Seeking Opinions on Elecric Double Breast Pumps.

I have used my Medela electric double pump for both of my boys (now ages 3.5 years and 5 months old). I love it! You definitely want a double pump so you can be really efficient once you go back to work (takes about 10-15 minutes tops). Good luck!

Hi L.

I used the Medela Pump In Style double breast pump for both of my babies and it worked great for me. It's probably the most expensive out of all of them, but it stood up to a lot of use. Congratulations on the new baby!

Jen

Medela all the way! I used the pump n' style double electric pump for both my son and my daugher for 10 months each time (pumping ~ 4+ times a day) and I even lent it to a friend for her daughter and its going strong. If my husband & I have a 3rd I have no doubts that it'll last & we certainly got our $ worth.

Even though they (the hospital) would say to pump for longer, I'd get the most milk (~ 2.5 oz from each side) within 10-12 minutes of pumping. It has settings for lighter and stronger suction. It came with a carrying case and a battery backup (if you need to pump during a power outage or while travelling). Oh, and I never got any milk in the tubing - it's quite well designed.

What I loved most was the speed - I was done in no time. It allowed me to pump quickly (either after each feeding or in between longer feeding stretches) so my husband could feed the baby and so I could put some away in the freezer for later months. The double pumps are expensive so try to find a specials (you have a bit of time), but they are worth it!

I have the medela double pump (the one that comes in a bag that looks like a purse), and it costs alot but BOY is it worth it. One thing you don't realize as a first time mom is how much time it takes to nurse and to pump. you will save a LOT of time and energy if you get a double electric pump. The medela also has batteries which is great if you're on a long car ride or traveling somewhere without a plug.

I went back to work after 3 months on leave and was able to pump for a 20 min session twice a day for a few months, then down to once a day, then weaned at 7 mo (she started to lose interest).

Ameda Ameda Ameda... That's all I can say. It was great not sold in a lot of places, but their website will tell you where to buy unit and spare parts if necessary. No one could believe the amount of milk I extracted. I am sure the pump had a lot to do with it. And it had many speeds and pressure, so could be done fairly quick, which helped at the office.

Hi,
If there's any chance that you'll have a medical reason/need to pump, then you may want to wait. If you can get your doctor to write a prescription/letter for the pump, you could rent a hospital grade pump and have your insurance pay. We had this for about 9 months because my son needed formula added to pumped breast milk a few times a day. The hospital grade ones are really the best.
A.

I have the Medela Pump in Style and have used in for 18 months
my daughter didn't nurse well as an infant so I pumped all the time for her until she was 12 months-pumping about 6 times a day. I only pump once or twice now.
The pump isn't the smallest out there but it worked great for me.
Before you buy te pump see if your health insurance will cover part of the cost - mine did.

Just a quick note......check with your helath insurance because a lot of them cover a pump rental so you don't have to buy one. Most will cover a Medela pump!

L., first of all, congratulations on your pregnancy! And good for you for doing your homework on this. I initially used a Medela hand pump, then switched to a standard issue electric Medela from BRU(was it a symphony?)

My two cents is this: Unless you're totally unconcerned about money, or are offered a deal you can't refuse, maybe wait until your milk comes in to purchase a pump? I definitely think purchasing one is the way to go if you can afford it. On the other hand, it's an expensive piece of equipment to buy if you end up having a low enough milk supply that you can't pump anything (as in our case).

Hi L.,

I am a (part time for now) working mom and LOVE my Medela FREE STYLE. It is very small, only about the size of a sandwich. It is a double pump, and has a hands free option that works really really well. It is great for traveling, pumping at home, pumping at work, and pumping in public bathrooms (all of which I, unfortunately, have to do on a regular basis). My sister has the same one. She originally had the pump in style and liked it, but found this smaller version much more convenient. (she also works). You certainly can't go wrong with a Medela.

Something else I wish I had right away (since i didnt get the free style until 3 months in and had to, unfortunately, pump in the beginning until baby got the hang of nursing) is Hands Free Pumping Bra, which you can order online at easyexpressions.com. It looks like this crazy contraption from the 60s (as does the website), but it really comes in handy. If you end up getting the Free Style right away, though, you may be able to skip this.

Congrats and good luck!!

S.

The medulla pump n style was worth every penny for me! I highly recommend it!

I'm going to recommend the Medela Pump in Style. It really is the 'Caddy' of breast pumps and you won't regret it.

