A breast pump that works

by Kristin Darguzas (Subscribe to Kristin Darguzas's posts) Jun 11th 2006 7:00AM

Categories: Pregnancy & Birth, Eating & Nutrition

The first time I tried my pharmacy-purchased breast pump, I thought I was going to faint. It wasn't so much the pain as the thought of my poor nipple being whished violently into a forceful vortex. I was sure it wouldn't return again; and if it did, it most certainly would not be the same.

I couldn't get the hang of it at first, until Nolan's Dad (always the coach! always the demonstrator!) tried to demo it for me and almost reeled over from the pain of having his man-nipple suctioned into soft plastic. And that was so funny that any discomfort on my part after that seemed elementary.

I stopped pumping about 2 months ago. I used to pump every night no Nolan could have breast milk mixed with his cereal but it was arduous and painful and didn't work at all unless I sat at the computer and looked at pictures of my baby while he slept and I pumped. And it was so frustrating to see the pitiful contents of a half hour of hard work: a mere few ounces.

I used the most expensive pump they had at the pharmacy, figuring that it must be OK if it was $ 80.00. And it was, just OK. I have heard that hospital grade pumps are the only breast pumps that work to suction more than one ounce in less than half an hour. But they're costly to buy and a pain to rent. Does anyone have any great recommendations for a breast pump that works without breaking the bank?

Comments (40)

Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)

Jill 6-11-2006 @ 11:51AM

As a Lactation Educator, I recommend the Medela PIS or the Ameda Purely Yours, hands down. If you don't need an electric one, the Advent Isis is good. However, if you are having trouble with nursing at the start, you should really rent a hospital-grade pump. That is either the Ameda Egnell or the Medela Classic (which they are not using anymore). If you are planning on nursing for more than 6 months or having another child, buy a pump. If not, rent - it's more cost effective. NEVER BORROW SOMEONE'S PUMP OR LOAN YOUR'S OUT - they are considered "single use items", like toothbrushes - you cannot pull apart the motor properly to clean it and if mold starts to grow, it must be sent back to company to be cleaned, but they will not honor the warranty if it belongs to someone else. If you are pumping with an electric pump, make sure to start on the lowest power and work your way up -EACH time. Go to where it just about hurts and then ease back. It should not hurt. Infact, we recommend pumping to women whose nipples are too sore to nurse.

Denise 6-11-2006 @ 11:53AM

This pump was created by a lactation nurse. I've heard it's very good.

http://www.whisperwear.com/about2.html

Amie 6-11-2006 @ 12:23PM

I use the Medela Pump-in-Style and loved it except for one thing: it is designed to switch to slower, longer suction after two minutes to simulate the way your bay sucks after let-down. (Or there is a button you can push to switch earlier if you want.) As soon as the switch happened, my milk stopped flowing. There is no way to prevent the switch, and the only way to switch it back is to turn it off and then back on. Not easy to do when you're double-pumping. Plus, there are no marked settings, you just turn it up until you're comfortable. I got really good at balancing both bottles with one arm and getting the setting just right with the other. I pumped about 10 minutes at a time (until I felt empty and the milk stopped) and would have to restart 4 times each session.

However, all that being said, I realize that my situation is unique. I did comment to Medela that they should create a way to turn that feature off. Other than that, I loved the Medela. It did not hurt if I positioned it properly. Occasionally I got one side on crooked and then it really, REALLY hurt. If you follow directions and adjust things you should be able to pump without pain.

As for cost, think about how long you're using it (could be up to a year), if you'll use it for subsequent babies (only really possible with the more expensive equipment), and compare that with the cost of your other options. The more expensie, better-quality pumps can turn out to be a better value in the long run.

Tamyu 6-11-2006 @ 12:34PM

I ended up expressing for 6 months for my son - I tried about 6 different pumps, including the ones at the hospital - NONE of them got much of anything out of me. And if they did, it REALLY hurt. My nipples bled the first time I used the hospital grade one... But I did get a little bit of milk.

So I tried hand expression. It is weird, and doesn`t work all that well for the first few days until you get the hang of it, but once I figured it out I got more out than the mothers around me who were comfortable with the frightful suction power at the hospital. Plus, I never once had a blocked duct or any other problem - Once you know what you`re doing, you can express milk out of just one single duct to clean it out. If the left side of your breast doesn`t feel right - just spend a few extra minutes massaging and emptying it.
I was lucky enough to be able to talk to an expression pro, and have her help me express in the beginning to keep my flow up.

