Which Breast Pump? sorry, I know its been asked hundreds of times before!

[TamTam29]

A time old question i know, but I did a search and I couldnt find any threads that were less than 6 months old on this topic.

I had an avent iq last time that was handed down to me but despite several trips up the loft DH cant find it!

I found it ok but wanted to know what you would reccomend before I go looking on ebay, nappyvalley etc for another one.

I heard medela was a good brand but welcome your advice.

I think it partly depends on how you would be using it. For the occasional feed? For expressing three times a day at work? Can you give us an idea?

I swear by my Medela Pump in Style double travel pump which has seen me through 3 DCs and is being used for DC4 now. It was pricey but worth it especially as DC3 would not breastfeed so I ended up expressing every feed for five months. I also have an Avent Isis hand pump which didn't work for me so has not really been used which you are welcome to have if you'd like.

Well, to be honest im not sure this time around!

Last time DH did DS bedtime feed and I expressed at the same time. I also expressed occasionally to store milk up for when I wanted to do "my own thing" and leave the house for more than 3 hours without DS or to feed DS if BF was going to be a problem (couldnt master BF in public very easily - big boobs, very wriggly & impatient baby that took a while to latch on & didnt like having to wait for let down)

I managed to BF for 51/2 months last time & would like to go longer this time but personally I think i would need to express and bottle feed to be able to do so. I found BF hard work and with a toddler to care for too I would like the flexability of expressing.

then again i may find it easier 2nd time around...

OK well going on that, my recommendation would be a medela mini electric. You can get them on ebay for about £20 I think, or new for about £50. They are a little noisy but very effective and you can feed from one side whilst expressing from the other. You can get feeding/storage bottles and bags that screw directly onto the pump.

HTH

I have a brand new medela double pump still seeled into its box that I am selling for £45. I bought it because I thought it would be better than my avent manual one that I used with dd1 (after giving back the big one that I borrowed ffrom hospital).

However, my parents also bought me an electric Avent one (not such an unusual present as both DCs were early and were tube fed EBM) which I received just before my Medela one arrived. So, no reason for not using it other than I had another one!

TamTam - I second the Medela Mini Electric, they are great. I got mine on Ebay for £15 and its excellent. It is noisy but can't say its ever bothered me or my DD - I express on one side whilst she feeds on the other.

Hi

I went to my local BF group before I splashed out on a pump to get their advice. The general consensus was the medela swing.

I had an old mini electric but it is sooo noisy. With the swing I can express and not interfere with my DS1 watching TV!

I think the swing seems to feel a smoother sucking action than the mini electric ( but I might just be kidding myself with that one to justify the £80).

I express at least once a day so not massive use. I find the swing easier to use one handed too as feed on one side and express on the other.

nother vote for medela swing here, I've used the manual avent as well - that was ok, but the swing is fab, about £85 though. Used it a bit for DD (Not enough to justify the spend)and then DS was v sleepy with excessive weightloss, i used it so I could give him EBM topups and it was grand.

I use a medela swing which feels the same as the ameda ones they had in the hospital. Find it good

For £83- ish, you could get an Ameda Lactaline Pump which is a heavy use pump and can be used for double pumping and is one of the few that can/should be used second hand as it is a closed system (so can be sold on). I would highly recommend it if you are spending that sort of money as I used it for exclusive expressing with my baby for 6.5 months and after using the hospital-grade pumps while he was in the neonatal I can say it was one of the few I found that were comparable in terms of how much milk I could express in a short time. The other good thing about it was it was able to use AA batteries, car charger or the electric plug adapter so it was very versatile - and quiet. Speed and strength of suck were both adjustable, and it takes standard fittings (narrow-neck bottles or standard Ameda/Medela storage bottles).

Pumps are great - Really useful in the early days to help ease engorgement, to freeze extra milk or to encourage a good milk supply.

Whatever you do buy an Electric one. The hand pump ones are too much hard work and you'll just give up.

Medela Swing is good. Comfortable and efficient action. You can buy Medela freezer bags that hook on directly to the pump so you can pump and freeze more easily. Their after care team (either directly or via the retailer) is also very good. One bleary night I put the bits together wrong and there was no suction. I thought it was broken even though it wasn't. No matter - the aftercare team popped a manual one in the post for me (got to me in 3 days).

I've also used the Avent Electric (first baby) which was also comfortable and efficient. Just depends if you care about buying BPA chemical free or not. If you do care - opt for the Medela.

Thanks ladies,

I will be looking for a medela then on your advice, prefably a swing as I found my avent noisy enough!

I also had a quick look on ebay & saw a couple of Ameda Lactalines which I think were going for slightly cheaper than the medelas as I think they are a less familiar brand with the majority.

Meanwhile I have been loaned an avent handpump

many thanks again

Ameda lactaine is an ace pump. i am expressing at work for no2 with the same pump. cost effective and just as good as that expensive medela. Medela is now a WHO Codebreaker btw and Ameda isn't, if that sort of thing matters to you.