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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Breast pump advice for mum with baby in scbu

27 replies

marmitemad · 23/01/2009 19:16

My sis in law gave birth (by c section) to a beautiful dd on wed who is seriously ill and has been transferred to the Royal London hospital to await surgery when she is stable.

sis in law has asked me to get her a breast pump as she is staying in a hotel (hospital does not have a bed for her despite the c section on wed )

I am thinking electric is going to be better for her and am torn between the Avent Isis one (as she has my bottles) and the Medela Swing. Can anyone offer any words of wisdom as I only used a manual one.

thanks in advance

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 23/01/2009 19:24

can she not borrow one from maternity??/ I only ask because they have super ones!
I tried many, when expressing with ds1 and ended up hiring a hospital grade one from the nct. which is another thing you could consider, if maternity can't lend her one

LaTrucha · 23/01/2009 19:27

Ameda Lactaline double is fab.

Or hiring a hospital grade one.

Original poster
marmitemad · 23/01/2009 19:30

apparently she can use the hospital one while there but is not allowed to take to away with her.

Yes I saw the lactaline one got top rating on here but I wasn't sure I would be able to get it in mothercare without ordering.

OP posts:
Sachertorte · 23/01/2009 19:38

Make sure you get the double one! I SSOOO regreted not getting one. Can´t you hire one from a medical shop?

KiwiPanda · 23/01/2009 19:41

My DD was in neo-natal ward for a week and I used the hospital-grade ones, then a Medela Swing when I got home - and I found the latter just as good - it's just not dual of course.

cmotdibbler · 23/01/2009 21:23

You can order the Lactaline from www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk, and they can do next day delivery to her hotel, or they can rent her a hospital grade one next day too.

If she is going to be expressing for a while, especially exclusively, then a double is the best way of getting a supply really going.

thisisyesterday · 23/01/2009 21:29

give your local branch of NCT a call. they got mine to me within a day or so!

MauriceDancer · 23/01/2009 21:31

lactaline from expressyourself, DEFINITELY. it is the same power etc as the hospital ones, just the parts wear out faster (obviously). please get that one, as someone who had to express a lot, some of the other ones are useless.

and an expressing bra also good. not the halterneck, the bandeau one.

Lovesdogsandcats · 23/01/2009 21:42

I have never heard of anything like this, am gobsmacked.
She had a csection 2 days ago and is in a hotel??

When did she leave the hospital?

DorisIsAPinkDragon · 23/01/2009 21:48

I used both the lactaline in hospital and medela swing when I was at home ( also not allowed to take off site) medala not quite a powerful but reasonable enough (and quite discreet and lightweight - easy to travel with later on)

I hope her dd is has her op soon, brings it all back to me after dd2 was born, some very unmnetty > coming your way

thisisyesterday · 23/01/2009 21:50

yeh that didn't register with me, sorry.
are the hospital trying to find her a bed at all???

fryalot · 23/01/2009 21:53

hey marmite!

no advice other than what you have been given already, but wanted to send my very best wishes to your SIL and BIL and their lovely dd.

(I am also that she has to stay in a hotel, btw)

SlightlyMadScotland · 23/01/2009 21:54

I am shocked she has been dicharged. I had a natural delivery and was told that I was welcome to a bed for up to 10 days. DP even shared a room on the ward with me.

I was also loaned one from the hospital.

The difference I guess was that I gave birth in the same hospital as my DTDs were admitted.

No advice on pumps though - as I used the hospital one.

WilfSell · 23/01/2009 21:58

Sorry to slightly hijack but TBH from my experience of 3 CS in busy hospitals, she'll be MUCH better off in a hotel probably, if she has someone else with her. It's normal these days to be discharged after 2-3 days after CS unless complications and better for her to be up and about as much as possible (though getting in what sleep she can)

Agree double electric pump best way to go - she can also buy direct from Ameda; hope things go well with the little one.

giveusabreak · 23/01/2009 22:00

I rent pumps out via the NCT and think the Lactaline is good, very small, light and portable. You can get one couriered the next day from Ardo Medical (01823 336 362)- I'm a volunteer agent, not paid by Ardo so I have nothing to gain from posting this. I have also hired the Medela Symphony in the past and thought that was excellent too. (Medela 0870 950 5994). If you go via your local NCT, LLL or ABM volunteer agent the relevant breastfeeding charity gets a small donation . Ring your local branch for the agent's name or try Ardo. GL to your SIL.

madmouse · 23/01/2009 22:00

definitely hire a double electric pump from hospital. ask at scbu. John Radcliffe oxford only charges a £10 deposit.

