Would You Buy a Used Pump? and a Breastfeeding Question?

I have a medela and like you had issues with my first two, now with my third thanks to my $200 pump I am now successfully breastfeeding off boobie at 2.5 months which is three times longer then before, you can read my history it has been a crazy 3 months. If it wasn't for a good expensive pump I would not be here, I still use it everyday for the "extra" milk that I have and store.

I have a Medela pump that I bought used, and I just replaced all of the plastic parts on it - much cheaper than buying a new pump. A previous poster said the milk goes through the entire system, but that isn't true with mine. The milk just through the cones (that I replaced) into the bottle. All that goes through the pump itself is the air used for suction. I sincerely doubt this is a hospital-grade pump that I bought, so instead, I would just look into how the pump works. If the milk doesn't touch any of the non-replaceable parts, go for it!

P.S. LOVE the Medela.

if you stay home you do not need a fancy pump.. a cheapo one will do fine..

I did buy a used pump from a friend and boiled everything..

I have a pump that was given to me by a friend... It's a madella pump in style, and every time I read pumping questions on this site, it seems like the most highly recommended. I had to pump in the hospital, and the stuff they gave me there (tubing, the thing you stick on your boob) were compatible with it and can pump into any standard bottle. :) good luck!

Ok, first know that breastpumps are not closed motorized units. So, yes viruses do back up into pumps. You can buy the entire replacememnt kit and it still does not stop viruses from backing up into the pump. So I would not buy a used pump at all. The only way I tell people to get a used pump is if they have a friend or relative so close, they trust them enough to sleep with them. In a figure of speech sense; meaning you know they do not have any viruses that can be transmitted. You NEVER should wash the tubbing of a breastpump either BTW....
Yes people rent breastpumps, but those are Hospital Grade $3,000 pumps. Not the $250 one you buy. The hosptial grade ones are closed motors.
Now what should you do.... I think you should wait until after baby is born and see how it goes. Do not buy any pump. If problems were to occur where you needed to pump in the early days, then the hospital supplies it. So, I would not make the investment until you see how it goes... Also many times hospitals offer them at discounts, so just wait. If you are a SAHM, chances are you can get away with just a cheaper one such as an Advent one as well.... So I hope this helps.... Congratulations on considering giving your little baby the best gift ever...

Hi! You know, after all the hooplah over expensive pumps, I decided to just go with my gut and get a cheap one. I bought the playtex double that has 3 "speeds." It was ~$80 at babies r us. It did start to wear out after many months (I breastfed for 1 year), but I was able to use it the whole time I needed it. I don't think there's anything wrong with buying used, just be sure to get the important parts (the parts that actually touch you & the milk) new--or sterilize several times to be safe. When I get ready for #2 I may try to find replacement parts for my cheapo or just buy a new one. The parts that need replacing broke because I was very rough with mine--tossing it around in luggage, storing it under the bed, sitting on it, dropping parts, etc.
Besides, if things do go very well, you can always go out and buy one of the pricier pumps.
Oh, and over the course of 1 year breastfeeding, my girl maintained 50-75% in weight AND I donated over 700 ounces to a milk bank for preemie babies.
Good luck and congrats on #3!!

I inherited a friend's Medela Pump-in-Style and it worked out great! All of the parts that touch your body or the milk can be sanitized, so I don't think it's a big deal to get a used one. I ended up passing the pump along to another friend after I was done with it, so now this pump has been through 6 babies! Used is the way to go! I only tried the one brand (Medela) but it worked GREAT.

Yes, I would buy a used pump. Matter of factly, I have! I bought one from a close friend of my sister and just made sure that I cleaned it appropriately before I used it. I was a stay at home mom too, but the day that I got so engorged that I couldn't move, I was very thankful to have it. I also needed it when my DD went on her nursing strike at 9 months to keep up production. I was glad to have it then too. :) Congrats on the new addition!!

