Medela breast pumps

B

Beets

Cathlete
Hi everyone,
Got a question for all you new moms out there. I just got back from a breastfeeding seminar run by a Medela rep. It was very informative but left me confused as to which breast pump is really necessary. They have a "Pump in Style" breast pump which is very expensive ($280)and is designed for full-time working moms or, as the rep said, for women who plan to pump more than once or twice per week. The other models are made for "occasional separation"--those who plan to pump only 1 or 2 times per week. Anything more frequent will cause early motor burnout. Now, since it was a Medela rep running the show, obviously she is going to want to turn us women on to the most expensive pump. What I am wondering is, if any of you out there are using any of these pumps and how they are working for you and how often you are using the particular model you have chosen.

I am just not sure of what my needs are at this point. I am a self-employed personal trainer who can govern my own working schedule. I plan on breastfeeding my baby for one year at least. I want to minimize day care for the baby so am not planning on being away from my child for more than 5 hours at a time but I don't know what the future holds in terms of scheduling and client load. Any advice or suggestions on this topic are welcome! Thank you in advance!
 
I have the Medela Mini-Electric pump and it is working fine for me now that I pump one time per week or less. My daughter is 3 1/2 months old.

For the first 2 months of her life, I was pumping 2-4 times per day, and I rented the Lactina, which retails for about the cost you quoted. The rental fee was about $20 per week Canadian -- I guess that's about $13/week U.S. I also had to pay a one-time fee of $65 Canadian to buy a new (sterile, one-person-use-only) kit containing the bottles and tubes you need. I would go the rental route to start if that's available to you. You may find that you rarely or never need to pump (if your milk supply is good -- mine was lousy so I had to pump to stimulate it) -- if so, you can just return the unit, and rent again if your needs change.

The Mini-Electric is fine for occasional use, but you can only pump one breast at a time (so it takes twice as long) and the motor does seem to be more light-duty than the big unit. So I don't think the rep was feeding you a line.
 
I have the mini electric Medela as well. I'm a sahm so for me it's perfect. I noticed with my first child that it worked fine when my milk initially came in but when I went back to work (parttime at 12 weeks postpartum) I found it hard to get as much milk as I needed(I was pumping everyday).

HTH,
Rockette
 
I have the Medela Double Ease. It is a step down from the Pump in Style. It woked great and I would recommend it, but not for everyday use. I think the suction action is different from the Pump in Style and when I started using it on a daily basis, my milk supply decreased and I was never able to get it back up to where it had been originally.

I have a good friend who has used the Pump In Style for 2 children now and has had excellent luck with it. She work full time and therefore pumps every day multiple times.

My best advice for you is to wait and see what your needs are actually going to be after you baby arrives and your life and schedule adjust to having a baby. If you want to have a pump for "just in case" right now, I would recommend getting a QUALITY manual pump to start with. I have read lots of good reviews on the Avent Manual Pump.

Good Luck. I know that this was one of my toughest decisions before I had my son.

Tina
 
Thank you all for your rapid responses. I will probably do what you suggested Tina, and wait to see exactly what my needs are. If I get the pump as a shower gift (doubt it!) I will just not open it until/unless I truly need it. That way, I can always return it if I decide I don't need it. Thanks again--so many decisions to make!!!
 
I am not a new Mom but I have had some experience with pumps after breast feeding 6 children. I have been both the working mother and the stay at home Mom pumping so she can have a little time away to go to the grocey store etc. Let me just say the most important thing is that you have to find what works best for you and your baby. All the input is TERRIFIC but every child and every Mom are different so just be true to what is workable in your life. That said; the best pump I have used is the Medela mini(handheld) It is battery operated, no wires tangling up and it actually had the motion that stimulated let down. Since the majority of hte time I was pumping on a daily basis in order to give myself some free time to sleep or take care of other things I found the easiest way to stimulate let down was to nurse the baby on one side while the pumping on the other side. The bottle filled quickly! This was very cumbersome with the other pumps I had used but quite easy with the small battery operated Medela. Back in the old days when I bought my Medela it ran about $80.Hope this helps
 
this is one of my favorite subjects. I'm an RN who's worked OB for 15 yrs. For part of that time, I was coordinator of a breastpump rental program. It was part of my job and I got no commission etc. That said, I'm a firm believer in the "pump in style" breastpump. Seems like a lot of money? Think about some of these things: think about all the stuff you have for your baby that s/he will outgrow or use minimally. Then think about the cost of formula. Babies cost money and a pump is a great long term investment, particularly if you're planning on having more children. And when it comes to "clean eating", nothing beats breast milk. Good luck to you whatever you decide.
Valerie
 
