Best Manual Breast Pump Advice Please

I breastfed my daughter for a year and I am very proud of it. My husband and I rented one from the hospital for a year. It didnt cost that much to rent. It was a good investment. I hope this helps.

I recommend the Avent Isis. I pumped while at work, and actually had better results getting let down with it than with my big Medela Pump In Style, although the PIS was faster and hands free. It's inexpensive, portable, and works well.

I got a cheap one...made by First Years, electric, double breast pump at Target for $50/$55. I didn't know if pumping was going to be for me either and didn't want to spend a lot on a pump. I went back to work using this one 3 times a day and it's lasted me 6 months so far. Good luck!

I have a Medela Harmony which retails for around $35 at Target. It works well enough for relief. However, just remember that the best way to relieve engorgement is to nurse and that bottles shouldn't be introduced until atleast 6 weeks of age. I also recommend taking a breastfeeding class. I know I learned a lot from mine and it made my nursing relationship go better :) Hope that helps!

Edit- I disagree with anyone that says you need to pump frequently. If you are a SAHM then your lifestyle should allow for a great bf relationship! That doesn't mean you won't have problems, but it does mean that you have one thing on your side and that is TIME! Any problems can be solved with time. Pumping is not the first solution to anything including engorgement. The firs thing to do is nurse. In order to relieve plugged ducts you should first nurse. So I wouldn't be very worried about a pump really. If need be you can rent one from the hospital. I also would avoid letting a nurse or anyone in the hospital persaude you to pump. Instead you need to have your baby at your side at all times so you can nurse whenever the baby wants! That is the best way to start off your new relationship!

Actually I always prefered manual over electric since you can very finely manipulate the stimulation a manual pump provides to most closely approximate your own baby's specific nursing patterns. I love, love, love the Avent Isis manual breast pump and if I remember correctly, it runs between 50-60 dollars but it's well worth it, since it'll last through all of your children if you treat it right.

I used my first pump (7 years ago) all of the time since I was working 12 hours shifts (an old evenflo model). My new one (2 years ago now) I used only occasionally (my Avent Isis, which I plan to use with all subsequent children).

However, with both, I used them a lot at first. I know they say don't pump until a nursing relationship is well established, but I find this piece of advice to be counter-intuitive. I pumped right off the bat with both of my boys and I did it for a very good reason. With my first, once my milk came in, I was totally engorged (I was a DD BEFORE my milk came in), and very uncomfortable. So I pumped as much as possible to relieve the pressure. This didn't take anything away from my son, since milk production is on a "demand creates supply" basis, meaning that your body doesn't actually begin to produce the milk until baby begins nursing, or until a pump begins stimulating. The engorgement is fluid retention in the tissues of the breast in PREPARATION for milk production. Anyways, so I would pump until my breast was soft enough to not disturb me and to make latching easier for my son. This had the unexpected beneficial side effect of getting us started off with an ample milk supply. I've never had to supplement because of diminished supply. Since this worked out so well with my first I repeated it with my second. I actually had to recently throw away about a months supply of breastmilk since it had expired. I was able to put that much extra aside for emergencies.

I highly recommend pumping as soon as your milk comes in for these reasons 1.) Increases milk supply (the more you take the more you make) 2.) makes latching easier for baby since he's not confronted with a hard and engorged nipple and areola 3.) milk comes in two "waves", watery foremilk and fatty hind milk. Foremilk is for thirst and hindmilk is for hunger. Sometimes, if mom is producing a LOT of milk, baby's tummy will get filled up with foremilk and they'll stop before getting that good fatty hindmilk. This can make baby need to nurse more often and can make it hard for baby to put on weight. So pump off a bit of that foremilk before nursing and you can get a better balance for baby.

Remember, baby can't possibly eat all that you can produce when your milk supply first comes in, but later on as he gets bigger he'll be able to, so maintaining that level of supply from the very beginning is a very good idea.

