Breast pump advice?

Minxz

Hi,
Baby's due in early June, and I've been looking at buying a breast pump. trouble is, there are quite a few different ones, which vary greatly in price.
Can anyone give any tips on which one they found easiest to use? Best place to buy from?
Electric or manual?
Anmy help would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you

speakerabbit

Hi Minx

Hard one to advise on really as to which type is best. I have BF both my children and personally found the hand pump so much better than an electric.(Not actaually met anyone who has got on with the electric). There are loads out there to choose from and some extroidinary prices. I always went for a basic Avent one. The one I used after by first child broke, the handle snapped, so instead of forking out for a new one I got my second one new and unused off ebay for about £7 and it worked just fine for me. It's quite disgusting what they charge for what is essentially a bit of plastic. Ebay is always worth a look as there are lots of people who buy pumps in advance of having a baby and then find out that the whole BF thing isn't for them and so sell them on.

Hope this helps

Amanda x

nickinoo

I personally wouldn't buy one until breastfeeding is established as they are expensive just in case it doesn't work for you. The Avent one is always a popular choice.

bylromarha

speakerabbit...meet someone who far preferred an electric pump to a hand pump. Tried 2 hand pumps (Avent and Tommee Tippee) and found them both cumbersome and annoying and straining on the hand for doing the same action for the length of time it took me to express a feed (anywhere between 10 minutes and 30 minutes depending on the time of day)

I then got a Medela electric pump and life got so much better! I just had to hold it rather than squeeze again and again and again The Medela has less bits to assemble as well than the other two.

Had a couple of friends moan at me about how frustrating expressing was, then they borrowed my electric pump and they found the improvement too...so it isn't just me with the electric pump preference.

Minxz, it's all down to personal choice...ebay is a great source of cheaper pumps. Best thing to do is do a bit of research on why such and such pump is good, decide which one will suit you and your lifestyle best and take the plunge to buy after sprog comes along and you see if BF is the way you want to go.

My 2nd is due mid June...all exciting stuff, isn't it?

brightpinkbee

I would also advise you to wait and see how the breastfeeding goes.

I bought the Mothercare hand pump which was around £20 and worked fine... it does tire your hand after a while though! However, once I'd given my son a bottle he refused to go back to the breast so I only actually expressed for a couple of weeks before I moved him on to all formula feeds as the expressing took so long that it wasn't practical.

speakerabbit

LOL bylromarha....I knew I'd find someone!!

I must say it is certainly more tiring than electric but I've got some great muscles in my wrist now !!

It's true though, it varies so much from one person to another so try both if you can find them cheap enough. You can always sell the one on that you don't get on with.

Good luck with everything

Amanda (with 12 week old little girl sitting on my knee!)

MrsYatesy

Hi,
I had both pumps (hand pump was Avent, given to me) and I bought the electric, used with both my babies.
The electric was great, but the bottles were not the same as the bottles I had so ended up with lots of sterilising! I froze my milk so for the process it was great. The electric was OK, the hand pump I found better as I used to sit in the bath in nice warm water to express, and it took about 10 mins for 4/5oz!! I didn't use the petal massager thingy bit though as when I used it I got nearly nothing!
My advice, don't look whilst you're doing it, your nipples will never be the same to you again!! Also agree with the others, wait and see if you amnage to breastfeed, some babies just wont have it or it might not suit you, no matter what you feel now, so wait and then buy on ebay to save some cash!!
Good luck with the baby!

Sweethays

Hi,
I breast feed and express milk with a medela express pump in the other hand at the same time which i find works a treat. My baby doesn't seem to mind either. It does seem to increase the milk supply as you continue through the weeks as well.

Another thing I do is top up in the evening with formula milk and then still express the milk so as not tolose the supply and freeze that for a later date.

jo_b_2

I used the manual Avent pump and would recommend it as well.

ethansmum

speakerabbit wrote:

Amanda (with 12 week old little girl sitting on my knee!)

:wave: I'm sitting here with my 12 DAY old little man!!

I had an avent but found it very painful to use, plus I only got 2oz for 30mins of work (and thats with 2 very full b**bs!!). I agree with everyone else, just wait and see first before spending your money.

Tracy

fesdufun

I have used both hand and electric pumps. I used the Avent hand pump to start with and found it was fine to use for collecting a bit of extra milk now and then so I could give DS a bottle now and then. It was quiet to use and I didn't have to worry about batteries etc.

Once I went back to work I brought a Ameda double electric pump and have to say it was a godsend. It made expressing at work much quicker (although I did feel a bit like a cow!)

As has been said before it is probably worth waiting until breastfeeding is established before buying a pump. You can always hand express if you need before you get a pump. Also try ebay for a bargain lots of new or nearly new pumps on there.

Check how to sterilise the pump before hand as well as I had to buy a steam steriliser as my pump couldn't be sterilised in the microwave.

Do you have a local breastfeeding support group? (Try asking your midwife) as I am sure there will be lots of women here only to glad to give you some first hand advice.

Good luck