Which electric pump is best please

[fluffykitties]

Hi lovelies :)

I am in need of a decent electric breast pump. Having a little girl in October and am
Committed to breast feeding, however my family has a serious history of nipples
So cracked and sore that many haven't been able to keep it up for longer than a month! I'm
Hoping that even if I can't properly bf for ages that I can at least pump so baby girl has all the right stuff :)

If anyone has any tips on getting the nips ready for bf that would be very much appreciated too. Thanks ladies
Xxx

I have a medela freestyle which is a double pump, expressing to then feed is hard but can be done. I would recommend nipple shields to help the sore nipple problem though.

@Bluebelltulip thanks for replying I have looked at that one! Was slightly horrified by the price haha. Boyfriend wants to feed the little one too so will be good investment xxx

Buy one on eBay or hire from the NCT, I got one, I know some people swear by them but for me it was a waste of money so much easier just to to breastfeed on demand and if DH gave DC1 a bottle formula was fine. Do what's right for you but don't put too much pressure on yourself., just enjoy the baby and congratulationsnsNipple guards aren't for everyone

I've got the Medela Swing electric pump and it's been a godsend, especially in the early days when I was so engorged DS struggled to latch, so I used the pump to take the pressure off before a feed.

Regarding the nipple soreness, I would recommend wiping your breasts with a damp cloth after every feed, as baby's saliva can contribute to soreness, and also slathering your nips in Lansinoh at every opportunity. Might also be worth investing in some cloth breast pads - I was constantly leaking in the early days, and the paper pads just made me even more sore.

Good luck, and remember it gets easier every day! Try and have a look what kind of local support is available to you now (such as NCT or HomeStart) so you know where to go if you're struggling. There will be days when you want to give up, and if you have the support in place beforehand then hopefully that will see you through the rough patches!

Another Medela swing fan here tho my youngest is now 3 and there might be a better one.

Things to think about:

1. DD was prem and I had to use the pump a huge amount to try and kickstart bf but barely used it with DS - so maybe hiring is the way to go?
2. NIPPLE CARE! Look after them and they're less likely to collapse. Wash and dry 'em after every feed; use Lansinoh or similar after every feed. I couldn't be arsed to do this initially with DS and my nipples cracked and bled (repulsive) which they didn't do at all with DD

Make sure it is BPA-free and top-rack dishwasher safe, come with bottles you can pump directly into, and, for electric pumps, have controls to adjust the suction power and speed.
Medela is good but quite expensive and I would recommend a Lansinoh Smartpump Double Electric Breast Pump as it connects via Bluetooth to Lansinoh's free tracking app, letting you record things like milk volume and session date and time.