new breast pump for 2nd baby?

[Anonymous]

I have an old Pump in Style breast pump I used for my first child. I worked part time (3 days/week), pumped for a year with it. Do you think my old pump will do the job for my new baby, due in a few months? My old pump is 5 years old. Also, is the new PIS advanced much different than the old PIS?

thanks

[Anonymous]

I not only am getting a new pump--I am going to rent at the hospital because those darn pumps start to wear out and I have learned the hospital is not only stronger but if it goes down in quality, they will switch you out for a new one.

[Anonymous]

This might be a tough question to answer, but do you know if you'll have a 3rd child? If so, it's probably more economical to use your pump until it dies and then get a new one. If not, how long do you plan to breastfeed? You could always use your pump until it fails and then rent for a few months. FWIW, I also had a hospital grade pump and LOVED it. So if you aren't in love with your old pump, you could rent a good one for work when you go back and leave your old one at home for nights/weekends.

[Anonymous]

I have a PIS Advanced and my understanding is the newer models better mimic the let-down reflex (quick sucking action until the milk starts flowing and then longer sucks) so you pump more efficiently. I went from renting the Symphony (which was awesome) to purchasing the PIS Advanced and the transition was seamless. HTH!

[Anonymous]

Why not just use it, and if it starts going bad, then replace it? Usually there is some warning signs, and it's not hard to find a PIS these days (you can get them at any baby store, the breastfeeding center, walmart, target, and some drug stores even). Personally, I'm not a big fan of using/buying/throwing out/wasting any more than I have to. Also in my experience, the PIS will work just fine for several years of pumping. My sister used her PIS for six months exclusively pumping (that means, pumping for all feedings!), then I used the same pump for an entire year, pumping three times a day, five days a week while I was working, then my cousin used the pump for a year off and on, and then when my other sister (yes, there are a lot of childbearing women in my family!) used the pump, it lasted about six months (pumping every day at work) and then it finally died.

Bottom line, a year of use only pumping three days/week should mean that there is plenty of life left in your PIS. And, if you were satisfied with how well it worked then, you might as well keep using it.

[Anonymous]

I have two PISAs (one for home, one for work) and they have both survived two kids.

[Anonymous]

I worked full time and pumped 3x a day with my first child in 2004, and am using the same PIS with my second. We're into month 4 of pumping, and I have had no issues with my "old" pump. Save your money. You can mimic the pumping action of an advanced by starting out your pumping with minimum suction/max speed, and then when you start to feel let down, switch to higher suction/lower speed. This has always worked fantastically for me.

[Anonymous]

My PIS has been used 3 times in 3 years! Twice for me, once for a cousin. I just finished using it, and it's going back to my cousin for her baby in March. It's still doing great.

Don't spend the $$ unless it breaks. If you're worried, buy a cheap handpump incase of emergency breakage in the middle of work. Although, I think the PIS comes with a hand-pump thing for power outages that you could use if the motor died.

[Anonymous]

I understand from another thread about used pumps that you can have the motor/suction tested at the Breastfeeding Center on K St. I have a multi-kid used pump, used by women who worked fulltime (and I do too). Has worked fine for me.