Talk to me about breast pumps

[kristie]

My insurance was going to send me one, so I hadn't researched anything. Just figured I would get what I get. Now that they aren't sending me one, I will have to purchase. I plan to pump a decent amount prior to going back to work, and then hopefully continue when I get a new job. I know medela seems to be the common recommendation and of course the most expensive. Should I just suck it up and go for it? Or are there other ones that are comparable for cheaper?

[carawestt]

I've heard good things about the Tommee Tippee.

[rupertpenny]

I've never used a medela so I can't compare, but I have a Lansinoh and it works fine. It is also MUCH cheaper than a PISA.

[kelle017]

My insurance covered the ameda purely yours but I had a brand new medela that I used so I haven't used it yet.

I only pump once a day when I do pump. I can get between 3-5 oz in about 30 minutes.

[amaristella]

One thing that's nice about Medela is that you can get the breast shields in different sizes if need be (More important for women with large nipples than for those with smaller ones). Most brands only have one size option for the shields. Also nice is that Medela parts are easy to come by in stores while less common brands you might have to buy parts on the internet and have them shipped. Here and there I've read recommendations that if you're planning on pumping heavily to just rent a hospital grade pump and buy your own connection parts. I would look into that as well if you think you might be interested.

[kelle017]

Jan 3, 2014 4:01:25 GMT -5 amaristella said:

One thing that's nice about Medela is that you can get the breast shields in different sizes if need be (More important for women with large nipples than for those with smaller ones). Most brands

Once I got smaller shields it made a HUGE difference.

[vmars]

Ameda purely yours is good.

[Velar Fricative]

Medela and Ameda are the most popular. I use the Medela Freestyle and it's great. I have heard that its suction isn't as great as the Medela PISA but I have a long commute on public transportation so it was imperative that I get something very lightweight and not bulky. And the Freestyle does has a rechargeable battery so you don't need to always plug it in when using. That's something for people to consider too.

I also have the Medela Harmony manual pump, which is pretty fantastic. I usually get a great output from that alone but because of time to pump, it's not ideal for me to use at work. It's great for shorter days/nights out though.

[simpsongal]

You could look into renting one from the hospital. I've heard that's the gold standard.

[runblondie26]

I'm currently using an Ameda Purely Yours which I really like. I used the Lansinoh knock-off to exclusively pump for my first. Seriously, it's the is the EXACT SAME PUMP, only it cost me half the price of the Ameda at Walmart ($100). I'd still be using it if insurance hadn't provided me the new Ameda this time around. Unfortunately, I can't speak to the Medela, as I've never used one.

[browneyedgirl9]

I got the Medela PISA based on the recommendations of friends who have had really liked it, and used for more then one child. I obviously haven't used it yet. But i got it on sale at BRU on Black Friday for only $200. Which to me, was a really good price! I would keep a look out for sales.

[disappointedkittens]

I got the Lansinoh too after reading good reviews on it but haven't tried it yet. I want to rave about their customer service though! After I bought it I couldn't find large flanges anywhere that would ship to me (in Canada) so I emailed them to ask for a link and they just overnighted me a set for free. I am super impressed!

[changedname]

Jan 3, 2014 9:01:57 GMT -5 disappointedkittens said:

I got the Lansinoh too after reading good reviews on it but haven't tried it yet. I want to rave about their customer service though! After I bought it I couldn't find large flanges anywhere that would ship to me (in Canada) so I emailed them to ask for a link and they just overnighted me a set for free. I am super impressed!

  Is it the lanishoh affinity double electric? Just trying to work out which one you guys are talking about.

[disappointedkittens]

Jan 3, 2014 9:21:59 GMT -5 changedname said:

Jan 3, 2014 9:01:57 GMT -5 disappointedkittens said:

I got the Lansinoh too after reading good reviews on it but haven't tried it yet. I want to rave about their customer service though! After I bought it I couldn't find large flanges anywhere that would ship to me (in Canada) so I emailed them to ask for a link and they just overnighted me a set for free. I am super impressed!

  Is it the lanishoh affinity double electric? Just trying to work out which one you guys are talking about.

Affinity Pro Double Electric.  Mine is this one www.walmart.com/ip/Lansinoh-Affinity-Pro-Double-Electric-Breast-Pump/22401405

[shelbyann]

My insurance is sending me an Ameda Purely Yours too.

[VillainV]

I registered for the Medela PISA. I looked at the Freestyle too, though the reviews for that one were not great -- a lot of people said they preferred their old PISAs to the new Freestyle because of suction issues.

But yeah, the Medela pumps are expensive.

[Jalapeñomel]

I have the Medela PISA, and it works great!

[noodleskooze]

I've used three types--Ameda Purely Yours, Medela Freestyle, and Medela PISA.

