Which pump should I get??

[Dia0624]

Hi ladies,

I have to order a breastpump pretty soon and I am confused on which one to order. The options are below - the problem is I will be returning to work after 3 months so I either need something portable or I need to purchase an extra pump:

Madela Pump in style starter set - DOES NOT come with tote bag - Free with insurance.

Madela Pump in style with tote & cooler - $120 upgrade charge - but I am not sure how portable this one would be even if it comes with the tote, along with my purse and lunch on a daily basis (I live in NYC and commute by train)

Madela Freestyle - $200 upgrade charge - very portable but I read the suction of the freestyle is not as good as pump in style.

Does it make sense to get the freestyle so I can use it both at home and at work --- but what do you ladies feel about the suction on this one?

Or should I get the free starter set, and just buy an extra one to keep at work? I'm not sure if it's worth the upgrade to get the tote and cooler bag for $120 if I can't easily transport it on a daily basis.

What would you do? Thanks in advance!!

 

[jlw617]

Just get the starter set, that's what I did (through my insurance as well they didn't used to cover them when I was pregnant before) and I've owned both the tote style and backpack style one in the past...imo I would have gotten this one first, it's way more compact and portable so just go out and buy a cute tote if you want to transport it, the cooler is nothing more than an insulated lunch bag for the most part, you can buy a bottle bag or lunch bag and throw in an ice pack...believe me, they totally overcharge you for the extra stuff, just get the starter

 

[icegurl470]

I also think you should just go for the starter kit. My sister went for the pump in style advanced which came with the tote and cooler bag, but she only ended up using it for 3mo. She then passed it down to me and it works great, I love it. But, I couldn't use the ice pack that fits into the cooler bag because its designed for bottles and I froze my milk in pouches and like someone else said, any insulated cooler bag with ice packs will work. The tote was useful because I was able to store my pouches and all the different parts in there, but again any tote bag or back pack will work. I used it for a full year with my first and plan on using it for at least that long with my 2nd and I brought it back and forth with me to work full time and school part time (I know I'm crazy) so I found it completely portable.

 

[Dia0624]

Thank you ladies. I am also thinking of going with the starter kit. I also plan to store the milk in pouches so I don't think the bottle bag will get used too much. Do you have to hold the bottles with your hand while pumping or can I purchase a pumping bra and attach to the pumping bra so I can go hands free?

While on this topic, can I ask another question. I am so new to all this and I am very confused LOL. When you pump, you have to pump directly into the bottle correct? and then transfer into a bag? Do you have to sterilize the bottle before each use? Will I have to take multiple sterilized bottles with me to work daily?

 

[bitethebullet]

I preferred my manual to my electric one! I have an avent natural one (around £30 max) and I found I had a very specific rhythm which got the milk flowing and then I could do one pump and fill half a 200 ml bottle.

 

[PurpleIvy44]

I got the tote one for my first and I'm so glad I did b/c my DD did not latch due to being tongue tied and I had to pump express the entire year for her. Plus with the volume I had to pump the tote had good power. I'm not sure what the starter kit looks like so I cannot compare.

I just got another tote for DD2 since my insurance covered both of them. That way I can leave 1 at home and the other at work and not have to lug it back and forth b/c that was a pain in the butt. The cooler is nice so you can just pump and pop the bottles in the cooler and into your bag. I didn't feel comfortable putting my milk in the community fridge at work.

I will say the tote is nice and discreet. It just looks like another bag you would carry around but if you have a lot to carry then that can make it more difficult. Even with the starter kit you would have to carry it somehow unless it small enough to stick in your bag? Not sure of it's size.

And yes, you pump into the bottles. In the beginning I pumped twice a day so I had 4 bottles on hand and that's how many the cooler holds. I didn't transfer to a bag unless I needed to when I got home. DD would drink most of it for dinner/night feeds. You'll go through bags a lot and they get costly so you may want to use the bottles more often. I bought extra of those so I'm not always having to wash/sterilize them and go through bags.

You can hold them where you feel most comfortable. Either by the bottle or by the nipple shield part. They do have the bras for hands free. I never got one but sure wanted to try it.

 

[icegurl470]

You can pump directly into the medela pouches, they come with an adapter that attaches it to the pump. I used to have a pouch on one side and a bottle on the other and then just combine the bottle into the pouch and store. You can use a pump bra with it for hands free. I always managed to balance them on my lab (sometimes while eating lol!). I didn't sterilize my parts after every use. To be honest I was usually in a hurry to get back to work so I would usually just rinse the parts out with water or used regular dish soap and water. Just make sure when your cleaning them you take them all apart. There's some nooks and crannies.. If you're on the go and don't have access to those things, medela also has "quick clean wipes that clean and disinfect your pump parts without water, which are handy. I only "sterilized" my parts every so often when I thought of it and never had an issue.

 

[jlw617]

I will say the tote is nice and discreet. It just looks like another bag you would carry around but if you have a lot to carry then that can make it more difficult. Even with the starter kit you would have to carry it somehow unless it small enough to stick in your bag? Not sure of it's size.

And yes, you pump into the bottles. In the beginning I pumped twice a day so I had 4 bottles on hand and that's how many the cooler holds. I didn't transfer to a bag unless I needed to when I got home. DD would drink most of it for dinner/night feeds. You'll go through bags a lot and they get costly so you may want to use the bottles more often. I bought extra of those so I'm not always having to wash/sterilize them and go through bags.
.

Nope it's super small, take it from someone who has owned 3 different pump in style advances, the tote, the backpack and just the starter which is essentially just the motor encased in what looks to be a small zippered lunch bag which makes it super portable...as far as hands free pumping, the best one over ever used is called simple wishes, it holds the shields in place for you and you can either attach milk storage bags or bottles to it...you do not have to sterilize each time, I'd really only sterilize once a week, just remember sterilizing and washing are two different things, I used to think it was 1 in the same

 

[bitethebullet]

I poured my milk into milk freezing bags, wasn't a problem. I had a small cool bag which I kept in the fridge (unzipped so that the cold air isn't kept out!) with my pump and bags. There was no power socket available in the room I pumped in at work so it was lucky that I got on with my manual!

 

[2have4kids]

I got the Spectra S2 hospital grade pump after reading this review:
https://www.babygearlab.com/Breast-Pump-Reviews/Ratings
And Amazon reviews back this one too.
https://www.amazon.com/Spectra-Baby...139709&sr=8-1&keywords=Spectra+S2+breast+pump
It pumps milk faster than the others, it's super quiet, and it's hygienic with no mold or condensation inside the tubes. Apparently it fits the Avent bottles too.

I also got the Simple Wishes Hands free pump bra over the Medella bra as the Medella bra reviews said it doesn't fit well & is uncomfortable:
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Wishes-Hands-Free-Breastpump-XS-L/dp/B00295MQLU

 

[PurpleIvy44]

Just as a tip, when I was at home I would rinse my parts in hot water and then put them in the fridge for the next time. I would only sterilize them with the Medela microwave bags every other day or so. By putting them in fridge you can reuse them quicker and not have to clean every time. When at work I would sterilize with the microwave bag after each use since I could not put them in fridge.

 

[Dia0624]

Wow thanks for all the comments.
My insurance offers the spectra 2, but more people recommend the PISA so I think I will go with that. I think I'll go with the starter kit, I don't see a need to pay $120 just for the tote bag functionality because I don't think I'll carry it around anyway. I will purchase another pump if I absolutely have to for work but lets see. Thanks so much!! You guys helped make my decision easier!