breast pump

[Anonymous]

hello,
I'm due in few months from now but thinking about all that needs to be done before I go to the hospital. I'm realy convinced that I want to breat feed. My question is: do I need a breast pump? If yes which one is a good one? I appreciate any help. Thanks

[Anonymous]

If you breast feed, you will want a pump eventually, so that you can leave the baby with someone else and a bottle and go to dinner/the doctor/the hairdresser/work/whatever. But in the first few weeks you won't need one, and you can wait until breastfeeding is established to get one.

If you want to have one waiting, I suggest starting with the Avent Isis (a hand pump). You'll want an electic pump if you go back to work (I used a Medela Pump in Style for three babies), but it's nice to have a manual at home and leave the pump at work (yes, in theory the PIS is portable, but why haul the whole thing back and forth if you don't have to?).

[JenBug29]

I agree with the pp. If you work outside the home, you will definitely need an electric pump. I have the ameda pump and I love it. I also have a hand pump at home so I can leave my electric one at work.

[Anonymous]

I would definitely have the pump available before the baby comes. The first few days nursing in the hospital made me very sore, and I was glad to switch to the pump when I got home, til the nipples toughened up. Also, my husband was able to feed the baby while I rested, even in those early days. (Some people worry about nipple confusion, but we didn't have that problem.)

[Anonymous]

Pumping has a lot of advantages and disadvantages.

Some advantages include
- you're still giving your baby breast milk
- other people (DH, in laws, family) can feed the baby while you sleep, shower, pump more milk, etc.
- allows DH, in laws, etc. to also bond with the baby
- you can see exactly how much baby is drinking
- helps establish supply and demand
- if your shy about whipping out the boob in the grocery store you can give baby a bottle of expressed milk instead
- don't need to worry about latching issues
- still maintain your supply after going to work


Some disadvantages include
- buying/renting one + parts
- cleaning all the stuff
- pumping every couple of hours
- may become bottle dependent

I would talk it over with the LC after you have the baby. You'll get a better idea of what you want to do, how your supply is going, how easily the baby is latching, etc. The LC can also recommend the pump for you - whether a hospital grade one to rent, a cheap manual one, a Medela, Evenflo, Ameda, Avent, etc (you can buy them from Target).

Good luck and congrats.

[Anonymous]

I would recommend renting one before buying, just on the off chance that if you have issues with breastfeeding you haven't sunk $300 or more into a pump you can't use and can't return. I recommend the Medela Symphony (hospital grade pump that the hospital or your lactation consultant can rent to you), and then I switched to the Medela Pump in Style Advanced when I went back to work. HTH!

[Anonymous]

If you get an electric pump (which you definitely must do if you will return to work), I like Medela better than Ameda because the Ameda I borrowed in the hospital had flimsier parts that rip easily. I needed a hospital-grade pump for a while due to low milk production and the Medela Symphony was very easy to use.

[Anonymous]

I would recommend renting a pump for the first month or so because

1) You won't be out $300 or so if you have problems bfing and need/decide to quit
2) You may be engorged and need a pump right away to relieve the pain of engorgement


I also found the hospital breast pumps to be superior (more efficient and less painful) to my Medela which was about $500.

[Anonymous]

I would highly suggest getting a pump. I have the Medela Pump in Style and it is great. It was helpful in the beginning when I was engorged to get things flowing. My husband first gave our baby a bottle at 3 weeks and now he gives her one each night each to give me a rest. I still have to pump at that time, but my nipples get a break. I didn't rent one first. I registered for my pump and luckily it was purchased.