Exclusive pumping

[Pumpingmummy24]

Hi. My little girl is nearly 3 weeks and hasn't latched. I've been feeding her expressed milk. We're ready to leave the house a bit more now and wanted some advice about pumping when out. Currently I'm using a hospital grade pump which they've loaned me but it has to be plugged in. I think I'll also have to give it back soon. I'm not sure if I should then hire another hospital grade pump and buy a medela swing for when out (I've heard the batteries run out quickly) or buy a medela freestyle (but heard it's noisy and not as effective? ) also those who pump when out what do you do about sterilising pump parts/bottles/teats etc when you're out or do you just take duplicate sets? It's all so complicated and new. Thank you

I could never get the hang of breastpumps. The best success I had was when I washed my hands and milked myself like a cow.

I don't have any experience with pumping out of the house but I was told that pump parts/bottles etc don't need to be sterilised if they'll only be coming into contact with breast milk not formula! Only sterilising once a week and washing with hot soapy water between use is fine.
abm.me.uk/breastfeeding-information/expressing-breast-milk/

I pumped exclusively for 6 weeks as my boy never latched and I had plenty of milk. I didn't really go out in that time as I had a cs so couldn't drive but live rurally.

On the odd time I did go somewhere, my Philips aventi pump could run off batteries if need be. I found all pumps make noise and everyone looks no matter what. Even on the maternity ward! Hard to be subtle.

After 6 weeks I switched to formula, in part so I had more freedom. Being attached to a pump 6 hours a day is hard work logistically. Also my pump suddenly broke and by the time it could be replaced I'd swollen up horrendously and couldn't face going through it all again. I hope you manage to stop more gradually than I did when the time comes.

Good luck with your pumping.

I'm using the Ardo calypso pump which I think is fab. It's about £140 but is the smaller version of the pump they gave me to use in hospital when DS (now 7wo) was sick. Can be plugged in or batteries. I have a tommee tippee steam steriliser but save this for bottles/ teats and for breast pump bits and pieces I use a steri-sac or equivalent microwave steam steriliser bag. I just wash, shove in bag, microwave then you can take them with you and they (supposedly) stay sterile as long as the bag stays closed.
Hope that helps.

Expressed milk is supposed to be ok for 5 hours at room temperature, so presumably a pump is ok for a similar amount of time after use. I think women who work and express, put the pump in the fridge during the day which buys even more time.

I guess it depends how long you are planning to go out and what facilities you will have with you. Presumably there are pumps that plug in to cars for example.

Some of the comments are unhelpful - if the electric pump is working for the OP why would you suggest she express by hand? Especially when out and about.

I know I'm projecting but people are generally negative about exclusively pumping. Grr.

Anyway, the medala swing is your best bet - DSis uses it pump out and about and hasn't complained about battery life.

I also EE for 11 months with both of my children. I always pumped before leaving the house and when I got back. Fine for local trips but all day trips I took my pump with me.

I would re-use the pump bits. But you can buy more pump bits and then when you get home wash everything. I gave up sterilising stuff very quickly.

Did you get her checked for tongue tie?

I'm using the Ardo Calypso pump and it's great. The advantage over the Medela Swing is that it's a closed rather than open system. It's also very quiet (quieter than the Medela Swing I believe).

"Some of the comments are unhelpful - if the electric pump is working for the OP why would you suggest she express by hand? Especially when out and about."

Presumably because you always have your hands with you and don't have to plug them in

I exclusively expressed for almost 18 months with DD1, I think it's such a hard way of feeding ( the hard bits of both bf and ff) but I'm glad I did it.

I bought a freestyle early on, was expensive but I think it was brilliant. I had those pumping bras too.

With the freeestyle you get the merely coolbag so I used that when I was out for a whole day but milk is fine out the fridge for 4 - 6 hours (depending on what you read) so it was fine most of the time.

I used to express in baby rooms in shops or the car.

I've now been breastfeeding DD2 and it is so much easier than expressing so if you haven't I would definitely recommend getting some help with the latch, maybe you could get back to some breastfeeding?

The babycentre pumping mummies board was a fantastic source of info for me at the time, not sure if it's still as busy.

Have you heard of the Haakaa pump? It works in suction and is v discreet. I haven't used one but a lady at a coffee morning I go to exclusively pumps and thinks it's great. Only £20 too

I EE for 8 months for DD1 and hired a medela hospital grade pump for home and had the medela swing for out. It is a massive faff doing it whilst out though - I would do it in the car or in a toilet and only to take the edge off whilst I was out. My DD2 and DS1 latched on immediately thank goodness because I had vowed they would go straight to formula if they didn't. I'm not saying that to put you off, I completely understand since I did it myself the first time but I also found it took over my life - the worst bits of BF and FF. Emotionally I am glad I did it the first time though.

"Have you heard of the Haakaa pump? It works in suction and is v discreet. I haven't used one but a lady at a coffee morning I go to exclusively pumps and thinks it's great. Only £20 too"

I have the Haakaa pump. It's designed to be used when breastfeeding (you use it on one boob while feeding from the other). It works by suction and the natural let-down reflex that's triggering by the baby feeding. I've never tried using it when I'm not breastfeeding and I'm surprised it works for the woman you met, tbh. I don't always get much milk from it (usually 10-30ml per feed and occasionally 30-50ml if I'm lucky). I find the electric pump much more efficient.

I pumped exclusively for 12 weeks with dd1. They let me keep hiring the hospital grade double pump, and I had a medela swing for out and about. For local trips, nct meet ups etc, I just timed it so I wouldn't need to pump whilst out. After a while leaving it an hour either way is fine.
As others have said re sterilising, it's fine for a couple of pumping sessions without sterilising every time. I did go camping twice in that time which was interesting, to a wedding and climbed Snowdon (with baby!) in that time so don't let it get in the way of life. With a bit of planning and a supportive other half you can still do stuff.
I will also say that it's the hardest thing I have ever done, it very nearly broke me mentally and emotionally. I am in absolute awe of those who manage to keep doing it until weaning. However at 12 weeks she did finally take to the breast and she never had another bottle. So don't give up hope if you would eventually like to bf.

Well done for managing this for 3 weeks, you're doing great.

I was an exclusive pumper for my children, including twins. You can get Medela microwave steriliser bags on Amazon - I would sterilise before I left home and not open the bag until I needed it. The bags can be reused a number of times.

Having tried various alternatives the Medela was the best - I think I had both the swing and subsequently the freestyle (it was 8 years ago!). A double pump was the best, as doing both sides at once cut the time a lot. I also had an expressing bra (think tight sports bra with nipple holes for the pump!) which meant I was hands free, and could even walk around the house. Downside is cost - just googled pumps to try and remember what I had and shocked at the current prices.

All the best

meant to say, if you can go for a pump with mains and batteries.

The ardo calypso is fantastic. Much better than the medela- I used the medela with my first and it was slow and noisy! The ardo is so quiet and discreet. I used to get about 3oz from each breast every 4 hours so it was just about enough to keep up for the first 8 weeks but then I desperately wanted sleep at night so stopped pumping at night and so my supply tailed off. I don't think I expressed out and about as I expressed the last thing I did before leaving for anywhere then as soon as I got back and that gave me a 4 hour window but I do know ardo do a hand powered pump with good reviews.

I pumped for 8 months. I hired a hospital grade ardo pump to start with, then bought a medala swing. I also had a medala manual pump to use when out and about - quieter and less bulky to carry around. I had a little cool bag to transport milk.

Ah I didn't realise that about the Haakaa - sorry not v helpful!

Thank you for all your messages