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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Advice on whether to buy breast pump before birth

14 replies

Twickersmum76 · 20/09/2013 11:44

Hi mums, I have a quick question for you as a first time mum-to-be.
I'm hoping to be able to breast feed when my baby comes in December. Should I buy a breast pump in advance, do you need it immediately or should I wait and see how it all goes in the first few days?
Thanks in advance for your help.

OP posts:
Doesnotdrinkalcohol · 20/09/2013 11:47

Definitely wait and see. A good electric pump can cost a lot £100+

On the other hand a hand pump can be bought for around £15 if you will only be using one intermittently.

lyndie · 20/09/2013 11:49

It depends! Lots of people on here say but nothing and get your partner to nip out and buy anything if you need it. Or if you are the sort of person that likes to have everything 'just in case' then you can research and buy the one you choose in advance. I was a bit of a planner and bought everything, including bottles and pump but didn't use them until about 3 months when I tried expressing. It wasn't a waste of money as I did express when I went back to work but if breast feeding doesn't work for you then you may have bought stuff unnecessarily. Hope that's not unhelpful!!

HadALittleFaith · 20/09/2013 11:52

I'd wait. You probably won't be expressing initially. The first few weeks you need to establish your supply before you introduce a bottle anyway and to avoid nipple confusion. They're pretty easy to get hold of when you do want one.

TheSurgeonsMate · 20/09/2013 12:03

You probably won't need one in the first couple of weeks, but you might and it's not a great time to be doing research. I would definitely work out which one you want and check you know where to buy it.

mrsmartin1984 · 20/09/2013 12:25

I got one, never use it. My DD refuses a bottle and I hate pumping and find it hard. Unless you know that you'll need one because you have to be away. Then don't worry. You can hire one from some chemists if you need it in short term.

JRmumma · 20/09/2013 12:31

I bought a cheap hand one for about £20 before my baby was born as i expected to only need to express if i was going out a couple of months down the line. As it turned out i needed an electric one right away as baby wouldn't feed from my breast and I needed to pump for every feed. Glad i had the hand pump there right away though as it meant i could get going straight away and not need to get to the shops immediately.

You just don't know what you will need till you need it is what im trying to say. Maybe buy one just before due date but keep boxed and receipt, then if you don't need it you can return it?

stargirl1701 · 20/09/2013 12:32

No, but do some research to see what you will buy, where to get it from, delivery times,etc.

I got the Medela Freestyle and I really rate it.

Essexgirlupnorth · 20/09/2013 12:48

I am going to get a manual pump as planning to breastfeed. Was speaking to a friend who exclusively pumped for her first and her advice was to get a Manual one first and then buy a electric one if you need it.
Can hire electric pumps from the NCT too.

AmandaPandtheNightmareMonsters · 20/09/2013 12:54

I wouldn't.

I would, however, research them and think about which ones you might buy and where to get it from.

There are an awful lot of different situations where you might not use it, or might get only minimal use out of it. For example, if your baby was premmie or ill, you'd probably be using a hospital grade pump. If breastfeeding is going well, you are advised not to pump for the first few weeks to get things settled. If you have massive problems and move to formula early on then it's wasted money...

crikeybadger · 20/09/2013 14:14

Agree with others about doing some research, but think about why you want/need to express as that may influence your choice.

Perhaps learn the technique of hand expressing before hand...great for removing colostrum if your baby won 't latch and taking off some milk if you get engorged.

FunnyRunner · 20/09/2013 14:24

Definitely wait and see how you get on. I got the Medela Swing one from Amazon and you can get it delivered super fast if you want it. It also comes with a special bottle and teat that are meant to be good for BF babies, although we found the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature ones were just as good. Also beware expressing too soon - it is tempting to try and get a full night of sleep but tbh it contributed to me getting blocked ducts - very painful. If you get to 3 months you can start expressing then without too much worry - your supply will have settled by then.

WeAllHaveWings · 20/09/2013 14:28

I bought a pump for £100+ 9 years ago before ds was born.

I bf for a year, but could only ever express with a manual pump. It never worked for me with an electric one for some reason. (would leak galleons of milk in the middle of B&Q when ds let out a cry, but stick a pump on and nothing!)

I would get a manual one just incase you need it, especially if you get engorged. then decide a couple/few weeks into bf'ing if you think you want an electric one. Could you borrow one off someone for the first few weeks? all the bits come apart so you can sterilise.

AmandaPandtheNightmareMonsters · 20/09/2013 14:48

If you are thinking of borrowing a pump, or going second hand, please have a read about open and closed systems too. Only fully closed systems should ever be sold on or borrowed.

Original poster
Twickersmum76 · 20/09/2013 15:10

That's really useful - thanks everyone.

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