Best of luck! Getting started with breastfeeding isn't easy, there are usually tears and fears aplenty, but stick it out and you will be surprised at how easy and natural it becomes for you. Much easier that mixing formula I think. :)

You are hilarious! If you really think you are going to get peacful sleep while breastfeeding. I have 5 kids and breastfed them all. You are in for it if you keep thinking that way. I know all women dream of pumping away at there breast to store breastmilk for the night so their hubby can feed them, that is a big "HA" and a bunch of hooey. You can do it but it will take a couple of weeks and you WILL be engorged all the time. Mother nature does not work that way, she is not prone to manual stimulation and human interuptions.
If you pump you can count on being engorged otherwise if you don't pump so you can get a "peaceful sleep" you don't need to worry about being engorged if you breastfeed when mother nature intended, which for most newborns is about every 2-3 hours a day. So in order for you to make a supply of milk so your hubby can get up every 2-3 hours a night to feed you need a supply of breastmilk, in which you have to pump to get, so after every feeding pump your breasts and get all the milk out as possible, after a week of doing so, you will have enough for hubby to feed so you can sleep. Mabey. Then you have to pump everyday, because at every feeding you will need around 1-2 oz of breastmilk for your hubby, and you will need to supply at least 4-6 oz of breastmilk for your hubby each night, which means you have to pump everyday.
This all seems confusing but you will soon realize and remember what I wrote and know that what everything I am saying is true and I was right. If you are going to pump everyday, which you will have to if you want to sleep at night, then I would go with the medela electric pump, it's expensive but easy to clean and it's american unlike the avent which carries different nipples and metric units to their bottles, (avent is european). Medela is more versitile. And the medela is eaisier to clean and has less parts and less to put together than the avent.
Anyway, as far as getting sleep you can pump mabey once a day after you feed your baby and get about 2-3 oz so you can take a 4 hour nap as opposed to a 2 hour nap. You want to pump after you feed because A. you want to make sure he is getting all of your milk and B. that baby makes your milk flow more abundant. Idealy you should let him nurse 15 min on once side of the breast and 15 min on the other, however nightime feedings are tiresome and I usaully just laid down in the bed with my babies and nursed on whatever side I felt comfortable on the whole night in bed, which means the next day I usually nursed on the opposite side the whole day. Whatever works for you, but the more you pump the more engorged you will be and the less you will produce. I know this all does not make sense now, but it will later. That is all I have time for now to write. Go with the medela and an electric pump you will be happier if you did.

Oh and you can feed him a bottle if he will take it, most babies who are breastfed don't take well to fake nipples or a bottle. It requires a differnt sucking pattern and to expect a newborn to latch on to a bottle after having a human nipple is nearly impossible. Have fun the first time getting him used to a fake nipple after breastfeeding, it takes a couple of months at least to get him used to a bottle. Sorry but in reality you will not sleep at all only a couple of hours a night for the first few months.

I am also expecting a baby boy in November and I breastfed my son for 12 months. I have an Ameda Purely yours electric that I used with William if I taught a ballet class or something. I found it relatively small and easy to set up, quiet as well. That said, I have often thaught that for as little time as I spent using the pump - I could have used a manual pump. If I where you, and I knew I would only pump occasionally - I would get a manual. It is true; however, that this takes some work and skill but I am sure you can handle it. :) When I weaned my son I suffered terrible engorgement and found the electric pump very painful to use; although, you can adjust the suction amd speed. Breast pumps in general are not very comfortable at all and you will surely prefer to let the baby eat straight from the source the vast majority of the time since you will be a SAHM- so go ahead and buy a manual pump, just in case. : )Congratulations and good luck!

Danielle

i appreciate you wanting to be prepared for baby's arrival, but i would like to recommend that you can actually never be fully prepared cause that little babe may throw you for a loop and you probably will be running for help many times after baby's arrival. and that's nothing to be ashamed of. nobody can fully understand the level of changes that come after baby's arrival.

that being said, if you really want to do some pumping of the sort that will allow you to sleep through the night and skip a feeding while hubby feeds babe, you probably will need an electric one. the manual ones are much more work to use and usually work out for the occasional pumping, not for regularly scheduled pumping like you're talking about.

however, it's perfectly ok to substitute one or 2 feedings with formula without risking your milk supply, if you do those subbings after your milk has been well established. ie not when baby is first born or even in the first few weeks of life. so after you've gotten your milk well established and baby's feeding well, you can totally turn a regularly scheduled nursing into a regularly scheduled formula feeding. your boobs & milk supply will adapt and you may even be able to sleep while your husband is tending to your baby with the formula.

good luck!

