To ask how you chose your breast pump?

[AngeloMysterioso]

Expecting my first baby any day now... currently the plan is to combine bf with expressing so that DH can get in on the feeding action, and I’ve done all sorts of research on breast pumps but from what I can gather it’s very much horses for courses, and what one person may find to be amazing just doesn’t work for the next. I don’t want to waste a fortune on some all singing, all dancing mechanical contraption only to find I’d be better off with a £20 hand job... for those who’ve used pumps, what have you had success with and how did you come to choose yours?

Go for a 'closed system' over an 'open' one. More hygienic. Means you can sell it afterwards. I started out with a Medela (swing, I think? Can't remember) but when I went back to work and needed to pump at work to keep up my supply (DC was 9mo) it didn't cut it, so I got an Ardo Calypso on the recommendation of a lactation consultant. It was worth the investment as it massively speeded up pumping and I sold it on at not too much of a loss later on.

I pumped as little as I could get away with. I hated it. It's an enormous faff with none of the benefits of actual bfing. Fair play to anyone who does it regularly and long term.

Okay, rant over. I had a medela swing because I wanted something effective but couldn't countenance spending more money than that. I got it on offer though. It did the job, but I was delighted the day I consigned it to history.

I second joanlewis a closed system is a must for me too.
I think it's pretty important to buy a pump that you can get different flange sizes for. I originally bought a tommee tippee electric pump which has a one size fits all flange, however I found it was too small for me so it was ineffective at pumping and just made me sore.
I tried a few different pumps and the best one for me was the Ameda lactaline.

I pumped almost exclusively for almost 12 weeks.
I used a Phillips double pump with a hands free bra.
Next time I'm buying the one that goes in your bra. It looks amazing.

Exclusive pumper here, five months and counting! I have the Spectra S2 and it is fantastic, has definitely been the factor in keeping me expressing this long. It is very well recommended on the Exclusive Pumping Facebook group I am part of. I used a manual MAM pump with my first and it's fine for the odd occasion out and about but would be hard going if you're going to express regularly.

A lot of people can struggle with amounts when expressing... especially if they only do it occasionally so I'd probably buy a cheaper manual pump first and then if you find yourself using it a lot then move to electric as soon as you can.

I sent DH to Mothercare after our baby came early and we were very unprepared.

I told him 'tell a female shop assistant that we've just had a baby and have nothing ready'

He came back with lots of useful things including an Avent hand pump (and Avent bottles) It worked perfectly, was cheap, easy to wash. Well done shop assistant!

I would pump in the morning in bed when I had lots of milk and freeze it later.

@MumofTinies when you say you tried a few different pumps, did you buy them all? Or is there some sort of pump library?

I bought mine purely because it was in a sale. I did no research beforehand and it was an impulse buy.

I got an Ardo calypso. Read reviews and used the same make one in hospital so I knew I’d get on with it. Also I didn’t want a manual pump as I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep pumping.

My ardo calypso can by converted to manual tho if i need it whilst out and about.

After borrowing one from a friend, I bought a Medela Freestyle.

It's expensive if you buy it all new but it's so easy and flexible - it can be a single or double pump, both hands-free and if you're concerned with hygiene you can always buy a second-hand pump and new accessory set, that cuts the cost by about half!

Being a new mum is stressful enough already, I just wanted the easiest, most useful pump possible.

Do you have a local breast feeding group? The one I went to loaned out the pumps free of charge.

Medela here which I absolutely love but also get a haaka. It's a fab bit of kit. Cheap and effective, with minimal effort. Pop it on the other boob when you're feeding and I easily get a minimum of 2 to 3 ounces while little one feeds off the other.

@Pepperwand, hats off to you! I expressed exclusively for 6 weeks with my first baby and it was so exhausting I didn’t even try for my poor second baby, she was straight onto bottles.

I got a medela though I don’t remember the model, swing sounds familiar though. I bought it purely because the hospital let me use one for a few days while I was still trying to get my baby to latch, it was effective but I just couldn’t keep it going.

I also had a Phillips hand pump, it was about £20 quid and did the job though not as well as the electric one.

Does anyone have one that has both manual and electric options? I saw a review of one but can't remember the name.

The Ardo Calypso - you can get a manual converter. Really handy for occasional use for me when i didn't want to take my electric one.