handing back the hospital-grade breast pump...what next?!

[RedWineSmile]

My son was born 6 weeks early and I expressed milk for his tube feeds until he was able to suck. Feeding is going well, and I do have a good stash of expressed milk. He takes some expressed milk out a bottle now and again, no problems.

However, I am handing back the hospital grade breast pump I loaned. My sister gave me her Medela Mini pump and when I had a go of it, it was totally ineffective. I don't know whether this is just because it is old and the motor is knackered, or whether my expections were a bit high.

Anyway, I would welcome suggestions on the best pump to progress to after having been used to a hospital grade one. Am I going to be a bit disappointed with all of them? Anyone moved from hospital-grade to regular pump and found it to be ok? Thanks for the advice!

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Hi there,

We've noticed this thread is quite old and some of the product recommendations are out of date. We recently spent three months researching and testing the most highly recommended breast pumps on the market to find which ones offer the best value for parents.

Read our round up of the 10 best breast pumps available in the UK to find out which electric, manual and silicone breast pumps made the grade.

Hope that helps,

MNHQ

I avoided the issue by hiring a hospital-grade medela once I had to hand back the actual hospital one. It was about 50 pounds a month - worth considering?

I had the same experience after expressing when in hospital. The hospital grade ones also make a domestic version which I bought and found just as good for performance. I'll look up the details and post them in a minute.

Hi Red Wine, congratulations on the birth of your son.

I use this pump and find it pretty good. In the early months I was able to express about 8oz in one sitting, now I manage that in two or three attempts.

Mothercare offered it a half price, so I didn't buy it at RRP.

No experience with hospital grade pumps but hopefully this post will give you a bump for the attention of someone who does.

Here it is: Ameda lactaline.

Quite expensive, but I bought mine second hand on eBay. You can buy the machine, then buy brand new parts (from a website like the one I linked to) so everything that comes in contact with you is sterile and only used by you.

Recommend it really highly.

The Lactaline gets my vote - used mine 5 days a week for a year expressing at work

www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk/Expressing-breastmilk/medela-symphony-hospital-grade-breastpump.htm - link for the medela symphony hire.

Sometimes the local NCT also have some for loan/hire - might be worth investigating that too.

Thanks very much, that's really helpful.

I had actually hired the one I've got, but they want them back after 8 weeks.

FannyPriceless the lactaline looks good, and new on Amazon it's the same price as the Medela swing (which had been the other one I had considered). There is one at ebay for £35, I'll check out the price of the other parts.

Great stuff - I can hand back the one on loan with a plan for its replacement!

Thanks for the links libelulle, I'll check that out.

NCT certainly used to hire them, they will know who does.

Enter post code and it gives local emails

Also bumps and babies kept me sane in a town where I knew no one, when DD1 was a baby.

I bought the Medela freestyle, a smaller version but similar to the symphony I used in hospital, also a double pump. Cost quite a bit but same as hiring a symphony for 6-7 months and we should be able to re-sell.

Medela mini is horrible. I am kn to my second avent isis iq. The first died this week after using daily for 5 months then 3x a day at work for another 6 months with dd1 and then twice weekly use for 4 months with dd2. Hoping this new one lasts as long!think it may have been me dropping it that knackered the motor rather than it spontaneously dying though

My freestyle was still going strong after 7 months of 5-7 times a day. No idea how it compares to anything other than symphony but it worked and was efficient - 10-15 mins each time to extract everything - so I liked it very much.

I'm using the lansinoh affinity. Getting about 150ml out in 20 minutes.

Congratulations RedWine
What a nice helpful thread - hope all goes well

Hope you got all the info you needed. I rented a Medela symphony from a local pharmacy who act for Medela. I have now graduated to a Medela pump in style which I got from eBay. For double pumping it is brilliant. I already had a Medela swing (from new) & highly rate it too.
My LC recommended the lactaline mentioned furthe up the thread.
Good luck & keep us posted if you can.

You can rent hospital grade pumps either from the hospital or some pharmacies. In London John Bell & Croydon pharmacy in Wigmore street rents them out.

Just wanted to add that I have the medela mini and I've found it very effective, I'm on baby number 2now and although I don't use it often (not pumping at work etc) it works just fine! Ive just pumped 8oz in 5-10mins so that I can go out tonight and leave DH with the baby

I thought the medela mini was shite too. I had an avent Isis iq, which I thought was great.