What is important to look for when purchasing a breast pump. Was also curious about brand recommendations anyone may have. Are the more expensive ones the better ones and worth the investment?
2006-07-09 00:32:20 · 10 answers · asked by southrntrnzplnt 5 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
I have degenerative arthritis in my hands and dont know if I could handle the manual pump if it takes a lot of pumping to fill the bottle. If anyone uses those, also advise if this is easier in your opinion.
2006-07-09 00:39:56 · update #1
Had baby 7/2/06 and milk just came in, i end up soaked all day long. She cant feed fast enough it seems and there are times i just want to give her a bottle or if Im out and my mom is taking care of her. Im a single mom and not returning to work for a while. Family is taking care of everything thankfully.
2006-07-09 05:14:44 · update #2
I have arthritis and fibromyalgia and recommend the Medela breast pump. With my first son, I used a manual and it was so hard on my hands and arms, that I could only do it a few times. With my son now, we used the Medela pump and it is great. I have had to surgery when he was 2 months old. Thank goodness I had that pump. I had enough milk for him to eat for two weeks! I still have a lot more if I need it. HIGHLY RECOMMEND MEDELA!!
2006-07-09 04:02:47 · answer #1 · answered by Commish's Girl 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It all depends on what you want the pump for. If you have no plans to pump, then don't bother buying one. Not *every* woman who is nursing needs a pump!!
If you will be pumping only occasionally (less than once a day), a manual pump would be fine (except if you would have trouble using it, obviously; go to a store and try the motion out to see if it's something you can do comfortably). If you will be pumping daily, a battery pump would be fine. If you will have to pump exclusively (for instance, if you will be traveling for work for several days without the baby), then you need a hospital-grade rental pump (preferably one that allows you to pump both breasts at the same time).
Do *not* buy a used pump. They can harbor bacteria and *cannot* be reliably sterilized. Further, they usually are only good for about as long as you pump for one baby, so you'll probably end up with something that is only useful as a doorstop. It's a complete waste of money.
More expensive pumps are not necessarily better, but *inexpensive* ones are almost always either bad or horrible. Pumps made by companies whose main products are baby feeding supplies tend to be the worst--they *want* you to not be able to pump because they'll make more money that way!! So stay away from Playtex or Evenflo pumps. They can actually do enough damage that you can no longer nurse this baby. Not to mention...OUCH!!
Some good manufacturers are Medela, Avent, Whittlestone, and Ameda. Some women have good experiences with the Whisper Wear, although I haven't seen any research on its effectiveness. It fills a very specific niche, though, so if you think you will need it, there's no competition. If you do buy it, buy a double pump so you can pump both breasts together.
2006-07-09 03:17:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like you should get an electric one. Manual ones can be a lot of work, I had one and my hands were always getting tired. Now I have a Medela Pump in Style, and it works great. I would recommend buying some soft breast shells as well they are more comfortable than the hard ones it comes with and they can stimulate the milk better. Good luck.
2006-07-09 01:54:17 · answer #3 · answered by cwoo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say buy a madela, they are expensive yes but work very well and last a long time. It is a great investment especially if this is your first child. However if you don't plan on returning to work and just want to store some of your milk or give baby a bottle every so often you might want to consider renting one from your hospital from time to time.
But if you decide to purchase one get the one that cost about 300.00. The little madela one that doesn't come with the heavy duty motor does not work well at all. They are cheaper, but you will end up buying the other, because they don't work.
PS none of them are returnable after openning unless they are defective.
2006-07-09 04:48:21 · answer #4 · answered by Chris 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My personal experience with my electric pump as great. And a manual pump may not be a good idea with your condition. I used the Medela Pump N' Style... This is an ideal pump for working moms because it includes a cooler to keep the expressed milk while you get home. You can use it with battery or electric. I paid $300 for mine...
Check the link below that shows you which pump better fits your needs... The second one shows the pump I own...
Hope this helps!
2006-07-09 03:48:09 · answer #5 · answered by lilly_mom_pr 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would go with the Medela pump. also, the best thing you can do is contact your local La Letche League chapter
http://www.lalecheleague.org/
The women who are members are the best resourse you can have. With out them I never would have made it through the first couple of weeks of nursing.
They also have meetings. Go to a few meetings before you have the baby. You will learn so much about nursing and also be able to observe other women nursing before you actually try to. It makes a world of difference.
Many of them also rent pumps. If you can rent one a couple of weeks before you are due, then you can have it waiting for you. This option is sometimes cheaper. If you plan to be going back to work and pumping for more then a few months, it may be better just to buy one however.
2006-07-09 04:51:33 · answer #6 · answered by mayasmom1204 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stay away from manual pumps...most of them (even the expensive ones) are crap.
I'd recommend (based on personal experience and experience of all the women I know who breastfed and bought one) the Medela Pump In Style Advance. It'll set you back about $325, but WELL worth it.
Before you buy one, however, rent one from your hospital for a few weeks to make sure you are able to breastfeed. Once you've purchased one and opened the box, you own it...they won't even give you store credit for it.
2006-07-09 13:33:06 · answer #7 · answered by brevejunkie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would go with an electric pump. I know that Medela and Ameda are really good brands to go with. Those brands are used and sold by most hospitals throughout the US. Many of them also come with great accessories a carrying case, AC adapter, car adapter, bottles, etc I think they run around $140-300+..
2006-07-10 18:26:02 · answer #8 · answered by Brittany E 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think its just as easy and as quick to manually do it. Breast pumps can be very sore on your nipples. The more expensive ones are usually better, because they are designed to suck the way a baby would at your breast.
2006-07-09 00:37:14 · answer #9 · answered by Chrissie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
call your local hospital and ask about renting a breast pump. most hospitals rent out the hospital grade breast pumps, they work better, and last a hel* of a lot longer.
mommy of 2
2006-07-09 04:19:51 · answer #10 · answered by Heather W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