MSE Pregnancy Club 27

amyloofoo

For anyone considering a breast pump I can thoroughly recommend the Medela ones. They're used in our hospital and the ones for at home are really good too - the most popular for home seems to be the Swing, but they also do a manual and a mini electric which are less expensive.

If you're not sure about whether you'll get on with one though, it may be worth asking to try one of the hospital ones when you're in (bearing in mind they're not very efficient at expressing colostrum compared to milk) and most hospitals will have details of a rental scheme if you decide you need one.

sophiasmum

Hello - I used a medela swing for both my DDs and hope to use it again with this one. It works really efficiently. Didn't help that DD2 refused a bottle after 4 weeks but I used it loads with DD1.

claire16c

Were hopefully getting the fisher price rainforest one from a friend Birdie, it definitely looked the best after I did some looking at the reviews on various ones.

becca0417

claire16c wrote: »

Were hopefully getting the fisher price rainforest one from a friend Birdie, it definitely looked the best after I did some looking at the reviews on various ones.

We've got this (£5 off eBay new!) & it's brilliant. My puppy loves it lol
Just want the mobile now as we have the jumperoo!

mrsj28

squ1rrel5 wrote: »

Has anyone considered a breast pump? I've been looking into it as I'd like to combine breastfeeding with expressed bottle feeding if I can but I don't want know where to start with breast pumps.
I asked knitted boob lady the other day and she said some women like manual, some electric but many say the best way is by hand.

To be honest, I know it's natural but doing it by hand makes me feel just a little bit gross (like milking a cow!) and I'd much rather an electrical one because I reckon it'll lessen the weirdness!

Anyone have any recommendations?

Just delurking to say re: breast pump - I wouldn't spend a lot on a new one until you have decided what you are happy with! I think some places (Mothercare possibly or Boots, or the NCT?) might hire them out. I have a manual Avent pump (free second hand from a friend!) which I've got on really well with and didn't feel the need to get an electric one. Avent also do a good system called 'Via' which is a set of storage pots you can attach to the pump and then store the milk in. The pots are now coming in handy for storing food too!

claire16c

£5 new that's crazy! Tesco currently have it for £37 so signposted my friend to their website so hopefully they'll get it for us!

Spare room is cleared now & DH has promised he'll start painting the ceiling on Sunday, so I'm hoping that means we can now get it all done slightly earlier than planned.

Angelmommy

Delurking - best of luck BZ! Lurking to hear your birth announcement. Xx

Re: breast pumps. My sis bought me an electric Avent pump and it's fab. Plus, like MrsJ said; I have the storage pots and pop them in freezer after I've expressed directly into them. You can also defrost, put a different sterilised lid on and feed directly from the pot (if you wanted to). As an added bonus if you go overdue: I used mine for 'nipple stimulation' and half an hour later, my contractions started and I went into Labour! I wasn't sure how I would get on bf (despite being baby no 3) but figured I could always sell it if I ended up giving formula but at least I could express that all-important first milk. Turns out it's third time lucky for me with bf but I've still used pump a lot - express for if I want to go out (plus I like a little stash in freezer just in case I'm ever really ill or something), also randomly sometimes Joshua will skip a feed during night and I'll wake up like Katie price so I feed him on one while expressing on the other. :-)

Sorry that went on for ages! Good luck labour vibes to those of you that are close now xx

squ1rrel5

Thanks for the all the breast pump advice. I'm definitely going to start off manual I think, just because of the cost and see how I get on.
I've just started to look at sterilisers too!! It's just information overload!! It's so complicated choosing the right thing!!!

fran-o

Hi all
We bought an electric pump as the plan is to bf and express occasionally (ie on the odd nights when I want to drink, if boobs are swollen or so hubby can do a night feed if I'm very tired or poorly). I might have waited til later to buy, but bought early as the Avent starter pack was on offer before Christmas. One of my friends who had a difficult birth a couple of weeks ago is expressing mixed with formula: she found bf painful and all too much while recovering from pain down below too, but she is able to pump so baby still gets some of mum's milk.

Feeling good about today having dyed the second-hand Moses basket bedding bright blue (from soft pink) and batch cooking one lot of bolognese and two of chilli for the freezer. I chucked some white baby gros in with the bedding, two look fab bright blue, one came out patchy... I wish I remembered to chuck some muslins in too, they would have looked great!

lobey

Also lurking! Re sterilising after pumping, I didn't get any fancy sterilisers just bought a cake container from pound land and a new scrubbing brush and some Milton sterilising fluid and use these to clean the pump/bottles around 3 times a week. Obviously if you're using it more it's not practical but if not maybe worth saving some money?