Congrats to you on your devotion to BF. I purchased an Avent Isis and kept it in the packaging with the receipt attached, per recommendations of a lot of the women I met at a La Leche meeting before I had my first child. I was afraid I may need a pump but was not sure BF work out for us so I didn't want to make the investment in the electric ones. I ended up not needing it as hot baths and showers helped with the engorgement. I ended up purchasing a Medela Pump In Style because the BF worked and nursed my son for two years. I know they are expensive, but I found pumping to be a huge time drain and was glad to have a fast pump for the one to two times a day I did pump.

Avent Isis is fabulous. Just take the silicone shield off or you would get adequate suction.

I also agree with the other poster about the Medela Harmony being the best of the manual pumps out there. It is relatively inexpensive and works well for those limited times when you need to pump. As for everyone saying you need and should get an electric pump, well no you don't.....not if you plan on breastfeeding exclusively and the baby is not going to get a bottle very often. I breastfed exclusively and only had to pump about one night a week on average when I was out doing volunteer work and my husband had to feed the baby. The medela harmony was perfect for this limited use and it is easy to work. Now if you do run into breastfeeding problems and need to pump exclusively for a limited time you can always rent a hospital grade pump for around $50 usually. It's about $25 for the weekly rental and the rest is the start up cost for your own personal kit (tubes, shields, bottles), which you can reuse later (I used them interchangeably with my harmony pump). I had to rent a pump for a week in the beginning when I was having latch issues, and it worked well for me. Then once everything was under control, I was able to go back to using my Medela harmony for the rest of my breastfeeding time and it worked out great.

Oh and one last piece of advice....regardless of what pump you get make sure that you have the correct size breast shields for your pump. Often the standard size that comes with the pumps is too small. I had to go up a shield size to the next size, but you can buy Medela parts at any babies r us store and many lactation consultants or hospital nursing centers sell them too.

Good luck!
M.

try checking with the local hospital and find out if they Rent them...it's a lot cheaper and they are sanitary etc. check also with la leche league. (sp?) find the website and they can totally give you top notch info! invaluble stuff!
also...I breastfed for 17 months and it was the best experience of my life. very trying, very demanding however a great overall bonding experience!
good luck!
I used a medela b . pump borrowed from a friend and simply replaced all the tubes etc.

R.:

Congratulations on your upcoming baby boy!

I had a manual pump - the Medela Little Hearts - it was slow and didn't get the same suction.

I moved up to the Medela Pump-in-Style - yes, it's expensive - about $300 but worth EVERY PENNY! It is able to control suction from mild to heavy. I believe that K-Mart has breast pumps and you can put it on lay-away, which can help with your budget.

Please keep in mind that asking for help after the baby is born does NOT make you a bad mommy! You have a great resource here in Mamasource - don't be afraid to use it!

Pumping after the baby is born USUALLY helps many women get their milk in faster. I nursed and pumped after nursing to ensure my milk supply stayed up. DO NOT put any stress on yourself about nursing.

My first son was exclusively breastfed for the first six months of his life and I nursed him until he was 2 years old. My second son - well, he was on oatmeal and rice cereal at 3 months and weaned himself at one year. No kidding - he just woke up after he turned one and refused the breast, he only wanted bottles or sippy cups. He would let me hold him when he drank, but he didn't want the breast at that point. I continued to pump until he was 18 months.

I hope this helps you understand that every baby is different and every situation is different. Don't set expectations that will stress you out.

Take care.

Cheryl

I nursed my son for a year and used the Medella Isis when I wasn't with him, which worked just fine although was probably slower (and not hands-free) than the electric ones; however, it only took me about 15 minutes total to pump both sides (once back at work). It is also good to have one on hand in the early stages of nursing b/c if you get too engorged your baby may not drink - this happened to me with my son. When I finally called the lactation consultant she told me it was like the baby trying to get milk from a basketball versus a balloon and said I should pump first from the engorged side (it was only one side) before feeding baby from it - it worked like a charm! Good luck.

