BREAST PUMPS

[Bossykate]

my ds - aged 4m - is going to nursery one day a week from next week. originally, i was planning to wean him on to formula for two of his feeds during the day (i.e. the ones he would have at nursery) but now that it is time to do this, i find i just don't want to yet! so that means expressing and storing...

i have used the avent breast pump but found it fiddly and slow... has anyone used the egnell or medela pumps mentioned and if so could they please give their views?

in addition, i was hoping to get out and about the day he is at nursery - rather a wasted opportunity otherwise - but will i need to express to avoid engorgement on that one day?

any help anyone can give much appreciated - i hated my previous experience of expressing, but i just don't want to give up breast feeding for two feeds per day just for the sake of one day away from him.

thanks very much in advance.

Hi. Can I add my voice to the supporters of the medela brestpump? I was NOT a "natural" when it came to breastfeeding. I was givent the avent handpump and did not have great success with it. In fact, no success. I found it incredibly painful! I was about to give up on bf altogether ( my baby was about six weeks old) when my sister in law let me try her medela battery pump. She had been recommended by her two sisters, both of whom are doctors and had three kids each.I expressed 8 oz in about 15 minutes which for me was a minor miracle, and helped me regain my confidence re breastfeeding ( I had worried there was not much in there!). The model I bought was called the Mini Electric Breastpump and cost about £40 ( or same as about seven tins of formula !! :0) ) It can be battery operated or plugs into the mains. The suction can be adjusted and I recommend you start at low suction to get used to it - it is a very odd sensation at first! Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Hi, can't believe it was so long ago I wrote about this! I used the Medela mini electric as soon as I got and continued for months to get milk to add to breakfast cereals, etc. As I said I never really gushed but I certainly found it altogether easier than the hand held pump and I even started doing it watching TV etc (not a pretty sight for anyone else!!). I have mine carefully packed away for when I have my next so I can recommend it. If you go on their website (I think it's medela.com) you have quite a few to choose from and can even do both breasts at once!!
One other thing, you may well feel a little swollen during the day but the medela is battery or mains operated so you could take it out with you but how you disguise the noise (as it is quite noisy) I wouldn't know! It may just be best to take a few spare breast pads out with you as you may leak a bit more than normal, especially if you come across a crying baby on your travels!
Good luck.

Another vote for the Egnell electric pump by (Ameda -sp?) available for hire or buy. kept my second one on breast milk a lot longer than left to my own resources and my 2 year old daughter thought it was the funniest thing when mummy was "off to the milking shed .."

With DS I expressed 1x a day with the Medela mini-electric for 8 months.... it is quite noisy but it works very well and when I got really use to it I would express at 2PM for 30 minutes and had 1 pint!!!! so 2 bottles full.
With DD I have tried the hire one from Egnell and it is brilliant, slightly more comfortable as the plastic is softer, a lot less noisy but not one you can NOT take away on your travel as it is a big piece of machinery. I would recommend that one to anyone expressing daily.

Thanks very much for your replies on this, very much appreciated.

Can anyone help with my dilema over breast pumps? I have an avent hand pump that I just can't get to work, I have tried different times of day and different 'pumping' actions to no avail. Does this mean that an electric/battery one will be just as unsuccessful? I don't want to splash out on an electric one only to find that my boobs only cooperate with real baby! Has anyone found that the electric ones work when the hand ones don't?

I would recommend you try hiring a Hospital breast pump from Egnell. Around £40 for the first month and then £18 for each subsequent month. They will delver it to your house within 24 hours. I didn't have a huge amount of success with the Avent either but I find the Egnell one quick and efficient.

Ali72 - sorry I've no experience of electric pumps, but have you tried latching the baby for a few seconds then removing them and sticking the hand pump on ( yes it's fiddly and you need a co-operative baby but it worked for me, and once I had managed to express for the first time it got a lot easier ). Good luck.

There is a cheaper alternative... rent an Ameda pump not from a hospital but from one of their local rep. These are heavy duty pumps !
It's 9 GBP for the tube and bottle which will be yours for ever and then 1 GBP a day.
I have never expressed with a manual pump because I was warned it was more difficult.
Here is the Ameda number : 01823 336 362

Just to clarify - the full name of the company is Ameda Egnell!. They are listed uder Egnell in phone books though.

Also the NCT might have the contact details for your Ameda Egnell rep - that's how I found mine.
BTW I use a medela hand-held electrical pump (can buy at Boots for 40GBP I think) and it works very well even if noisy.

I only managed to express about an ounce with the Avent hand pump (I too tried all different ways and times) so I will be looking to try an electric one when no2 gets here.

I got not a drop with the avent hand pump, but had success with the Medela mini electric breastpump. It was about £45 including postage and very effective, if a bit sore at first.
I think they have a website - might be Medella with two "l"s.

I got not a drop with the avent hand pump, but had success with the Medela mini electric breastpump. It was about £45 including postage and very effective, if a bit sore at first.
I think they have a website - might be Medella with two "l"s.

The only way I could get anything out with the Aveda hand held was if dh pumped while I fed ds with the other breast. Loads came out then. Not a very practical solution I'm afraid. The midwife suggested pumping whilst in the bath but it never worked for me.

I used to look at pictures of my daughter when I was expressing at work..produced gallons! (with Avent hand pump)

Thanks everyone, I'll try looking at the picture of the baby. I can't get her to latch on as I'm at work, and fit to burst.

Having read what was said here I was really keen to get hold of a Madele mini electric. No luck at either Boots or Mothercare. Also Medela's website does not sell stuff, as suggested by someone.

Finally the good news is I found it for sale online at the NCT shop www.nctms.co.uk £40 + £4 p&p

www.mamanjojobebe.co.uk also sells it.

on wellbeing.com it's 39.99, plus free delivery

on wellbeing.com it's 39.99, plus free delivery

Medela range is sold online at this address:

www.breastpumps.co.uk/expression.htm

I have tried the Avent hand pump but have only managed to get a maximum of two ozs at any time. Has anybody tried the Ameda Lactaline pump at £70? I'm wondering whether it's worth the extra £30 compared to the Medela single pump - thinking ahead to when I go back to work.