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breast pump rental
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tokyochocho
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Hello OP, just wondering how things worked out for you? I am having the same dilemma about renting versus buying a pump (and have the same questions about whether you have to tell the hospital in advance that you would like to rent, or whether they are readily available, whether all bottles work with all pumps, etc.). Any input you feel like sharing would be greatly appreciated! And anyone else who has had experiences with these issues...feel free to chime in! I will be delivering at Virginia Hospital Center but I think experiences at other hospitals would be relevant too.
A nurse told me that the personal Medela pumps available in stores are not really that much better than other brands, they are just marketed the most heavily, so more women end up choosing them. I wonder if anyone has opinions on that, since they seem to be highly recommended on this thread. (She was referring to the ones available in stores, not the hospital-grade Medela pumps, which I've heard are very good.) Thanks in advance for answers to any of these questions. |
Anonymous
| The Symphony is $65/mo from Northern VA Lactation Consultants. |
Anonymous
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13:19 here again. I am not a fan of the personal grade Medela pumps. They are not closed systems, which means your milk and stuff can back up into the motor. I've had thrush. I'm terrified of thrush. I don't want that in my pump!
The Lansinoh Double Electric, which is the same as the Ameda Purely Yours, can be found for around $100 on the net. It is an FDA approved closed system. I own this pump and, while it's a little loud, it's great. I use it at home. I also have a Phillips Avent Isis iQ Duo. I keep it at work. It is also a closed system. Only drawback is that it only has one size of flanges. BUT, you can use Pumpin Pals flanges with it, which is what I do, if you need larger than average flanges. Good luck! I also own a |
Anonymous
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I did both. I bought a Medela pump in style that I used occasionally on maternity leave and that I use at home now that I'm back at work. But I rented a hospital grade pump (medela symphony) to keep at work. The rental pump has a lot of advantages: it's much quieter, is more comfortable to use, pumps much more efficiently/better so I'm able to get more milk faster. The disadvantage is that it's huge and its more expensive for long-term use (I pumped at work for 8 months until DD was 1.) I like having the PIS for home and travel too - it's not as good, but it's much more portable and that way I don't have to carry the rental pump back and forth from work.
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Anonymous
I am wondering if I wrote this in my sleep! This is me word for word except I am no longer excusively pumping as I had to supplement! PP, when did you discover the problem and how well were you able to get your supply back up?? Anyway, OP, I (obviously) agree with PP. I'd wait and see how things go but do research the personal pump you want if you get one so you can buy at a moment's notice. |
Anonymous
| I'd say wait because what if you don't end up needing one. I know a lot of people who wanted to BF, but latch problems, milk never came in, etc, so they never used the pumps they had gotten. However, I registered for the Medela PIS and my Mom bought it, so I had it on hand and I am glad I did. I had a C-section (medical problems) and it took 5 days for my milk to come in. I used the pump the first day I was home and every day since. It was nice that it was already there waiting for me. Couldn't imagine my DH running to the store needing help from the sales associate for a pump. Diaper Genie he handled well, but I am not so sure about a pump and extra accessories. |
Anonymous
| 13:09 - I'm not sure if you know this but from youe post it sounds like you might not. You cannot rent a hospital grade pump from VHC. I rented mine from the Breastfeeding Center but, my understanding is that you can also go to another hospital even if you did not deliver there. |
Anonymous
| I agree on previous recommendations to wait and see how it goes. I ended up with both. I had supply issues at the beginning and really needed the hospital pump. After about 2 months the supply was under control so I returned the hospital pump and bought a Medela Freestyle to use for pumping at work. The hospital pump is way better and quieter, but it's huge and would have cost a fortune to keep for as long as I wanted to pump. The Freestyle is portable and certainly good enough for everyday needs. |
Anonymous
| Yep, don't buy until you have a better idea of what you need. I received a borrowed Medela, but I also decided to rent one to keep at work. Yes, it cost alot in the end (I BF'd for a year), but I felt it was worth it to not have to lug a pump on the bus, worry about leaving it somewhere, etc. I knew I always had one at home and one at the office. Plus the hospital-grade pump is so much better, it saved me time at work and made me more comfortable. |
Anonymous
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I rented the hospital pump for the first few weeks and then had hubby buy a Medela Freestyle backpack one on Craig's List for about $100 and got new tubes and plastic pump parts at the Breastfeeding Center in DC. I went back to work after 6 months and kept it at work M-F, brought it home on weekends just in case.
Once we got a babysitter and I left work early to go to a baseball game, after several hours I got so uncomfortable I had to go hand-express in the ladies room. Same thing happened at a hotel the morning after a wedding, the baby was fast asleep and we had to drive back from Baltimore and I didn't have my pump. That sucked. |
Anonymous
Go with the Ameda - way cheaper b/c it's no frills (no "extras" such as tote bag), but there is no $350 price tag either. |