Breast pumps (new enquiry)

[motherinferior]

I know there is a thread on this but it's quite old now. I'm having my second baby in July; last time I used an Avent pump, and it was absolutely fine - I produce masses of milk, so supply has never been a problem; I just thought it was worth checking out options, particularly electric ones - especially as I'm resuming work after 4 months (or just under)and would like to consider expressing rather than mixed feeding (last time I just quailed at the idea of expressing 3 feeds a day on a hand pump, but fewer feeds and/or a different pump might swing it). I work from home so most of the time the logistics of expressing aren't too much of a problem. I would really appreciate some advice!

I have used very succesfully a Medela mini-electric £40 at Boots and Jojojmamanbebe.co.uk
I expressed for months (on a daily basis)... the only downside... it's a tad noisy.

I also used a Medela mini-electric, I had used an Avent hand pump but broke it as was pumping too hard! I find the Medela pump really good, it seems really quick and has a thing so that you can increase/decrease the pressure. I agree with pupuce though, it is noisy..

Noise isn't a problem as it's just me at home - yes I do have to go to meetings sometimes but I could manage somehow; will try it, I think.

will let you know how it goes with the home birth good intentions, pupuce!

How's your SPD?

Still there - haven't found an osteopath, but it's not too bad if I don't do much - refuse to do nothing, and anyway it's not an option because I have to pick up my daughter from her childminder every afternoon (which is a nice walk anyway, specially as we pootle slowly back). Have to say pregnancy is not my Big Fun Time.

Incidentally, when you say you expressed daily, how often in the day? Because expressing repeatedly is one of the things that puts me off. Last time I just could NOT face getting onto the pump every three hours...how feasible is it to express less often than a feed, given that this would be four days a week?

Depends how old the baby is... when samll I expressed once a day and that was to replace a feed, I had very sore nipples.... as DS grew it was different. When I went back to work I expressed once or twice a day and that filled up 2 bottles!!! He was 5 months old.

I'm taking four months off work total so baby will be four months maximum when I start again (I'm counting on it being a few days 'early' for due date - previous one was. If all goes utterly pearshaped I'll rethink start date, but have a lot to get back to in November, and money to earn as partner is not exactly rolling in it). I'll just have to see how it goes, I reckon. What's a realistic expectation of frequency of feeds at 4 months anyway? Last baby was on every 3 hours except at night...

Varies from child to child, I think mine fed 4 times during the day....
7AM
11AM
2:30PM (well after nap)
6PM

and then slept thorugh... I BF morning and evening and expressed once or twice - maybe twice at first as I really did want to ahve enough but when it became difficult I realised that 1 long expressing session at lunchtime gave me a pint which is what I needed for the 2 feeds I was missing the next day.

If you are concerned over speed, then buy/rent a double electric pump - made a huge difference to me, twice as fast and also less mess (no leaking from the other side). As you are at home, portability is not an issue.

I used a double electric pump from the hospital which worked pretty well. Obviously designed by a man though as once I'd got both boobs into position I'd have to switch it on/adjust it with my feet!!!

Well, today's endorsement for the view (which I know the WHO's had for some time) that exclusive b/f for 6 months is best may swing it. And it's not as if supply's my problem - I was Daisy the Cow last time, and since I'm already producing colustrum, I don't think I'll have any worries this time either....

If you are still planning to express you could hire a breast pump from a local agent for any length of time (who works as a volunteer for the NCT and Ameda Egnell)or Ameda do a hospital grade pump but much smaller called the Lactaline, its really good, very quiet, as powerful as a hospital pump and comes with a dual pumping kit. Also you can buy double pumping bras too which help you to express "hands free"

"Double pumping bras"!!!! It's all gone very high tech. Conjures up some hilarious mental images

Thats fine, chuck it all in the dishwasher (if you have one) and then sterlise. It will be as good as new then anyway.

I gave mine away, so somebody else used it secondhand without any problems/Hangups?

Lactaline is brilliant, I had one of these, it's quiet and double pumping really does halve the time you spend doing it

Don't forget folks, it can be just as fast expressing by hand, and far cheaper. No pump required

yuck mears - is that really true??I tried once when I didn't have my breast pump and managed to get a pathetic dribble out but that was it- I guess it takes practice but ....

Yup - I went back to work and found that I could do it much quicker by hand,when you have the knack. Meant I did not have to go to a specific place to express.

Hand expressing is indeed very efficient.... you need to find your milk reservoirs to KNOW where to "squeeze".
To find your milk reservoir, take your thumb and index and gently squeeze next to your nipple (12 and 6 o'clock), and then move it a bit further on the aerola, etc until you get a bit of milk.... you will know where they are located. Their location varies from 1 woman to the next. Then once you know where they are are use thumb (on top) and index and middle finger at 6 o'clock to gently squeeze.... no hard squeeze. It should NOT hurt.

A friend of mine made her bras into hands-free expressing wear by cutting holes in old ones for the tubes to go through. Very thrifty.

Pupuce - how on earth did you manage to express so much??!! Do you have any tips?? I'm an expressing "pro" - bf all 3 babies and returned to work early - 1 or 2 days a week (I'm freelance) expressing when at work - but I've never managed to get vast quantities. Dd2 is now nearly 7 months and I've only just started her on solids. She's always fed little and often - and is wonderfully chubby on it so my supply is obviously fine for her. However when I express I never get huge amounts... if I can get a let down it's usually 6-7 oz max - and sometimes I can't get the let down and then it's hard work getting 4 oz. I did build up a stock in the freezer before I returned to work, but this has now been used up so she has to have a top up bottle of formula on my work days when the ebm has run out. She doesn't mind this at all - but I do!! Although I worked hard to build up a stock in the early months, I really can't be bothered to keep that up now she's a bit older. If you've any tips on expressing at work I'd love to know. (I use the Medela mini electric/battery pump - seems very good ) - maybe it's just easier for some than for others? Also I find if I can give her a good feed just beore I leave home I can go for about 6 or 7 hours before I'm uncomfortable and have to express, whereas if I'm at home I'm usually feeding her every 3-4 hours or whenever she wants. I only work 1 or 2 days a week, so hopefully it's not effecting my supply too much. It's daft but the more milk I can take home the happier I feel!! I'd feel so triuphant if I could take enough to cover the next day away - 10 oz would do!!

I hate to say this but the revolting tip of 'look at a picture of your baby' does seem to work - I never needed it myself (Daisy the Cow) but the day some pics of dd arrived in the post and I opened them, I was soaked immediately.