While I thought a few times that it would be nice to have my hands free while expressing - The lack of pain, and the fact that all I had to take with me when I went out was an empty bottle more than made up for it. In 20 to 25 minutes, I could fill a bottle - and I had really poor letdown (actually, none at all.) so someone with a strong letdown could probably get more even faster.

MamaChristy 6-11-2006 @ 3:20PM

I LOVED my Medela Pump in Style Advanced and have recommended it and the regular Pump in Style model to all of my friends who ask. I went back to work for six months after my maternity leave and used it several times daily, so for me it was totally worth the $250 price tag (I ordered mine off of eBay as a new item - it can be dangerous to use someone else's pump, so be careful - and since it was from a Medela authorized seller, I had a full warranty and I save about $100 over the cost of the retail stores at the time). I figured that I would also use the pump at least occasionally for my next child so I think my money was well spent.

Whatever you decide to do, please research the item before buying it. The lactation consultant - who was selling the pumps but also told us that she was one of the most expensive places to buy them and that we should look into buying the same brands cheaper - told us in my breastfeeding class that some of the cheaper pumps can actually damage breast tissue (perhaps why it hurts?) and to be very careful about what you use. Good luck!

Wallaby 6-11-2006 @ 3:30PM

Another vote for the Avent Isis. I was recommended it by the midwife at our medical pracice and it worked well for me (I only really used it when I had mastitis and when I needed milk for cereal etc though). A friend of mine worked three days a week and used her Isis for pumping at work and found it worked well for her too.

jpark 6-11-2006 @ 4:00PM

I have the Medela Harmony hand pump. Because I am a SAHM (at least until he's 8 mo. old--he's 5 mo .right now), I don't have to pump very often. Still, I find it works very well and I can get about 3 ounces with 15 minutes of pumping. I have been using it every day for the past week or so to build up a store of milk because I will be going on a short trip, and it has been great. I rented the Medela Symphony pump for the first month because I had some supply issues, and while it worked well once my milk came in, it would certainly break the bank. The Harmony only cost about $30 or $40, but it can be a pain for your arm because it's a manual.

gaileee 6-11-2006 @ 4:20PM

I use the ameda purely yours pump. I limit myself to 10 minutes (I put on my sunscreen/makeup during that time) and can get between 2.5 to 4.0 ounces on each breast. It is a hospital grade, and was about 250 dollars. I'm a part time sahm, so I've been pumping and freezing my supply. Good luck!

Jennifer 6-11-2006 @ 6:34PM

Another vote for the ameda purely yours - it can be found for MUCH cheaper (yes, brand new) than the PIS, if you look around online. I think I got mine for around $150. And it works great. I have even dropped mine a couple of times and it's still holding up fine to 2x/day, 5 days/wk. For only occasional use I recommend the Medela Harmony hand pump, I found it was more efficient and easy to use than the Avent Isis.

Anna 6-11-2006 @ 7:26PM

I used a rented hospital pump for the first three months , due to a supply problem. After I returned it, I used the Avent Isis to stockpile an occasional date night supply and for cereal when my daughter started solid food. On a direct comparison basis, I found I got almost exactly the same quantity from the Isis, so I was more than happy with it. Being a manual pump, it was not the best thing for having to be hooked for specific periods of time to build supply, but great for actual "use". I used to use it watching TV, since I got bored and impatient very quickly with pumping.

Jen 6-11-2006 @ 10:00PM

I have an Ameda Purely Yours that I bought new off Ebay for $99. It's awesome - probably 90% as good as the Pump-In-Style Advanced for a fraction of the cost. I highly recommend it.

Heather 6-12-2006 @ 2:00AM

I love my Medala Harmony for ocassional use. It has a great let down setting and it worked very well for me.

momma2mingbu 6-12-2006 @ 7:19AM

FYI - The Ameda Purely Yours is designed as a "single user pump" BUT it has a *closed system* so milk can't back up in the tubing. While it really is safest to discourage sharing of any personal user pumps, it seems that the PY probably would not create a problem for more than one user if you REALLY want/need to share that pump. (A closed system means the milk never touches the working parts of the pump.)

