Breast pump recommendations

[Pepperoniextracheese]

Could anyone recommend any good but not expensive electric breast pumps? Ideally dual ones.

I'm on day 8 of breastfeeding and although it's better now that DS has had his tongue tie snipped I'm still pretty close to giving up. Being the only one who can feed him is breaking me. DPs been great for moral support and nappies etc but his nipples are useless!

On the day of DS tongue tie appointment i exclusively expressed and my stress levels were so much better. The manual pump however isn't any good for regular use. I'd never leave the house.

Budget is up to 60 quid. Money is very very tight so I can't justify spending more when there's a chance I might give up and formula feed anyway.

Thanks

Just realised I felt the need to explain why I need a breast pump strangers on the internet. Goes to show the pressure new mums are under to get it 'right'.

I hired a Medela one for a few months to get me established. Was the same one as I’d used in hospital, excellent customer service too, they got it to me on a bank holiday when I ordered the afternoon before. Meant I got a really top quality pump without forking out mega bucks to buy outright.

www.medela-rental.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2O3Wn7Ge4wIV7ZTtCh3uKAzxEAAYASAAEgKYvPD_BwE

I had the Ameda duel pump, it was quite expensive at about £130.00 (I'm going back a few years) I used it till ds2 turned 4 months then I just breast fed.

I used to pump in the evenings, from birth till 4 months. Then breast fed till he was 18 months.

I did resell it for about £50.00 though.

I agree with @DoraleeRhodes that hiring maybe the best route as you may not need it for too long if you are just using it to establish supply

I'll take a look at those. Thanks :)

I suppose the resale value is something to consider. The cheaper ones won't be worth much 2nd hand.

Supposed to me a Medela dupe! Works well has different suction and massage to 😁 bargain x

I was thinking of expressing as a more long term solution to be honest. Supply is one thing I haven't had an issue with thankfully. Little one is back to his birth weight already. I just feel like I might lose my mind if I continue which this little sleep.

@Pepperoniextracheese I pumped for night and breastfed in the day, did have to pump once in the night though x

@HJWT That could be a good solution, did you find it interfered with your supply at all? Pumping once in the night I could manage, I just need DP to be able to take some of the load.

If that doesn't help I might have to try mixed feeding.

@Pepperoniextracheese no my supply was fine from the get go, I used a hand pump at first as DD wouldn't wake up to feed on the breast so had to use a bottle and then after a few weeks just breastfed through the day and bottle fed at night! Always pumped in the morning and saved that bottle for bedtime and it helped with her sleeping longer x

If you're going to be heavily pumping, Spectra S1 is by far the pump of choice for those who exclusively express.

Also at day 8, if you want to keep supply up you basically need to pump every three hours round the clock for the first few weeks, including overnight. It's not easy (I did it for 12 weeks while waiting for baby to latch properly m). I doubt you'll get much more sleep with pumping unfortunately, unless you have a very big oversupply and can manage to drop pumps early.

I would talk to your local infant feeding team, DS had tongue tie and my local team loaned me a pump for £10 for a month (I think). It’s an ardo calypso and we are getting on well with it.

The medela electric is just fine (the most common one you see in boots, John Lewis etc) - however bear in mind that the tubing requires replacement before all the rest - but you can buy generic tubing on amazon for not a lot (so I guess what I’m saying is buy some spare at the same time as you buy the pump!). My top tip was also to buy a few of the generic copies of the bits and pieces from amazon (once you’re up and running and familiar with it all) to save yourself from the constant sterilising !! Good luck!! Xx

I know you asked for electric, but I get way more with a hakka than electric ones. It's just a silicone bottle with attached flange, suction it onto the other side while you feed and just wait (YouTube for video of how much to suction it on). It's also extremely cheap, especially if you get a generic non brand one because there's no visible difference.

I think I was getting about 4 ounces and filling the bottle each feed compared to 1-3 with an electric

NatureBond - absolutely fab, hands free, so easy to use and gets just as much milk as an electric or manual (I tried both and ditched them)

@blueskiesbrighteyes how does hands free expressing work? That seems like some kind of magic.

If I could feed from a bottle and express at the same time that could work. Ge feeds so much quicker from a bottle than the boob.

Pumping bra. Either cut holes in a sports bra for flanges or buy a pumping bra online.

But the NatureBond and Hakaa just stay on with suction, you don't pump them.

From looking at them the haakaa type can only be used when you're breast feeding is that right?

Pretty much although you can hand express to get a letdown and then use it. It's really meant to catch the letdown on the side you aren't feeding from.

Thanks for your help everyone.

I think I'll leave any decisions until tomorrow. I've expressed some so DP can do a feed. Hopefully I'll be able to think a bit more clearly in the morning.

@Pepperoniextracheese yes it works with suction. It definitely works best when you're feeding at the same time (I express so OH can do bedtime and I can get extra hours sleep) but it does work if you're not BF if baby hasn't fed for a while and your boobs are full - I've done that on the handful of occasions he's had a mega long nap. It's so cheap you could always try it and if it's not for you it's only £14 spent

I have the medala swing, it’s great and often recommended by midwives but probably about £100 new, you may get it cheaper secondhand?

My sister swears by the Hakka suction one mentioned above, she says she also gets more from that than the electric one. Only thing to be aware of is that as it just collects the let down from the boob you’re not feeding on (what would otherwise be going in to a breast pad!) it is only collecting watery fore milk, not fatty hind milk (or so I’ve read and been told). Babies need the fatty stuff to gain weight and also it fills them up and helps them sleep longer. For the odd bottle here and there it wouldn’t be a big problem I don’t think but if you were exclusively pumping and feeding expressed milk this might cause issues for baby.

I borrowed a medela from the health visitor but found I had far more success with the naturebond that a PP mentioned above. I was in the same boat as you at 8 days and honestly pumping just added to the pressure as it was another thing to do in the short time that DD would tolerate not being on me and latched on. I got more milk in the naturebond just whacking it on whole feeding and built up a really good freezer supply. DH could then give her a bottle in an evening to give me a break which I could spend actually relaxing rather than expressing. Got enough that he could have done more feeds as well if need be. Plus it’s cheap as chips! Mine was £12 from amazon. I always used it while feeding initially but as DD got older and found it fun to kick it off I did manage to use it on its own by hand expressing briefly then sticking it on.

You have my sympathies, it’s so hard in the early days but it really does get easier. It took a good week or so before I saw a big improvement after her tongue tie was snipped. Absolutely hated BF at first and was also close to stopping but it got easier and easier and ended up going til 20 months. The naturebond definitely helped.