I would definitely NOT buy a used pump right now for 2 reasons. First, unlike many professional pumps, most of the home pumps are not closed systems. That means bacteria or other diseases can grow in these pumps. The mother's milk is sent through the entire system and there is no way to really disinfect those pumps. That makes it extremely dangerous to buy one of these used pumps from someone you don't know. Some people feel more comfortable using a pump that someone they know used. I wouldn't do that either because it is possible that the mother had some communicable illness that they did not know about. Hospital grade pumps (which you can rent) are closed systems. You only need to buy the individual cups and hoses, so there is no risk of contamination from someone else. A good article on used pumps can be found here:

http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/pumps.shtml

The second reason I would not buy a pump right now is because you haven't breastfeed before. Until you know how things are going to go and what will work best for you, I strongly recommend that you rent a hospital grade pump. I rented one after the birth of my first child and am so happy that I did that instead of spending a ton of money buying one. It gave the time and experience I needed to figure out what would work best for me (which ended up being just continuing to rent the hospital grade pump as they are much faster and, IMHO, more comfortable that home pumps). I saved a lot of money and aggravation.

Good Luck!

i was a SAHM whe my second was born. I used a friends BP until it broke and then bought a Medula pump in style. I breastfeed and pumped so I would have a storage in case I wanted to go somewhere or go somewhere with him that I was not comfortable nursing him in public. It just seemed to take the edge off of "what if I get stuck somewhere" the whole not having to supplement with formula issue, plus it made my husband more comfortable with me leaving not having to worry about feeding time. You could also rent a pump and wait and see if it is something you want to stick with.

There is also the option to rent a pump from your delivering hospital. These will be hospital grade pumps (much much better than those $200 ones). You may consider this if you aren't sure how breastfeeding will go because you can always stop renting at anytime.

Our insurance covered renting a pump.. It was awesome..

I'm sorry but I don't know what a SAHM is. As far as buying a pump - well, I would wait. I did buy a pump, but found that hand expressing was so much quicker! After I made certain the first (who had a bottle b/4 breast so didn't want to "work" to get milk) got used to nursing, and myself also; I did express daily-at least 2-3 times, never got engorged - the more you express the more milk you make-handy not to have to hook up to a pump. You control the pressure -easily. You can also refrigerate or freeze breast milk. So, I'd have to say I'd try hand expressing first. Used pump? If all parts can be boiled - I don't see a reason why not.

I was that stupid new mama that ran out and bought a medela breast pump (over 300 bucks) the night I was discharged. I wasn't able to breast feed. LOL, looking back its funny but honestly I would have rented one first, and if it went well for the first 3 months then I would buy one (used or new). Keep in mind for most breast pumps you can buy a brand new accessory kit and thats the only part that touches the milk or your breast, so if you can save money on a used one, why not. Good Luck!

I loved my Avent Isis manual pump (retails for less than $40 I believe) and I pumped full-time for almost a year for each of my kids (they didn't need so much towards a year). It was an awesome investment for me as a working mom, but is also easy to use, portable, and affordable if you're not sure you'll need it full-time. I have used someone else's pump, but only someone I know well and it was sterilized first. Pumps can be very individual depending on your comfort and the fit depending on your breast size, so some women hate the manual ones or find the fit uncomfortable. You can also hand-express with practice, but I never was very good at that except on the desperate days when I FORGOT my pump at home (those really stank!). Good luck! :)

I'd say buy a cheap one to start with and see if it even works out. You can get a nice brand like Medela in a manual single pump for about $30 new. That's all I ever used with my first baby and it was fine, but if I tried to pump more than once a day it would make my hand & wrist sore. Later on you can either splurge on a nicer model, or get a used one from someone you trust. The replacement parts are pretty cheap. Good luck with breastfeeding!

um wow, if you don't know how long you plan to nurse, and you don't work, a 15 dollar manual pump will get you started and you can always buy an electric pump if you think it's worth it later.

Borrowed one from a girlfriend...you sanitize the parts that touch you and the milk...so used is fine.

As they get older they don't suck as well...so buy a newer model used.

I would buy a used pump if I felt reasonably sure about its history. Not so worried about the cleanliness...almost all are well compartmentalized at this point...really easy to replace what needs to be replacing. I would be more concerned about its ability to do the job.