Medela PISA was by far the best. My APY was free from insurance but was so awful.

[andthentherewere10]

I think I will get Ameda because it is a closed system. The Medela PISA is not...and as a result I think the Ameda will have a better resale value.

[kristie]

Yeah, after some research I do think I want a closed system which rules out the medelas

[AlpineSlide]

I got an Ameda Purely Yours free from my insurance but while I waited for it to come in I rented a Medela Symphony (hospital grade) from a breastfeeding resource center affiliated with the hospital. The hospital gave me all the parts right after delivery (tubes, flanges, etc. - it all came in a sterilized bag) so I could use those with the rented motor. Both worked great.

I also have a single manual hand pump by Evenflo that was $20 and I really like that too!
Eta - The symphony rental was $40/month.

[andthentherewere10]

Jan 3, 2014 14:36:19 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

Jan 3, 2014 11:24:20 GMT -5 andthentherewere10 said:

I think I will get Ameda because it is a closed system. The Medela PISA is not...and as a result I think the Ameda will have a better resale value.

With insurances being forced to cover Breastfeeding and most of them providing the Ameda, I wouldn't count on resale value.

A friend of mine broke two Amedas when her kid was 6 months and while waiting for a replacement used her sister's five year old PISA, which worked just as well.

What do you mean by the above?  I have a state BCBS plan and there is no coverage.

[indylady]

Jan 3, 2014 14:39:37 GMT -5 andthentherewere10 said:

Jan 3, 2014 14:36:19 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

With insurances being forced to cover Breastfeeding and most of them providing the Ameda, I wouldn't count on resale value.

A friend of mine broke two Amedas when her kid was 6 months and while waiting for a replacement used her sister's five year old PISA, which worked just as well.

What do you mean by the above?  I have a state BCBS plan and there is no coverage.

Health care reform required insurers to cover electric pumps at 100%. Grandfathered plans and some government plans are exempt for now.

[jene]

Jan 3, 2014 14:39:37 GMT -5 andthentherewere10 said:

Jan 3, 2014 14:36:19 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

With insurances being forced to cover Breastfeeding and most of them providing the Ameda, I wouldn't count on resale value.

A friend of mine broke two Amedas when her kid was 6 months and while waiting for a replacement used her sister's five year old PISA, which worked just as well.

What do you mean by the above?  I have a state BCBS plan and there is no coverage.

Have you called/checked this year?  My insurance would not cover anything in 2013, but now will cover 100%

[andthentherewere10]

Jan 3, 2014 14:56:12 GMT -5 jene said:

Jan 3, 2014 14:39:37 GMT -5 andthentherewere10 said:

What do you mean by the above?  I have a state BCBS plan and there is no coverage.

Have you called/checked this year?  My insurance would not cover anything in 2013, but now will cover 100%

Yes I asked about it for my 2014 born baby and they said it wasn't covered. 

[sent]

If you want to rent the Medela Symphony which is what our hospital used, check Babies R Us. The ones near me carry them. I had a better chance of renting from them than I did from my hospital which only has 2 available to rent. BRU is about $70/mo to rent here, which feels a bit pricey but it's good to know there are options.

[kristie]

Has anyone looked into or used a spectra?

[bugandbibs]

kristie doesn't your hospital have a pump for you to use in the lactation room? Every hospital I have worked in kept a hospital grade pump in the staff lactation room, all you need to do is provide your own parts.

I have a Medula PISA, which I love and usd to pump for 17 months. It comes with a battery attachment which i used to pump while driving to work. I have never had milk back up into the tubes or machine. It's practically impossible if you are paying attention at all (ie stopping the pump or using larger than the standard 5 oz bottles if you pump that much from one side during a session). My insurance gave me a new PISA at my last OB visit.

[kristie]

Our women's center closed a few days ago, so we were all laid off. I am not sure where I will work after this, but hesitant to do full time night shifts again with a 4 yo and an infant. So, as much as I love L&D, I am considering looking for something a bit more flexible after maternity leave, so probably not hospital for a while.

After a day or two of nonstop research, I went with the hygeia. Hope I made the right choice.

[Cheesecake]

I've got the Ameda Purely Yours and am very happy with it.
I'm not back at work yet, so I'm not pumping that regularly yet, but I can generally get between 2 and 4 oz per boob in 10-15 minutes if I pay attention to adjust speed and suction every few minutes. More if there's been 4 hours since the last feed (I've had times where I had to stop the pump after 6 minutes when I suddenly noticed that the bottle was actually full and about to overflow.)

I've also been getting consistently more since I started using the flexishield flange inserts to make it slightly smaller, but mostly just softer, which mimics the baby's mouth better.

Sent from my Xperia Z, please don't mind typos!