And make sure she gets some advice on expressing, my ds was very very ill too and I kinda threw myself into expressing as it was the only thing i could do, so I expressed till my nipples bled until i got good advice/

laumiere · 24/01/2009 19:40

On a slightly different note, I was stuck commuting to The Royal for 3 weeks. Tell her there's a good onsite restaurant they never tell guests about, and not to be afraid to ask for a second opinion from the consultants, they mis-diagnosed CP in my son.

TheProvincialLady · 24/01/2009 19:49

Agree with the advice to get a lactaline. I exclusively expressed for 18 months with one. Expressyourselfmums will supply next day and their after sales care is great too. You can print out advice on expressing from their website and you can also buy a fab book called Exclusively Expressing, which explains how to express and store milk, and how to build up supply if it is low etc.

Original poster
marmitemad · 24/01/2009 20:32

thank you for all your helpful advice ladies. Unfortunately I was unable to get on here earlier today so after much debate in store we got the avent manual one (as she had said she would be happy to give it a go with a manual one). I will make sure she knows the phone numbers for hiring an electric one if it proves difficult.

We are all very and that she is not under hospital care although a midwife checked her over today (but was not very thorough/helpful). She has said she is happier in the hotel and they are now fourth on the waiting list for the on-ward parent rooms.

lo is doing a lot better today, breathing on her own and sedation is being reduced gradually.

Laumiere - thanks for the advice about the restaurant, I will pass that on.

and finally just to let you all know I will have to get this thread deleted at some point as she is an MN poster and I would not want her to come across it unwittingly, but thank you all again.

OP posts:
madmouse · 24/01/2009 20:33

I am sorry but a manual one is really not a great idea if she wants to start feeding her dd as soon as able, it will just not boost supply enough. I really recommend double electric pumping. It is not too late to get one from hospital.

TheProvincialLady · 25/01/2009 10:14

Absolutely, it has to be electric double pumping or she doesn't stand a chance TBH. Apart from anything she will get very tired and sore. She will need to express both breasts for about 20 minutes each, every 3 hours including once at night. Imagine doing that with a manual pump

Really glad that your friend's dd is making progress. You are a kind friend to be looking out for them.

tiktok · 25/01/2009 10:32

I so agree about avoiding the manual pump - it is essential she expresses with an electric pump at least 8 x a day inc at least once at night and the manual pump will be far too much aching, hard work...why on earth can the hospital not sort a decent pump for her that she can use off site? This is appalling (though not unique) treatment, and when the dust settles you and she should complain in writing to the appropriate sources.

laumiere · 25/01/2009 10:57

tiktok, they certainly never offered me an offsite double pump when I was there in 2006, I ended up sleeping in a waiting room and using the hospital one (switched to an Isis manual when i got home).

Since coming on MN I've realised how crap the Royal was (BF counsellor wouldn't help with latch/expressing without touching breasts, when I roomed in with DS for 3 days no one came to check how we were getting on with bf).

madmouse · 25/01/2009 17:57

That is awful

I was in John Radcliffe Oxfor and i had:
*A maternity assistant specially trained to help/teach women express, both by hand and by pump
*Two different pumps to try

  • An old fashioned looking but very efficient machine (called Daisy )to take home for as long as ds was in scbu *I wanted an early discharge but was convinced to stay 'so we can support you with expressing for your baby' and given a family room with dh *An amazing bf adviser in scbu *A private consultation with Sally Ince when i wanted to hurl the machine at the wall *NICU nurses who called colustrum liquid gold and took great care that ds got it as soon as allowed

What I hear here is appalling

It was the bl8dy most traumatic time in my life as it was!

Katw3kitts · 25/01/2009 18:04

I was loaned a medula whilst in DS was under scbu. I was then given the option to buy it once DS was out of special care.

Has your SIL been given a photo of her baby when she is apart from her. I was. It kind of helped when I was trying to express milk and I was away from him.

Its a traumatic time for you all ... but it will soon pass. Good luck !