I used an Ameda that was affordable and got a lot of good reviews. It did a great job for me, but I definitely felt as though its efficacy declined toward the end. Granted it got HEAVY use. I would donate mine...so someone could give it a try, but I wouldn't sell it.

A friend of mine bought TWO Medela Swings. Sometimes she would use them together as a double pump...or leave one at home and one at work. She also pumped for a year and had a great result. Each of them was less than $100.

To be honest, if I hadn't had to work (I am a single mom)...I wouldn't have bought a pump. Once you can get the hang of things, pumping is just a huge pain by comparison. I would suggest renting if you have any doubts.

Hi,

I've nursed 3 kids and never had an electric pump. I'm also a SAHM and I used a manual Avent Isis when I needed to either pump a bottle (I never had much stored since I was almost ALWAYS with my kids), or relieve some engorgement. I found it worked great, was easy to use, and when I was full I could pump a full 7-8 ounces from one side with it (production was not an issue for me).

This is what I suggest - have your baby and nurse on demand. That means that you nurse whenever the baby cries for the first 6 weeks. This in itself takes time and energy (especially with 2 other kids to care for) so prepare yourself to spend time nursing. Have books and videos, coloring books, kid magazines, legos, whatever your older children like to do, available and ready for them so they can entertain themselves while you nurse every 2 hours :)

Around week 4, you should think about pumping a bottle. I waited longer and my kids were really reluctant to take one. I think if I'd started just a little earlier it would have gone better.. maybe not.. just a theory.

At that point, a manual (used - all the parts are dishwasher safe) Avent Isis should provide you with a bottle a day or more if you want. I could pump a bottle in about 10 minutes.

Good luck and CONGRATULATIONS!
Jessica

I used a hand-me-down pump from a friend w/ my 3rd born (donated the one I had thinking two kids, I'm done -- wasn't done) and I thought it was great. If you disconnect all the tubes and buy a Breastpump Accessory Kit, it usually comes with two steam bags (each of them good for about 20 uses) and you can steam all the tubes that connect to the machine to make sure it's all sterilized. Really, only the air is in the tubes, so your milk is only coming in contact with the shield-thing and the storage bottle. I'm a stay at home mom and got a lot of use out of it. Most lactation consultants said it's fine to introduce a bottle, just a few weeks after birth, so the baby gets real good at latching on, first. Good luck!

I know people do, but I don't think using a used breast pump is a good idea. You should wait to see how the whole thing goes. And if you are going to be staying home, you won't need an expensive one. I stayed home with my son and nursed him for 10.5 months. I only bought a hand pump one, cause I really didn't use it much- which was fine for me. He occasionaly took a bottle from probably 3 months old and on.

Avent makes a pump called Isis. or the other most well know one is Medella. I liked the Isis hand pump better (i had both), but I think Medella is better for the bigger ones that you use more often.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Get a referral to a lactation consultant. They can be a HUGE help. Breastfeeding is natural, but not necessarily easy. If there's a way for you to visit with someone who is breastfeeding, that might help - to see it in action. Good luck! It's a wonderful thing :)

I agree with Ina G. about the motives behind "everyone must buy a new pump." I bought a Medela pump in style off Craigslist, replaced all the parts that touch me/my milk and it's just fine.

I personally would not buy a used pump or even rent one. You don't know how it was taken care of or what kind of germs/bacteria have come in contact with it. I bought a Medela $200 pump with my 2nd baby. I wish I would have waited to buy it and purchased something a little cheaper. I also don't recommend pumping so soon because it may cause your milk supply to increase too much like mine did.

Just to let you know you can rent one as well from the hospitals and walgreens I believe. I did that and very glad I did because at 4 months I stopped producing milk :( and I had to go to formula. I wish you success with yours!!

Hi there and congrats on your third! I just had my third and have used the same Medela "Pump in Style" portable pump for all three kids. I've had it now for five years and it works as good as new. I would buy a used pump, but would recommend only using the pump motor (the main apparatus) and then with the Medela pump you can go out and buy new tubes and all needed pieces for yourself. Those are not expensive to replace and then you really have no sanitation issues to worry about.

Hang in there with the breastfeeding! It's a wonderful experience for you to bond with your sweet babe!