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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Pump reccomendations?

19 replies

GastonsWife · 16/04/2017 16:30

I have to go back to work 4 months after baby is born but would like to express milk for her to have in the day. Which pump would you reccomend? Is it possible to mix formula and breast milk?

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honeysucklejasmine · 16/04/2017 16:33

It really depends on you and the size and shape of your boobs! You can hire them usually to try before you buy.

Fwiw I used a Philips Avent, but didn't get on with Medela at all.

honeysucklejasmine · 16/04/2017 16:34

And yes, you can mixed feed. I did, then switched just to formula at 8 weeks.

I tended to pump every 3-4 hours, and when i had enough BM i would give that as next bottle, otherwise it was formula.

Fattynoms02 · 16/04/2017 16:35

I used lansinoh electric pump, would recommend it.
Yes you can mix feed but don't really know much about how to go about this.

Original poster

GastonsWife · 16/04/2017 16:38

I will speak to the HV. I don't know any mums in real life (DM has me and DTS nearly 30 years ago so obviously lots of change since then) so I'm really grateful for the reccomendations! Thank you ;-)

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BentleyBelly · 16/04/2017 22:34

I've a Tommee Tippee hand pump and it's a bit rubbish and very hard work...i'd def go for an electric one!

newbian · 17/04/2017 02:25

For a working mum you need a good quality double electric pump. Medela Freestyle is what I used. I went back at 4 months and made it to 12 months with no formula!

ChipIn · 17/04/2017 02:54

Renting one first is a good idea to be sure it works for your before you buy one. I tried a Phillips avent one but I got next to no milk out and it made my boobs sore. Then I was given a medela one which was amazing. Some brands you can change the size of the flange, that goes on your boob, too which helped find the right fit and maximise how much milk I was getting.

I'd recommended starting to find one as soon as you can, and start stock piling your freezer :)

hopsalong · 17/04/2017 08:04

I wish they had a place where you could go and try pumps, because I found them to be wildly variant in the amount of milk I could get (suppose wouldn't be brilliantly hygienic but the milk could be thrown away...)

Bought the Medela Swing after reading lots of good reviews and for my breasts (small but with long/big nipples) it was hopeless (tried different size flanges but the small was too small for my nipples and the medium too large to make a good seal on the breast). Could only get 30ml from each side with loads of effort. Then bought a Phillips hand pump and found it much better at extracting milk though action quite wearying. In the end I could get almost as much from hand-expressing, though. Also rented a hospital grade pump from Ardo for a bit and that was terrific though big and cumbersome and not worth cost unless you have to go back to work early/ have a lot of supply problems (as I did).

Mummybear8 · 17/04/2017 08:21

I had a Medela electric pump and thought it was great. I've got quite big boobs (or did have when I was breast feeding - 32G) and it seemed to work really well for me, especially as others have said, because you can get different sized flanges to attatch. To be honest it's not particularly quiet, but I preferred listening to it hum like a hair dryer for 5 minutes over using a manual pump! Lots quicker and a worthwhile investment IMO

oliversmummy26 · 18/04/2017 15:56

I had a medela swing pump and it was fab, got loads of milk out. I started using it at 6 months when I went back to work - worked from home at the time so was pumping at my desk!

I don't have it anymore (5 years since last baby and got rid of almost everything) so looking at what to get this time.

Something to bear in mind is the bottles you'll use for your baby, I found that the Medela bottles were too difficult for DS, and used the tommee tippee ones instead. I like the look of the MAM bottles this time and have heard lots of good things.

If I remember rightly I had a couple of medela bottles I would pump into then transferred them to the tommee tippee...So I'm considering getting a MAM or TT pump this time to save this step?? But not sure..

FanaticalFox · 18/04/2017 16:02

Calypso double electric breast pump is what I've got, gifted to me from a friend.

dustpan · 18/04/2017 19:27

If you have your own private office, rent a hospital grade double pump - they are phenomenal & get loads more milk v quickly than a small electric pump.

If instead you have to go to work loo to pump then you need to check if toilet has a plug socket - otherwise you need battery operated or hand pump.

Yes mixed feeding perfectly possible (just use either formula or be at each feed, don't mix the two together!)

Re bottles - has your baby already taken a bottle successfully? If so great but if not it helps to try different tests / brands - nuk good in my experience

dustpan · 18/04/2017 19:27

Sorry BM (breast milk) not be

LHReturns · 18/04/2017 19:51

Agree with dustpan entirely....the hospital grade Medela Symphony is in a different league...approx £40/month and extremely quick at extracting the maximum amount of milk.

NameChange30 · 18/04/2017 19:54

I have the Ardo Calypso double electric pump and I'm very happy with it.

It's a closed system pump (unlike the Medela Swing which is open system) and it's very quiet.

Original poster

GastonsWife · 18/04/2017 20:09

So much to think about! Baby isn't here yet so I'm going into this blindly. DustPan I'm a primary school teacher so I'm not sure parents will be impressed if I pump in my classroom so it will be in the toilets! 😅. Is this a mad idea, I live about 2 minutes drive from school, would I be able to drive home and express at lunchtime? Or will I have to do it a lot more often than that?

OP posts:

NameChange30 · 18/04/2017 20:46

Can't you pump in the staff room (presumably there is a staff room)?

You can get special bras and bustiers for pumping that will hold the attachments in place and preserve your modesty.

I have been using this trick with hairbands to hold them in place, and can then cover up quite well.

Original poster

GastonsWife · 18/04/2017 21:13

Yes I can pump in the staff room :-). And I have a private toilet (adults only, we are the only classroom in that part of the building) I can use. Which was very convenient during the morning sickness phase!

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dustpan · 19/04/2017 17:34

Hmm difficult to predict how often you will need to pump as it will depend on how frequently you've been nursing at the point you go back to work. Assuming you can bf baby in morning before work, then perhaps pump at 4h intervals during the day til you get home? Or can you bf baby at lunch if you can get home? Your milk supply will adjust to what you request of it via bf or pumping. If you get issues with supply, look on here for advice or try the Kelly Mom site which has good practical tips.

Don't whatever you do just stop bf or pumping cold turkey, the engorgement is horrendous and can cause blocked ducts.

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