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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

which breast pump would you reccomend ? im thinking of buying medela swing

31 replies

pregnantbabyelephant · 01/08/2007 12:03

just wondered if i could have your views please

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Hello!

We've noticed that this thread is quite old and thought it might be useful to point you in the direction of our breast pump reviews page which has some useful advice on the best manual, electric and double breast pumps on the market right now.

Hope that helps! Flowers
MNHQ

OP posts:
popsycal · 01/08/2007 12:03

avent isis hand pump was better than medela electric for me
I used it every day for a year
over a year actually

ib · 01/08/2007 12:25

I hated the Avent, but quite like the Swing.

TheQueenOfQuotes · 01/08/2007 12:26

I've only ever owened the Avent isis hand pump and love it.

gingergirl · 01/08/2007 12:47

Another vote for the avent isis hand pump here. I've recently bought the medela mini electric but I don't find it gets as much milk as the hand pump, maybe I'm not used to it.

FLIER · 01/08/2007 12:52

hated the avent hand held manual, but used the medela mini electric this time around and was far better.

babybore · 01/08/2007 12:57

I hated the hand pumps - took me much longer and my wrist ached (weed!). Found the mini medela electric good although it did break for no apparent reason after 5 months usage and I had to buy another one.

amidaiwish · 01/08/2007 13:02

i loved my medela swing 2 phase pump
by the way babybore, medela would have replaced it for you no problem - did you not ring them?

babybore · 01/08/2007 13:09

amidaiwish - I'd bought it off ebay. New allegedly but non-refundable. that's what i get for being a cheapskate!

choklit · 01/08/2007 13:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

chipmonkey · 01/08/2007 14:14

For me all Avent pumps worked better than all Medela pumps, even the Medela hospital grade one. The Avent Isis IQ Uno is very good, very quiet, and the "yield" is good. I have this and the Duo version which I used for work as time was limited. I found it brilliant.
Really, you have to think about why you will be expressing. If it's just for the odd night out a small single pump, manual or electric is all you need. If it's for expressing at work, a double electric is probably best as it cuts the expressing time in half, which was essential for me as I only had two 15 minute sessions.

trixymalixy · 01/08/2007 22:32

I find the avent hand pump miles beter than the medela mini electric.

TheOldestCat · 02/08/2007 10:54

The medela mini electric works for me (I pump twice a day at work). It's quite noisy though!

LadyOfTheFlowers · 02/08/2007 11:02

i had the swing and loved it.

Aitch · 02/08/2007 11:11

found the medela really noisy. it wasn't the swing though, but it's worth checking as if you're sitting down expressing it's a pain f you can't hear corrie over the top.

mears · 02/08/2007 11:12

I expressed by hand - no cost to that. Quicker and quiter than a pump IME

rnbsmum · 02/08/2007 11:13

I think it depends a bit on how much you intend or need to express. When I was at home on maternity leave with dd I used the Avent isis. When I returned to work I used the medela double elctric and have used that with ds. Have also used the medela mini electric (I get around, me). Electric is quicker and you have to invest less attention and energy (with a bit of jiggery pokery with your bra you can use an electric and be hands free! Good for being on mn!)but I always got more milk with the Avent.

chipmonkey · 03/08/2007 22:44

rnbsmum, I'm glad I'm not the only breast-pump floozy!

Original poster
pregnantbabyelephant · 03/08/2007 23:58

lol at breast-pump floozy!

OP posts:
gerbiltamer · 04/08/2007 01:31

Thanks, this thread's really handy, as I'm 37+3 at the moment and thinking of buying the recommended Avent Isis manual pump (approx £21 in Argos. I was looking at it in Asda the other day and a woman said that it was rubbish and suggested the electronic Medela one over the Avent any day. So much choice!

twentypence · 04/08/2007 05:20

I had the Isis for expressing for cereal and stuff for ds (had a milk allergy and didn't see any point using soy when for the price of about 2 tins I could have lots of lovely free BM) it was fine for that.

Will you need one straight away - or is it something that could wait?

charliex0x · 18/08/2009 13:18

I tried 3 different breast pumps before I tried the Medela Freestyle Breast Pump - It is fantastic. It takes only 5 mins to fill an 180ml bottle. It has made my life so much easier. It is worth every penny.

Gilby · 18/08/2009 20:13

have the medela swing (very helpful lady in john lewis who'd used various pumps with her 3 children recommended it). finding it easy to use and not too noisy. takes about 5 minutes to express 60ml but have to say, i'm a little haphazard about expressing and sure I could get more if I did it more regularly.

Ineedsomesleep · 18/08/2009 20:22

I found the Avent Isis to be completely useless too. Could hardly express a drop and made me really worry about how much DS was getting in the first few weeks.

With DD I used an Ameda Lactaline. Can highly recommend this, but its not very portable.

Does your local NCT or La Leche League hire them out so that you could try before you buy?

freudianslips · 18/08/2009 21:24

I rented a Medela Symphony hospital grade pump from Medela UK. It was brilliant for my situation - exclusive pumping - and meant I could get a yield of +30oz per day with just three pumps of 20 minutes each. It was definitely the deciding factor in making sure that DD got a year's worth of breast milk. For the occasional pumper, however, it would definitely be overkill ... but worth bearing in mind if you ever need to do some intensive pumping. The rental was quite good value and they sent spare tubing first class post the only time I had a tube break.

whingingDailyHateMail · 18/08/2009 22:25

I have a swing and I think it's fab. Avent isis manual was ok too but medela seemed more effective and less tiring