When I was preparing for my first I was told by several people NOT purchase a manual pump - always go electric. Even my OB (whom I adored and trusted) told me not to go manual.
I am a SAHM and exclusively breastfed as well. I found that it was helpful to have the means whereby to pump but it was not something I did all the time since I was staying home. I had an extremely tight budget as well, but I purchased a basic Medela electric pump for about $65 and it has been invaluable. I didn't see the need for getting one with all the bells and whistles if it was something I would only need on occasion.
Also, are you on WIC? I know that they have really good ones that they will loan out to people. Don't know how much you would trust that sort of thing, but I had a friend that had a preemie and needed a good pump and that worked extremely well for her.

I thought that the Avent Isis manual pump was very handy to have around to relieve engorgement every once in awhile, but if you can get your hands on a used Medela pump in style, that would be your best bet. I've borrowed the pump in style for each of my kids and just bought my own tubes & bottles, etc. I wouldn't pay more than $75 for a used one though. I never was able to rest while someone else bottle fed the baby though - I found that the best thing I learned was to nurse laying down. Once I mastered that, life was good. Best of luck to you and your little one! I am due with my 3rd the end of October.

I used the Avent Isis and was very happy. I was usually able to pump both breast in about 10 minutes, so it's pretty effective and fast (depends on your milk flow though).

I would go with any Medela pump if you are set on a hand pump. My recommendation though is to wait until after you son is born before you buy one, just to make sure that he is able to breastfeed. I started out with a new manual pump that I got on ebay with my daughter and ended up buying an electric pump when she started having problems. Plus it took too long to manually pump, but I would take it with me to the mall or out to get some relief if I couldn't feed right away. With large breasts though, the manual pumps were difficult to use b/c they didn't fit appropriately without special phlanges. If this is an issue you'll have, you may nee to get larger phlanges to go with your pump. I know that Medela has them because that's what I used. You can also rent electric pumps from lactation consultants too before buying one to see if you like it.

you will need to pump much more than you're describing even if you are home with your baby 99% of the time. you need a GOOD pump on hand if you want to be committed to BFing. if you have supply issues, if he gets sick and is slow at the breast for a period of time, if YOU are sick, if you need to be unexpectedly away from your baby...these are all reasons (and there are countless more) why you'll want a pump on hand and a milk supply in the freezer. there are cheap ways to secure an electric pump, but if you are committed to BFing, then you need to save money elsewhere and splurge here. there are plenty of online sources where you can get a clean used pump from a mom. but a manual pump won't do it. they're great for road trips or day trips, but they aren't good for long-term, regular use. you'll find them to be very weak.

I am pregnant with #2 and decided that this time I am only going to use a manual pump - I am also a SAHM and I HATED the electric breast pump I used with my daughter. While it is fabulous for many people I know, for me, I just coudn't relax so I would never be able to get a lot of milk. Anyways, I was recommended the medela harmony by two people and have gotten that to use in case I do need to pump.

Hi there,
Congrats on your pregnancy! Breastfeeding is so different for each person but I will give you my experience w/ breastfeeding and pumps. I have 2 daughters - my 1st breastfed for 3 months and my 2nd for 14 months. I would wait until after you get established with your breastfeeding to buy a pump. I bought a Medela manual pump the first time and it was awful. For my 2nd I rented a pump from the hospital....totally worth it! Much better results in less time. I would make sure that you, baby and breastfeeding are a good fit before you spend the money on a pump. I recommend that you take a breastfeeding class also...it helped me.

Good Luck!
B.

I too am due in November, and plan to breastfeed, but plan to either rent a pump first or borrow a friend's electric Medela Pump in style (with replacement tubes) until I know that we're set on breastfeeding. Electric pumps are expensive, but have heard they are the better option. Here's some advice though - call your insurance company to see if they would cover the cost of buying a breast pump. My best friend and my sister both did that (both different insurance plans), and had their brand new electric pumps covered 100%. Definitely a good option to save you some money!

BUY ELECTRIC ONLY. A Manual pump will take you longer and cost you more in the end...because you will end up buying an electric one. You don't want to waste precious time pumping. The electric is great and fast. Save money in other areas. Like a crib furniture etc...you don't need that in the beginning. You could use a bassinet or playpen that converts into a bassinet. Save elsewhere but get the ELECTRIC PUMP ! Good luck and God Bless.

