Anyone rented a breast pump from GU Hospital?

[Anonymous]

I am wondering about the pros and cons of renting a hospital grade pump as opposed to buying one right away. Has anyone rented one from GU Hospital before? If so, what was the procedure and how much does it cost? Does insurance cover it? I have CIGNA.

Also, when does one rent it? Do you have to take it with you when you leave the hospital? Or can you get one later?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I am currently renting at GUH. It costs 60/month (or 2 per day if you end up keeping it less than a full month). You could take it with you as you leave or you can pick it up at any time later. As far as insurance, you should call yours and find out whether they would cover it. It may depend on the reason why you are renting in the first place (ie if you have a medical necessity vs you just want to have it instead of buying a regular pump).

There was a thread recently about hospital-grade pumps and whether they are "worth it", with opinions all over the place. You could probably search the board and find it. My supply is low and the hospital-grade pump is the only way I can get anything out (even Medela PIS, which is supposedly the best pump, did nothing for me). So for me, obviously, it was definitely worth it as I was able to extend pumping by a few months, otherwise I would've had to quit a long time ago. One of the cons is that it is much larger and heavier than a regular pump, so it's not as convenient to carry around. I actually rent two - one for the office and one for home, because carrying it back and forth every day is too much hassle.

I would wait to buy a pump (or buy and not open it) until you've established a breastfeeding pattern. Many stores won't let you return a pump once the box is open.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I tried to rent one to take home before I went home from the hospital (I had a C section) and they were all out of them so I had to go back and pick one up after I delivered. In retrospect you probably won't need one for a few weeks after the baby is born so you can figure out if nursing is working out for you. I never got much out of either the hospital grade pump or the hand pump I used. I ended up returing the pump after a month.