Stay at home mom planning to brestfeed. Do I need a pump? What kind?

Question

I'm getting so overwhelmed at the information on breastfeeding. I don't know what I need/don't need. Should I get a pump? A good one or just decent? What about the Medela Single Deluxe Batter/Electric Breast Pump for $64.99 verses the Lansinoh Double Electric Breast Pump for $149.99. Or should I rent from the hospital?

Answer 1

You'll ABSOLUTELY need a pump!!!! Even if you exclusively breastfeed, there will be times when you go out and leave him/her with a sitter. It is a good idea to pump a little over the week and store it in the freezer for when you're out. I had the Medela and I thought it was great. Buy one, don't rent because you can use it for your other kids too and by the time you pay all that rent money, you could have bought one.

If you will be a stay-at-home, then you only need the Single since you won't be using it much. The double one is expensive and used for women who go back to work or decide to pump instead of breastfeeding. Whatever you do, get the electric NOT the hand pump. I hope this helps!

Answer 2

I think a pump will give you some flexibility. There may be times when you want to go out for an afternoon. Also, with a pump, you can take a nap and let your husband look after the baby for a few hours without feeling dependent on waking you up. (It's a good way for them to bond. My husband liked knowing that he could take care of everything on his own for a few hours.) A freezer filled with bags of milk can give you a good and relaxed feeling. If you should get sick--even with a 24-hour stomach bug--it's nice to know that you have a backup plan. And if you should develop mastitis when your baby is teething, well, you might want to pump on the affected side for a day or two instead of letting little Jaws latch on. So there are many little conveniences to pumping.

Don't start pumping too soon, though. Probably wait until a month or six weeks, when everything is well-established and you feel more confident. It will be a very strange feeling when you get it out of the box...hopefully you and your significant other can have some laughs about it! I had the Bailey Nurture pump from babybungalow.com and really liked it...it has enough power to get a good letdown, is a double pump, but is still affordable. Get the Lansinoh freezer bags and freeze your milk in one ounce quantities.

Enjoy your baby! What a great adventure you are about to start!

Answer 3

I have the Lansinoh Double Electric Pump. I've had to pump 6-8 times a day since my baby was five days old. She's now 6 1/2 months old, and the pump is still going strong. I haven't had to replace any parts, even though the bottles/flanges have been dropped NUMEROUS times. (I did have to order a replacement part when I thought I'd lost a plastic piece, and it took FOREVER to get here (about 2 1/2 weeks), but, luckily, I found the piece waaaay before then - it does come with some replacement parts, but, of course, not the one I lost). It can be plugged in or runs on batteries, which is a god-send to me when I'm visiting relatives (pump in the car) or out with the kids I watch (I can take it to the museum or zoo or whatever and pump in a discreet corner). It's a little loud, but, it's not terrible. It's very easy to clean; you can clean it by hand (just need a little nipple brush) or you can toss it in the dishwasher (except for one little plastic part that you can just run under water). It comes with a CD that helps you learn to use the pump if you need it. You can also pump just one breast at a time (say, if your baby is a one-side nurser). I'm happy with it, but if you think you'll only need an occassional bottle, you could just get a single pump or a manual.
Best of luck.

Answer 4

You'll only need one if you ever plan to leave the baby with someone else for more then an hour, AND if the baby is ok with occassional bottles AND formula isn't an option. So, I would wait until the baby is born. If you decide to get a pump, the amount you spend is directly related to how often you will need to use it. If you are planning to stay at home, I would guess that you won't need a pump very often, so I would go with a cheaper one. The cheaper ones work just fine, they just take a little longer to pump, which isn't a big deal if you're not needing to pump everyday.

Answer 5

I wouldn't run out and get one right now,when you have your baby and if breast feeding does not work out then get one.I have the
Avent Isis and I have the Medela Single Deluxe pump and I prefer the Medela,it is much faster and not so hard on the hand,but then again i had to pump all my milk,my son was too weak to breast feed.Medela is the brand the hospitals use and as far as i know they also have the best warranty.Good luck.

Answer 6

No way! you do not ought to paintings to pump - I pumped and do not paintings. I propose you don't get a guide pump although. I had an electric powered and a guide pump and that i presumed that the guide pump turned right into a good idea for at the same time as i mandatory to alleviate my breasts in the course of the evening, yet boy changed into I incorrect! My hands were given so drained and that i actually were given something out of it. Get a double electric powered pump in case you could. I used an evenflo pump from walmart for a lengthy time period and then I were given a medela pump and there changed into not a lot distinction, surely. The medela pump changed into quieter and it would want to suck slightly harder, yet I not in any respect mandatory it to suck that demanding because it damage. in case you've been going to be completely pumping then i might want to point something better intense priced and longer lasting, yet a cheap one will paintings. i desire this helps!

Answer 7

Rent one from the hospital first and then make your decision on whether to buy. You might find you have to bottle feed for that first month. Or, you might find it's a convenient way to establish/keep up your milk supply. You may be able to store some for a couple of hours of grown-up time while someone else can feed the baby.

My baby has never latched on well and I needed that pump to relieve engorgement and fill bottles with breast milk just so he'd eat. Currently switching him to formula, as I have to return to work soon.

Good luck! Nursing's a tough thing to commit to.

Answer 8

Do you want to ever introduce a bottle? You don't have to do so. My first took bottles of pumped milk as I had to go back to work when he was 15 weeks. My other two never took bottles since I was a full time mom by then. I just hand expressed milk to thin out solids for the girls.

If you don't plan to introduce bottles, you certainly don't really need a pump. If you think you might occasionally use a bottle, I'd suggest the Avent Isis for occasional use.

Answer 9

Check on the Medella website for a local store and then get the double pump. Medella is the best.

Answer 10

my mother bought me a manual avent one-I'm really grateful for it. I did end up having to exclusively pump with a hospital one-but when I got a clogged duct-the avent one sucked it right out within a few minutes.