As someone who ended up having to supplement due to milk supply issues, I agree with Valerie. I bought the Nurture III breast pump because it was much less expensive ($150) than the Pump In Style. However, I bought it just with the intent of pumping so that I could occasionally leave the baby with someone else. Once I needed to pump to stimulate my supply, my pump was neither convenient nor sufficient to stimulate supply. Then I ended up renting a Medela pump for $70. Since I ended up spending $220 anyway, I sure wish I had just gotten the Pump In Style to begin with.

Of course it does depend on what your needs are. Also, if you decide on the Medela pump, check out Ebay. There are some brand new ones available for around $180. They may be last year's model but it's worth checking out for the savings.

Good luck, whatever you decide. My biggest disappointment about motherhood has been not being able to exclusively breastfeed.

Dana
 
Thank you again everyone for your input. I am not going to buy a pump until I know exactly what my situation warrants--heck, I may find out that I can't even breastfeed (i hope that doesn't happen!). Anyway, after hearing from everyone, it makes the decision easier knowing the different opinions. Thank you again and I will keep checking for new posts and suggestions!

8 more weeks to go (give or take!)
 
IMHO, it's worth it to get a good pump... because you have no clue about what type of letdown you'll have, and no one will take a pump back.

I got an Ameda Purely Yours double pump... Ameda is sort of the next best thing to Medela but slightly less expensive. I went online and found the best deal at Knox Breastfeeding Supplies (sold both Ameda and Medela, I believe). I got a really nice case, 6 bottles, and lots of accessories for it seems like somewhere around $200. I'm very happy with the Ameda.

I'm a SAHM, so I felt a little guilty spending so much money on a breast pump, but I am glad that I did. I used my pump a bunch in the beginning -- it is soooo uncomfortable when your milk first comes in and baby may or may not be on your breasts' schedule! Also, when babies are really little sometimes they fall asleep before they have taken in all that you wish that they would. If you have less milk, pumping in the beginning also can get things going. I rarely need to pump a bottle, but I have some extra milk on hand in the freezer just in case. And since Robby has started on solids, I usually pump a couple of ounces to mix with his cereal or veggies. If you have a better pump, you can more quickly get the whole thing over with... because, even if you have a quick letdown, there's not much that's glamourous about pumping!

Susan
 
I think that only like 2 or 3% of women physically cannot produce enough milk... but often women give up due to discomfort.

Go into the whole thing with a positive frame of mind... pay a LOT of attention to the nurses/LCs at the hospital who will help you get baby latched on properly. Keep your breast dry and "lubed" (LOL) with Lansinoh or another lanolin product. Get BF support right away if you feel discouraged for any reason... whether for pain or baby not latching on or anything. Typically it gets a WHOLE lot easier within a month or two... and in my biased opinion, it is sooo worth it. If I live to be 100, some of the sweetest memories of my life will be of nursing my tiny babies.
Susan
 
About double pumping: it actually increases your milk volume by something like 26% (a factoid from my Medela rental station days). People who haven't breast fed will give you grief (I was one of them!) but don't pay att'n. Whatever you decide, let it be your decision. I just hate when people say, "No one told me about . . . " And if your hospital has a lactation consultant, she could be a big help.

One thing to think about is LaLeche League. They have a reputation is being breast feeding fanatics, but they also have tons of knowledge (more than your doctor, mom, friends etc.) and are supportive of helping people breastfeed as long as THEY want to. No one makes you feel guilty about returning to work etc. I'm sure they have a website you could scope out b4 your baby is born.

I had to rtw after each of my kids was born and was able to breastfeed each for over a yr. (IF someone would have told me that when I was pregnant, I'd have jumped out a widow!) Just leave options open and amaze yourself. Good luck w/ your birth and your motherhood.

Valerie
 
Another fan of the "Pump in Style" for moms who will be pumping OFTEN. Renting for a month or two is a great way try out the pump. During my residency, I could rush to a private room and pump 10 ounces in about 10 minutes. It was great.

I bought my "used" Medela Pump in Style (that name still cracks me up after all these years - yeah, I'm pumpin' in style - the epitome of cool) for $50. Of course, I purchased a brand new set of tubing, filters, and bottles.
 
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