Hi R.! Good for you for breasfeeding!! I did so as well, and I had the good fortune to have an aunt give me a used breastpump (electric) and it was WONDERFUL! The tubes and sheilds that the milk go in can be replaced so that you don't have to worry about cleaning them! I got mine at the hospital bc/my son went into NICU for a short while, but I think you could get them from Medela too. It was SO nice to have a good pump!! I know several other moms that weren't able to pump bc/they had a pump that didn't work well and I felt fortunate that mine worked, didn't hurt, etc. I did not pump often, but it was a lifesaver on long car trips when I could pump fresh milk using the car adaptor and feed my son without having to stop all the time! (I breastfed for 28 months, so it ended up getting a lot of use.) Even just needing to be somewhere at the time he wanted to be fed, I could pump beforehand and give him the bottle while my husband drove. So, if you join a MOMS club or have other resources, you may be able to get a used one if you are comfortable with that. I would DEFINITELY keep the package unopened and a receipt until after the baby's born if you buy one now! (And buy it just before birth if it's a 30 day return policy). OH-call your insurance company and see if they either loan them out with new tubes or if they'll reimburse you for one, I've heard some do. Best of luck to you :) D.

I highly recommend you get an electric pump. You'll be able to get much more milk out in a faster time than with a manual pump. A manual pump is good to use on the go if you don't have access to an electrical outlet, but an electric one really is much easier to use. I paid about $99 for my pump and used it for a year and it worked great. I had the Ameda Purely Yours and it worked wonderfully. I would check into the different pumps, there are reasonably priced electric pumps and when you consider the amount you will be saving by not using formula, maybe you can justify the expense. Best of luck!

I never used a manual pump myself, but was told by someone who did that it was difficult to use and took forever.

I ditto the recommendation to taking a breast-feeding class. Your husband/SO should attend as well. [My husband protested mightily, but he went, and was NOT the only man there.]

BTW I nursed my daughter for over a year. (Sorry if that's TMI.) She is now eight, and I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to keep her home from daycare/school because she was sick.

My advice would be don't buy one now.

Invest in a good lactation consultant. Even if you plan to only breastfeed, you may need to pump to stimulate your supply, and a manual will be insufficient. You can rent a hospital (high power, sterile) pump from a LC for as many days as you need. Beyond that you will probably not want to pump for several weeks so that your supply stabelizes, so there is no rush to invest in a pump.

Then, later, when you do want to express milk, I think you want a motor for ease and convenience. You don't necessarily want to invest in a $200 pump for working moms, but you do want a motor. A manual pump is going to be a real pain in the neck unless you really plan to do this once in a blue mooon. But if you want to give your baby a bottle even once a week, you will probably get really annoyed by the time, inefficiency, and inconvenience of manuel pumping.

I seriously suggest getting a small motorized one. Again, a LC can help you pick and usually have pump discounts. You may want to express milk more than you think, especially if you plan to nurse for a year or more - to get some sleep, to get out for an hour or two w/o baby, to give your husband chance to feed the baby, or simply because it's easier in some public places.

Breastfeeding can be hard, a good LC (not just a hospital LC) is very helpful. And until you know your pumping needs, there is no hurry to invest in a pump. When you do, please get a motorized one. Good luck and enjoy your baby!

PS - After I posted, I read all the other responses and realized that you must be overwhelmed or confused!!! Welcome to the wonderful world of mothers. We never agree.

The fact is you can breastfeed and never pump, but a lot of Moms really want to pump sometimes and you shouldn't feel bad about either route. If you feel better getting a manual pump. you have some good options here, keeping in mind that selecting a pump will be based on your individual needs to be determined after the baby is actually here.

The only thing I feel really strongly about that I read is getting a used pump. Yuk. Replacing tubes and parts is not sufficient. Don't use a used pump - you are jeapordizing a lot. I have two kids and have nursed for 12 and 19 months and I can tell you that pumps get leak milk and back up into the motor and can be gross and hard to clean and that is just my kids. I wouldn't trust even a close friend that they cared woll for it or don't have some sort of infection, virus. diseasse lurking that could pass on to your baby. It is commonly accepted as unsanitary.

Good luck! And I recommend Northern Virginia Lactation Consultants if you need a recommendation.