I need some advice on buying a good breast pump and also bottles that don't leak. My first pregnancy I was given an Ameda breast pump from a friend and it died after a month, we didn't have the money to buy one so I just got an Avent hand pump. Since we don't have to buy all the big stuff for our second baby, we can afford a decent breast pump this time and I don't know which one to buy. I have to have a good pump because last time I had a very low milk supply from the asthma medication I take and I had to pump in between feedings to keep my milk supply up enough to feed my son. We also used Avent bottles last time and they leaked all the time. It drove me crazy to have done all that work to pump with the hand pump to make a bottle so my husband could feed our son once and a while and then have it leak all over the place. Thanks in advance for your advice!
I use the Medela Swing pump. It's electric, but more for occasional pumping. I am a SAHM and usually pump once a day. The pump is small and even portable for travel. Not a double pump though, so it would take longer than a double. I recommend Medela!
I rented a hospital grade double pump for 6 months and was happy with it. I think it was a Medela. This was for my second and (planned to be) last child and my first was not breastfed. I was never sure how long I was going to breast feed. In the end, it ended up costing about the same as a good quality, new, personal double pump.
For both babies, I used playtex bottles with the disposable liners. I'm still using them for my son. I like them. The bags collapse as the baby drinks so there is less air, which is good for little babies tummies.
S.
I have a professional that worked great for me. No leaks and great suction. If you supply is low due to the medication.
You may need pomp that pomp constantly like your baby does.
My daughter is 3 years old,now. I am not using it any longer, so I have storage in a box. I can research of the brand for you tomorrow morning. Please give me a call at ###-###-####.
N.
I was given a Medela single electric pump from a friend that hardly used it. You can sterilize all of the parts so it was fine and I figured worth giving a try. I am a stay at home mom, but the single worked great for helping when I was full and the baby wasn't hungry, needed to increase supply, or wanted to have a bottle for a particular occasion. It isn't super fancy but worked great for my purpose and didn't take all day either. It just uses 2 AA batteries or can be plugged in. I'm on my 3rd child and it's still going strong. I don't use it daily, but I do use it regularly so it gets a decent amount of use times 3 kids.
I used 3 different bottles with my kids. My first liked the Avente ones. They didn't seem to leak with her, but they didn't work as well with my second. He liked the Evenflo Comfi. My third would suck on the Evenflo but could never figure out how to get milk out for some reason. Then we tried Nuk's new bottle. Last last is my only one that ever took a pacifier and she likes the Nuk brand in those so I thought we'd try them. They are the wide neck nipples too which works better for her - I think that was part of her problem with the Evenflo ones. You do have to be sure to use the little disk stopper with the Nuk bottles or the nipples leak quite a bit during transport/storage if not held upright. They do include the little disk covers though so there is a solution.
I too used the Ameda purely yours breast pump. I bought it used on ebay. I did a lot of research. Many places said not to use a used breast pump. But some sites said it was fine, as long as you got new tubes...that is one reason I used an Ameda because the sites I read said that the tubes were the only place that the milk touches, so using a used one was fine. Also, our insurance reimbursed us $50.00 for buying a breast pump. Check to see if yours does the same.
I did not use the Ameda bottles. I used Pump-Mate Breast Milk Storage & Feeding Kit. They are hard to find...I got them new on ebay. I did a lot of research about storing and freezing breast milk. The pump mate breast milk storage kit comes with disposable little bags that you store your milk in. I liked their bags because they are shaped like bottles and were easier to use.
Also, some of the research says that each time you transfer breast milk from one container to another, you lose some of the nutrients. So, it is best to pump it into the same container that you will use for feeding the baby.
Good luck with your choice.
I used a dual electronic pump by evenflo, I would not recommend it. Within 3 months it stopped working and the company would not replace it. And I only pumped twice a day.
Also the first bottles we bought to use with our son were evenflo and they leaked. Then we used some by parents choice and had no problems with leaking (they were only like $1 per bottle).
MADELA! The very best.
Most people don't know that breast pumps aren't regulated by any organization...so any old manufacturer can make one. Many have been known to cause tissue damage...not to mention the frustration of a mom NEEDING a pump and having a bad one, not knowing that there are better out there, you know?
Madela is the very best.
Lansinoh breast pump! I used it for a year with our baby twice a day!!! I believe it was around $120 at target.com.
Dear H.,
I love Dr. Brown's bottles! They were fantastic for my son, who developed some gas issues when his was about 1 month old. They have never leaked for me (I have also experienced frustration with leaky Avent bottles)! The only mildly annoying thing about them is that they have several pieces that have to be taken apart and sterilized individually. But they're definitely a good choice if you want to avoid leaks and prevent colic.
Also, like you, I had to pump in-between feedings, and my breast pump gave me all sorts of problems. The valves on the pump kept sticking and clogging up the pump, making the milk back up into the breast cups. It was a nightmare! The only way I could avoid this problem was by replacing the valves with the valves the hospital gave me for use with the "take-home kit" hand pump. I'm pretty sure the model I purchased was an Evenflo. I wouldn't recommend it.
Good luck with everything!
-J.
I can not recommend the Medela pump more strongly. It was wonderful and worth every penny (since they're typically the most expensive brand out there). We also used the Dr Browns bottles and have not had any problems with them leaking.
