Pumps: any tips? And advent or medela?

[coveredinflour]

I'm ebf my 4 mth old DD. I had a manual tommy tippee pump which was ok but a bit of a pain to express with (hurts your hand after a while, annoying that it needed both hands and milk seemed to go everywhere unless I was hunched right over it). Anyway, I didn't use it for ages and now it smells a bit funny so have chucked it out.

I'm wondering if its worth buying an electric pump and if so which one to get. I probably won't express that often but it would be useful to have the option in case I ever want to go out, for when we go to a wedding and my parents babysit and for when we are weaning and I want to use bm to make purees / porridge etc.

What are your thoughts? Am I mad to buy an electric one at this stage? Which one is worth the money? i've heard good things about medela swing and advent comfort. Just want to make it easy so I do actually use it.

just sit for about 5 mins open and close some scissors and see how tired your hand is, then think about doing it for 20 mins plus with something that resists! def go for an electric. I personally had a medela swing and have nothing negative at all to say about it, i used it mains and battery. if your worried about price you can buy them secondhand and replace the breast shield and pipes. the battery/mains section never comes into contact with the milk and that is the bit that is expensive. i bought mine second hand and used it for two babies; lent it to a friend for hers then my sister used it for hers so they really last a long time. any money you spend could be recouped by you selling it on when you have finished with it. good luck

I have the Avent electric pump and I love it.
What would usually take me twenty mins or so I can do in 5 mins.
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Hope it works, using my phone.

I had the ameda lactaline and it was great, bought it second had so not such a huge commitment but if you do want to buy new they do have a good resale value. Have you had a look at the Mn pump reviews?

If it was me, I'd look for a pump with a closed system, the open system ones just sound yucky.

Another vote for ameda lactaline, it was well worth it IMO.

Have used both the Avent Electric and the Medela Swing and, sorry to say as it is more expensive, but the Medela was better (faster and I found it more comfortable and it's quieter too). If you have the money an electric pump is good all right but sometimes I wonder if I should have just gone with a manual as I really don't use it all that often... However, when I do need to use it, it is fast and works well.

I have an Isis iq from bub number 2 that was fine for two and three bubs expressing at work for comfort. Last bub number four. Feeding issues mean more expressing from day one. I have bought medela swing. I am happier with it. Different sized nipple bits, great bottles, variable speed

Another vote for the Medela Swing. I had a manual Avent first, the Swing is soooo much better!

I was just popping in the ask which is best but it looks like the Medea swing has some good reviews. It's reduced to £99.99 in toys r us at the mo. might pop out for one tomorrow as try also have a £10 off voucher too!

Anything, don't forget to check out the reviews on Mn before you buy too and if Lo hasn't arrived yet, I'd wait until you need one, after all you might find you are great at hand expressing

Thanks Jilted - good advice but I expressed using a hired nct pump 13 years ago as I couldn't get enough out by hand!

In that case I really would recommend the ameda lactaline. I couldn't get hardly anything by hand or with an avent isis but the lactaline was great

I had to get one because one of my nipples was so sore, cracked and painful that I could not feed from that breast. Bf consultant advised to express (ds was 4 days old) to keep stimulating milk production and continue feeding from the other side. We have been seen by so many midwives and a hv during first two weeks and none of them said to me: throw this silly manual pump away! I so regret not getting an electric pump at that point. Got medela swing when ds was 8 weeks old (supply issues) and loved it since day one! (I could not get more than 20 ml from avent manual opposed to over a 100 ml after the first use of medela swing). I reckon i would not have had supply issues until today if I used the right pump from the start in early days.
I bought mine second hand on ebay for a third of price of a new one.

Tomeetipee is one of the worst I heard as the diameter of the tube that stimulates the breast is too small. It sits on the nipple instead of areola, so not squeezing milk ducts..

I hate the Avent. It's incredibly top heavy so if you set it on a flat surface after pumping, it falls over acne you lose half your milk. Infuriating. If you pump really frequently, it's worth hiring a Medela Symphony. If not, if still go with a Medela.