the cheaper one from the hospital and trying it to see if it's effective. They are wonderful about trading them in, etc. Congrats on the baby!!
For the first month I rented the Symphony pump. After that I purchased the Pump In Style and found it to be no different. My daughter was never able to nurse so I pumped milk seven times a day the first few months and then gradually reduced to five times a day. By the ten month I had enough in my deep freezer to stop and give her frozen milk for the last two months. I truthfully think that as long as you are consistent on the amount of time you do between pumps the Pump in Style will do you an awesome job.
Is she nursing at the breast still? There are positions that will let her nurse in a more upright position. Many babies with reflux, even severe reflux, continue to nurse at the breast. It may just take some positioning. Contact a lacation consultant or La Leche League leader and they should be able to help you continue nursing if you want to.
I have the pump in style and have zero complaints! Why pay $65/month and not own anything? Especially if you have more than one child, it is definately the way to go. I was able to pump in 10-15 minutes with no problems, even with it on battery mode at work. I am going to have my second any day now and I am so glad I own the unit. Good luck! I really doubt there is much difference between the two to warrant spending more money renting.
If you plan on nursing for a couple of months, then renting probably makes the most sense. I've never rented and have used a few different pumps before I bought Medela's Pump in Style back in 2002. I'm on child #3 and am still using the very same one. I did my research back then and aside from the Medela reputation, I chose the Pump in Style because I was able to bring it with me anywhere in an inconspicuous, "stylish" black backpack. It also came with its own thermos, icepack, and bottles. But I think what really was most helpful was that I was able to pump both breasts (hands-free after some time) in less than 10 minutes. With Child #1 and Child #2, I was very much a career woman, yet all three have never had formula and I couldn't have done it without the Pump in Style.
Congratulations on Alannah!
I love my pump in style! I won it at a baby fair with my second child an it has worked like a dream for 3 more kids (the second is now 9). I wouldn't trade it for anything. IMHO
M.,
I have the Medula pump and love it. It's light weight easy to use and works great. I was able to double pump in less that 10 monutes. With my first daughter I rented from the hospital, and the Medula worked just as well as the one I rented from the hospital. Good luck.
The pump is style was more than adequate for me. I also used the Symphony which was a little faster but not much. I was able to pump with the PIS in about 10 minutes.
I used both. I rented for a month to make sure I could do it and was comfortable with it and then I purchased the best one. Try that out!! Good luck:)
I rented the Symphony from the hospital. It was wonderful. Especially when sometimes it was too painful to nurse! It does pump fast, you can control the rate and depending on how long you nurse you can return it. Its not such a big investment. Nothing beats the hospital grade pumps, they are truly wonderful.