Good articles on used breastpumps -

http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVJunJul04p54.html

http://parenting.ivillage.com/newborn/nbreastfeed/0,,9kdb,00.html

pump comparisons =

http://www.breast-pumps.com/professional_grade_single_user_breast_pump_comparison_guide.htm

and another

http://www.mamafed.com/compare.html

Jackie 6-12-2006 @ 9:31AM

I bought the Avent Isis when I was pregnant with my son but by the time he was 4 months old I was disapointed with its performance so I broke down and bought a Ameda Purely Yours Electric pump. It was even less effective. It turns out that pumps just don't work very well for me.
However, I can't say enough wonderful things about the ISIS pump. It's easy to use and you control the suction so there's no pain. I could even pump while wandering around the house tidying up!

lim 6-12-2006 @ 9:51AM

I loved my Ameda Purely Yours pump!! I went back to work at 12 weeks, and was able to pump enough milk for her at work for a year (having an office w/a door also helped!). I must have used that pump a million times. It is a really good pump. Ameda has great customer service too.

My tip for work is to buy extra parts so you don't have to wash anything while you are at work. This saved me a lot of time and hassle at work.

Amy 6-12-2006 @ 12:58PM

I pumped exclusively for 6 months with a rented hospital grade pump (Medela Symphony)at home and the Ameda Purely Yours (bought on ebay - chosen over the PIS due to the closed system mentioned in #32)at work or travelling - much more portable. I never had a great milk supply, but they worked well enough that I was able to give my daughter breast milk almost exclusively while I was on leave and for about half her bottles after I returned to work. I actually had planned to pump and breastfeed a lot longer, and would have, but I live in Houston and when we lost power for 4 days during Hurricane Rita I couldn't pump and was never able to get my already weak supply up again after that. Good thing she was plenty used to formula and never noticed the change!

Matia 6-13-2006 @ 11:19PM

A few points:

1. You said you are getting "a mere few ounces." Since you did not say "a couple" which would be 2 ounces, I assume you mean you are getting 3 or more ounces per breast pumping session. This is very respectable for someone who is 24/7 with their baby and not using a breast pump during an extended absence such as working part-time or full-time.

2. If your baby has been eating cereal for a couple of months, it will work just fine to start adding water alone or water with strained baby foods to the cereal. The whole point in introducing cereal mixed with the breast milk is so the baby will find the taste familiar and have less reason to reject it.

3. The issue of pain needs to be addressed. Pain could be caused by a poor fit: the nipple should not be rubbing against the tunnel of the pump. If that is the case you may want to look at Medela and Ameda breast pumps which have breast shields in alternate sizes. (Contact authorized distributors for info on these shields.) Pain can be caused by too much vacuum. Some women have reported more comfort AND better let-down by adjusting the vacuum lower. Contrary to popular opinion breast pumps do not suck the milk out the breast.

4. There are many factors besides the breast pump itself that can have an impact on the amount of breast milk pumped, for example, time of day. Some people have had success with pumping on one side while nursing the baby on the other. There's some more information in this breast pump article: http://www.babylovesyourmilk.com/articlesbasicseffectivepumping.htm

Lynne Alami 6-15-2006 @ 6:50AM

Remember also women have variations in the amount of milk they produce. While one of my friends could express at a drop of a hat, I can only express 2-3 oz. after 20 minutes...that being said, I like my PIS.

jen 6-15-2006 @ 5:53PM

I first used the hospital-grade pump when I got back with my son (I had an emergency C section and my son had big problems latching). It was really severe, but did the job and I could do both breasts with no hands (propped up with a b'feeding pillow) whilst I read/watched TV. I had to give it back after 2 weeks, and moved on to a Medela battery pump, which I put back in the box after 1 go. Also it was a P in the A to clean afterwards, and only drew off 1 ounce p/h.

I was given an Avent Isis hand pump by a friend, and it rocked. I could take 6 ounces from one breast in 15 minutes at one point (when I was working and had to express 5 feeds worth of milk for each day I worked). It was an enormous amount of milk!! (I now get about 1oz per 15 min but I express rarely). I would highly recommend this - I used it at work and could microwave-sterilise it in a travelling microwave bag that was really small and discrete to use in our staffroom. Easy to put together (apart from the little valve which was easy to lose), and very gentle on the boobs as it's hand-action. I never had any pain from this pump on my boobs, and could keep going for ages.

One word of advice though - I did get RSI in my wrist when I was pumping regularly for work. It is a hazard of these manual pumps, but I guess it's a decision - the boobs or the wrist?! A pump-slave would have been nice :)