I am 26 weeks pregnant and I plan to breast feed my daughter exclusively! I also want to pump my milk so that her dad and others can feed her. What types of breast pumps worked the best for you! I hear the electric ones can get pretty expensive and the manual ones aren’t to good! What worked for you? Thanks for answering!
Any pump made by Medela is good. Don’t be fooled by someone telling you that a manual is bad. They aren’t great for daily use, but if you get a good quality manual pump you are much better off than a low quality electric. My general rule of thumb is if the electric costs less than $150 you are wasting your money. The cheap electrics will really tear your nipples up!! Avoid shopping places like Walmart for your pump. They are more focused on carrying products that will make them the most profit, even if they are worthless. Target is a much better store to look at if you are interested in actually buying one. I am currently saving to buy a Medela Pump in Style, which is the only retail pump that contains hospital technology. It is about $279, but very worth the money. You would be suprised at how much more milk you are able to pump with a good quality pump. The quality makes all the difference. Until I get the money though, I’m making do with my Medela Harmony manual pump. They are around $35 in stores, but mine was given to me by the WIC lactation consultant in my area. It works just fine for my needs at the moment. I get much more out of it than I did with the $40 evenflo electric that I bought with my first child! I actually choose the manual over the evenflo! Honestly, I trust anything with the name Medela on it. Many companies out there make pumps, but a majority of them are first and foremost bottle companies. Their main priority is to sell bottles and bottle supplies. Medela is exclusively a breastfeeding company. They are most commonly used in hospitals as well. They are constantly striving to make breastfeeding a better experiance for mom and baby. Other than that, you can always check your local WIC office. Some states will provide a double electric pump for exclusively breastfeeding moms. I know Oklahoma, Texas, and California do. Oklahoma gives out the Ameda Purely Yours double electric pump. I’ve never seen them in stores here and have read very few reviews, but I took a breastfeeding class and the Lactation consultant teaching it said they are pretty good. You really need to decide how you are going to use the pump before you buy. The manuals are best for occasional use. They are great for something like an occasional bottle or building up a little bit of emergency stash. I use mine at the start of every feeding because my milk comes out to fast for my baby. I can also keep it in my diaper bag for emergency situations. If something like this is all you are planning on doing, I’d recomend just spending your money on the manual rather than wasting it on a big fancy one. The Medela Harmony is great. It is comfortable to use and has 2 different types of sucking simulations you can use. If you are going to need to pump to go back to work or something you might consider an electric pump. Most moms agree that the double electrics are best because they are quicker, but the singles are cheaper. You have to weigh whether the time or money issue is more important. If worse comes to worse, go ask a lactation consultant which pump she would recomend for you. Good luck and congrats!
What are the best kinds of breast pumps to use?