Hands free breast pumps

[applesandbananas93]

Does anyone have any recommendations of electric, hands free breast pumps? I really like the look of the Elvie ones but they’re a bit too expensive for me at the mo. Are there any cheaper alternatives people would recommend?
This is going to be my second baby, with my first I breast fed/manually pumped for a couple of months they switched to formula. Hoping I can get an electric pump so I can give breast milk for longer this time.
Thanks!

I don't know, interested to know this also. I'm thinking of the spectra 1, it's about £150 and hospital grade, and just buying the bra bandeaus that can attach a pump hands free

I have done a lot of research in this for the same reason (liking the Elvie one but hating the price tag).

I’ve seen quite a few youtubers recommending not forking out on an electric one until you know whether breastfeeding will work for you. I hadn’t really considered that it might not (FTM here) but it’s a fair point, and right now I’ll take any potential money saving opportunity!

So after lots of review watching and reading I’ve decided to go for the Haakaa manual pump (£12.99 on Amazon) and a set of the milk catchers from the same brand (£29.99 on Amazon) :)

I exclusively pumped for both my boys I've used a single Medela swing for the 1st which was great then a spectra s1 for the 2nd. For the 2nd I also got two fraupow hands free pumps that you place inside ur bra. The spectra was great for double pumping and emptying my breast the hands free never truly did but where great for out and about. A haakaa isn't a pump but great to place on the other breast and catch let down

It will really depend on how much you want to use it and your budget. Most important thing is to make sure you have the correct size nipple flanges, else it can make you very sore and will have poor milk out put

@boymum88 I also read the Spectra 1 was great for helping to enhance/establish milk supply. Did you find that was the case? That was the reason I was planning on buying it before the birth, so I could use it straight away

You could get a standard pump and a bra that goes alongside to make it hands free www.johnlewis.com/medela-easy-expression-breast-pump-bustier-black/

But in general my advice would be not to buy a pump in advance. I did and then turned out my supply was rubbish. The infant feeding team told me that only a hospital grade pump would boost my supply - home pumps aren't good enough. So my home pump went in the cupboard and i ended up hiring a medela symphony for £47 per month for six months.

Link that actually works! www.johnlewis.com/medela-easy-expression-breast-pump-bustier-black/p5549658

I have a medela electric pump which is good and have seen that they do bras which can hold the pump in place.

The electric motor thing has a clip on it so I presume you can clip it onto trousers etc.

I got it as I knew I was going to exclusively pump pretty much from the start ( was a good job to as he had a really bad tongue tie so was very painful to have him on the breast) and wanted a medical grade double pump and nearly all the other lady's on an exclusively pumping group used one, I picked mine up from eBay 2nd hand ( it's a closed system so safe to do so- just need to buy new valves, flanges tubes) for £35 only had about 300hrs on and they are good for min 2000hrs. I was lucky and had a good supply quickly but it doesn't happen without work ( pumping like you would feed a newborn 8-12 a day of 20 mins), once I had finished I then sold it on again for the same money.
If I Eva had a 3rd would use one again

Thanks everyone. I used one of those hakaa things with my first, so when she was feeding on one boob I would use that on the other. I think my supply was fine but I don’t know if that necessarily means anything about how my supply will be for the second!

@boymum88 thank you, I think I will have to get that one then!

How did you go about hiring one from the hospital? Is that something you’d discussed beforehand with community midwives or was it a post delivery thing?

You can rent a symphony ( their hospital grade pump) direct from Medelas website

shop.medela.co.uk/products/breast-pumps/symphony-rental/

But you can always ask your midwife as they may a have a deal with a company that can sometimes gets you % off.