do I need a breast pump etc?

[oggybags]

hi
Am hoping to be able to BF and will have a few occassions when I leave the baby (due march) with family, and would expect to need to express, am trying to plan & budget & therefore wondered a few things...
Do I need to buy, or is hire better?
Is it something you 'borrow' from friends as that would be an option, but wasnt dure on ettiquette re sterilising, do you buy new bits for it etc?
Electric or manual?
which brand - my friend recommended madela?

any other suggestions / help gratefully received!
thanks

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

i would try to borrow or hire one initially.

i was determined to make bf work this time, and so splashed out on an electric pump. however, dd2 will not entertain even the mere idea of taking milk in a bottle, and so the expensive pump gathers dust...

[SlightlyTubbyHali]

You don't really need one, no. I did get one but planned to express in the morning so my DH could do a night feed once the first few weeks were over, so it made sense.

I have had 4 pumps over the years and my favourite by far is the Avent Isis, which is a manual pump. I couldn't get as much milk with the electric ones (even a whizzy double one was not as good) and the Mini Medela I had did not have enough suck.

It's not really something people borrow, I think, unless they're using a v expensive hospital-grade pump (as some women do when the baby is in the NICU, for example). A manual pump isn't all that dear so buying isn't too horrendous.

[SlightlyTubbyHali]

Looks like they have renamed it, but this one looks the same and is £25 so not too bad.

[mum295]

Personally, I loved the electric Medela. I was nipping back from work to express at lunchtimes, so needed something that could do the job quickly!

DD also rejected the bottle for ages, but we got there in the end. Until she started taking bottles, I expressed and stashed the bags of milk in the freezer. They all got used!

It is a very personal thing. Look on eBay for unused ones - I bought a manual one initially that came with a sterilizer set, but never used it and sold it on eBay.

[bluefootedpenguin]

Would definitely recommend getting a pump. I found that when I became engorged about day 5 I desperately needed to express some milk. I bought a tomee tipee closer to nature pump and microwave steriliser kit half price from morrisons for about £10. I have used it quite a lot for both of my children, although this has mainly been in making myself more comfortable when engorged as neither wanted to feed from a bottle. I also found that once my milk supply had settled down, without expressing regularly it would be very hard to express a reasonable amount to leave for a feed. Do you have a breastmates where you are? Its a breastfeeding support group that is near us and they will lend/loan electric pumps. HTH

[emsyj]

I bought a manual pump for a tenner in the Asda baby event just to have in reserve, then once my breastfeeding was well established I bought the Medela Swing which is really good I think. It's electric.

I would happily loan it to a friend as I don't feel ick about it, but maybe some people might? I think it's fine.

Hire of a hospital grade pump from the NCT is ££££££. The hospital I had DD at was happy to lend me one for nothing tho as I had difficulty getting her to suck and bf rates in my area are low, so they will do anything o help. I didn't take them up on it tho, the machine was like a dairy cow contraption (altho v efficient)!!!

[SaraL77]

I was wondering this too- failed to BF with DS1 but want to try again for DC2 - have also read about expressing when engorged as the baby can have trouble latching on if breasts are too engorged (problems latching was the reason I failed last time) was thinking of electric one too, but what emsyj said makes sense- I might buy a cheap manual one and if successful then invest in an electric one.

[oggybags]

Thanks for all your advice I've emailled a couple of friends too and have been offered the loan of one which based on the above I will take up! Thanks