Funny, true story, when my eldest was about three weeks old, we had a very mischeivous rottweiler puppy. I came down one morning to find she had dragged the pump out of my bag and EATEN every. last. piece inside it. I called Medela in tears, expecting to pay hundreds of dollars for replacement parts. Medela shipped out brand new parts, over night, completely free of charge. Now that's customer service!

I also recommend a 'pumping bra' http://www.easyexpressionproducts.com/ (that's the one i used but there are different ones on the market). That way you can just plug yourself in and leave your hands free for work. You really do feel a bit like a cow, but otherwise you have to hold the horns there for fifteen minutes.

Hi there and congratulations! I used a medela pump very successfully for my son. I think it was called the pump n'style. It had a medium size backpack carrier and a very handy freezer pack for storing the milk-no way do you want to put your milk in the office refrigerator! It was electric, but also worked on batteries-a handy option for travel, especially internationally. (Don't try to use an electric adapter-I nearly caused a fire doing that with my pump.) In terms of your milk flow adn volume, some depends on you, and the time of day, how often baby nurses, etc.

I used to pump alot in the morning, after I fed my son, and then at lunch time, when we were apart, and then less mid afternoon. If you nurse and pump on a pretty regular schedulae you will be ok.

One other bit of advice I would recommend is that you talk with a lactation specialist or someone frmo La lache League-they can give excellent advice adn tips on how to maximize nursing and pumping. Medela sells pumps in stores, but they also have home consultants who can come to you and help you get started-I found someone on their website and she was excellent.

Good luck!

C.

Hi we had the medela pump in style and loved it. If you do wait until after the baby comes (even while you are still in teh hospital) your doctor can write a prescription for one and most insurance companies will cover the cost and have it delivered to you. THis is very common and it falls under teh durable goods section of your insurance. THe good pumps are expensive and this was a great tip that was passed on to me.
good luck

Congratulations!
I loved my Medela. The best part was that the hospital gave it to me for free! So make sure you check and see that your hospital offers the same before you go out and buy one.
I have breastfed both my kids for a year or more each. It's been great. It has also been the hardest thing I have ever done. Make sure you have lots of support and that you use it. Pumping can be a challenge, so don't get discouraged.
Just keep trying and asking for help.
Good luck!

I bought the Medela pump in style over 2 years ago with my first son and I love it. I'm now using it again with my second son. Its a double electric pump and it comes in a carry bag. I've used hospital pumps and this one is almost as powerful. Although, I would not recommend purchasing it too early because as I recall it has a 3 month warranty, so I would buy it closer to your due date just in case you get a lemon. It happens.. Hope this is helpful

I recommend the Ameda - Purely Yours breast pump. You can buy it online. It's compairable to the Madela pumps however almost half the cost. It was recommended to me by a pediatrition and lactation consultant. It's a double pump, however if you ever wanted to do a single pump, you can do that with it too. It comes with everything..attachment to pump in car if needed to, can use batteries, can plug it in the wall (that's what I do)or you can hand pump with it. Mine came in a nice backpack that looks like a regular bag/purse so when I go back to work, it won't stand out. It also has a cooler, ice packs and bottles. I really like my pump and have had no problems with it. I totally recommend it.

P.S. If you have Connecticare for insurance, they will pay for your pump but it has to be Madela.

The hospital pump worked well - I decided to rent one to with my first until I was sure breastfeeding was going to work for us, but then I used the Medela Pump in Style for him and my second one and that worked well - although it doesn't quite fit into the "small" criteria you were looking for. I agree with the person who said to look into bras that allow hands-free pumping, but I found that with one of my regular nursing bras, I could position it to hold the pumps. Also, even if you can't get your insurance to cover the pump costs, those costs can be put through some flexible spending plans if that's available through you or your husband's work - you might want to check with them. GOOD LUCK!!!

I used the Ameda purely yours with both of mine. It is electric, comes with a backpack or tote. It is a little cheaper than the Medela and it has a special system that prevents milk from getting into the tubing,making the pump more "resellable".(i can explain this further if you are interested!)
I am very happy with it, and there was another mom at work who had a Medela and I would always finish pumping faster than her. (10 minutes tops)(though obviously there are a variety of factors that may have caused this)
The only "con" is that the parts arent available in most stores like some of the Medela parts are (valves, etc)
I think Ameda also makes the Lanisoh pump...it is essentially identicle, except it is a pretty purple color!