Expessing breast milk.....which pump would you all recommend?

[GoodGollyMissMolly]

DD is nearly 4 weeks old and although my health visitor has told me not to express and give DD some in a bottle, I need to for my own sanity.

The last 4 nights DD has been crying to be on the breast from about 5pm (it was 7pm) until aprox 4.30am (it was 1am -2am) I think she may be having a growth spurt.

I need to be able to get some sleep, once she has gone off to sleep she doesn't wake but by that point I cant sleep.

I wanted to be able to express so DH can give her some ebm and I can maybe get a bit of sleep.

I broke down early this morning and I feel like I'm such a failure as a mum as bf'ing is going great but she just wants to feed all the time and I cant seem to cope.
I have to sleep downstairs so DH can get some sleep so he is fit for work.

So I know I'm not supposed to give her ebm, but what pump would you recommend, I'm going to go out and get one today.

TIA

[GoodGollyMissMolly]

Bump

[ChasingButterflies]

Hi MissMolly, my ds is eight weeks old now and I've been expressing since he was 3 days (he had feeding problems); he now bfs during the day and has 2 bottles of EBM, at 11.30pm and 3.30am (ish!). I'm using a hospital-grade pump, the Ameda Elite, that you can hire, but it's quite pricey, and it'd probably be better to make sure that pumping works for you before opting for the heavy duty pump. I also use the Avent Isis hand pump and that's great - very gentle and portable. Please please don't feel like a failure - bf is hard and you're doing brilliantly to still be going at 4 weeks. Good luck!

[GoodGollyMissMolly]

Thank you Chasingbutterflies, My HV said that if I give her a couple of bottles of ebm a day that she wont go back on the breast and my milk supply would diminish. Although it doesn't sound like it in my op I really enjoy bf DD, I just need a couple of extra hours sleep at night.

Also I think DH would like to feed her once in a while, and if it's at night then so be it

[5goldrings4MONKEYBIRDs]

Hi GGMM

You poor thing. Don't worry about breaking down - it IS hard to cope with a new baby and the ups and downs of BF. You're not a failure - you said yourself BF is going great... Was she feeding like this last week? Can you remember a time when there was more regularity or has it been like this from the start? It does indeed sound a bit like a growth spurt and they always catch up on me without me realising - youll gradually get better at recognising them...

I have an Ameda Lactaline - double electric pump which cost about 100 quid new but you can usually pick em up easily on ebay. I found the hand/single pumps very slow and awkward and get loads out with this one.

But bear in mind, if your DD is having a growth spurt, it should only last a couple of days and the whole point is for her to feed more often to increase your milk supply. If this doesn't happen when she's ready I guess there may be outcomes - for example it could just delay the fussiness or even cause supply issues. Think about it like this - she's fussing because she wants more milk, so she's feeding more often to build the supply up so in 48 hours your breasts will be producing that little bit more each time. If you don't let her do this but give EBM instead right now, then you're going to get even tireder as the fussing will continue. If you then don't build up the supply then you risk an ongoing issue.

Can you think about - instead of knackering yourself off to the shops then setting up expressing storing etc. simply go to bed with the remote, a cup of tea and your baby and stay there with her just feeding and sleeping when she wants to?

And I bet you in a day or so it will have shifted again...?

[5goldrings4MONKEYBIRDs]

sorry some of that message didn't sound right - you'd still not be a failure even if BF wasn't going right and if you really need to express you do so - whatever keeps you doing the BF is my view. Just be aware of the broader picture!

[sparklygothkat]

i have a medula mini eletric which is very good, but because i have been expressing longterm, i brought an Amela lactaline duel from ebay and its great too

[Kathyate6mincepies]

I found both the Tommee Tippee and the Avent handpumps fine, but the Avent is gentler and better designed.

[GoodGollyMissMolly]

Thanks everyone.

5goldrings, great advice thank you, I never thought of it like that (I am so new to all of this) I was just thinking of expressing enough for one bottle so that DH can give DD that and I can get just a little bit more rest/sleep.

DD has never really been in a routine, apart from in the mornings she will feed at 8am then again at 12noon, give or take half an hour, then she will go all over the place. she will usually have a feed at 3pm then again at 5pm then it's every half an hour.
All I seem to be doing is feeding and then changing her nappy then feeding until the small hours of the morning.

I have just got back from the shops and have bought a Medula mini. I chose that one because it has a sticker on the box saying recommended by Mumsnet so it;s nice to hear you are getting on well with it sparkly.

I had a look at the Avent ones as I have some but I really didn't know what I was looking for in a breast pump.