So I just called my insurance... apparently no changes have been made YET so I'm going to order as soon as I'm allowed to...
I can get the following: - Ameda Purely Yours Ultra - Medela PISA Starter Set - Freemie Hands Free Deluxe Pump - Spectra S2 Plus - Lansinoh Signature Pro - Hygeia EnJoye
Is the overwhelming feedback to get the Spectra still based on my choices?
Ladies I need your help, I don't know which pump I should choose. Thoughts? I can have any of the Modela Pump In Style Models or the Spectra S1 and S2 at no cost to me. I don't really know what's an important feature and what's just there for show. I've been reading up on them on Amazon, do I need all the extra stuff some of the Modela ones come with?
This is where my pump is coming from and gives descriptions of each.
I am also concerned about ACA getting repealed and no longer getting the pump covered 100% so I am super thankful that my insurance allows me to get it anytime during pregnancy as long as I have a Rx from my dr for it. The warranty is a good point, but I am going to take my chances so I can guarantee I will get one covered by insurance.
Me: 36; DH: 38 DD: 7; DS1: 4; DS2 due 6-21-17! **TW** MMC & D&C Aug 2016
I had the PISA and it was good, but I got mastitis 3 times right around when I started pump weaning (and pumping more often than actually nursing) so I'm going to go balls to the wall and buy myself a hospital grade this time (off of eBay, lightly used but still under warranty). I will probably also go through my insurance for another PISA because it's free and I can, and it can be used for stuff that the hospital grade can't (like you can get a car adapter plug in for the PISA but not the Symphony, etc). I'll probably use the hospital grade for the most part but either the PISA or my manual pump when I'm on the go. I'm going to go with Medela for the hospital grade too so that the same bottles and parts can be used for both. I think the only difference is that the hospital grade has slightly different tubing.
Does anyone have experience with the Pumpin' Pal shields? I have read good things, and they can be used with the other Medela parts, so I'm considering them.
@delujm0 I had a crazy, terrible case of mastitis... I thought I had the flu, I went to my PCP not my OB as I didn't know the warning signs/symptoms. Even with renting the Symphony at the time, I didn't realize that I wasn't fully emptying and ended up having to pump for ~ 40+ minutes each session moving forward until I weaned... it was terrible.
I had no qualms with my PISA, but Spectra users seem to prefer it to PISA. Spectra is also cheaper, but I'm more familiar with PISA, so I'm conflicted on which to buy.
@Wearmi1, if you're not going to be a regular pumper, I'm not sure all the extras will be beneficial to you, but as an exclusive pumper, the tote and the cooler bag were lifesavers.
I had no qualms with my PISA, but Spectra users seem to prefer it to PISA. Spectra is also cheaper, but I'm more familiar with PISA, so I'm conflicted on which to buy.
@Wearmi1, if you're not going to be a regular pumper, I'm not sure all the extras will be beneficial to you, but as an exclusive pumper, the tote and the cooler bag were lifesavers.
Cooler bag: I loved, but I think this time I'm just going to buy the Medela ice packs (available on amazon) and use a regular old cooler bag that is larger/taller, so as to fit in 8oz bottles instead of just the 5oz - there were days at work where I pumped in excess of 20oz and had to really mess around to get it all in there.
Tote: I got the messenger bag one and it was THE WORST. The strap fell off after I had carried it to work for about 3 months. Wound up just going out and buying a shoulder bag that fit everything inside and was actually well made.
The best add-ons I got were the car adaptor and extra sets of parts.
@michaela0704 I hear you on the mastitis...I knew what it was when I got it the first time (and therefore also the next two times) - none of which happened until DD was 8+ months old. Even at that point, I was needing to use the PISA for 30-40 minutes to empty out and I feel like the Symphony would have at least been faster. When I fully pump weaned, I was still nursing twice a day (5:30pm and bedtime) for several months, and I never had any problems. I don't know what my deal was. Ugh.
I know it was mentioned earlier, but I just contacted the Target Breast Pump Program. It was super simple, they said they'd verify coverage of which pumps my insurance covers and will send me an email in 3-4 days. I let them know which pump I want, they send it to my home or store and they take care of everything.
I will I'll have to obtain a prescription from my doctor after I get my pump, but that seems easy enough.
I'm actually surprised at how easy that was.
I have a military-type insurance, so I wasn't hopeful that they'd cover much, but he said they do, so even if you're unsure, at least call Target to see.
@Stankonia2014 that is my same dilemma at this point... I rented the Medela Symphony for a long time then switched the insurance provided Ameda Purely Yours (just ok, not great) after I stopped renting.
The reviews on the Spectra seem amazing and I know my friends LOVE the Medela PISA. I'm very conflicted as I exclusively pumped last time after the first week with my twins. One article I read said that Medela was better for larger breasts so I'm not ridiculously huge but did have to buy larger flanges last time around... I'd hate to get the cheaper pump (e.g., Spectra) through insurance and end up needing the Medela PISA that I have to pay for it out-of-pocket.
Newbie question. Some of the brands you can get at Target for a couple hundred $ or less say "hospital grade". Is that truly hospital grade bc I thought those were in the thousands. So confused!
Newbie question. Some of the brands you can get at Target for a couple hundred $ or less say "hospital grade". Is that truly hospital grade bc I thought those were in the thousands. So confused!
Can you link to specific pumps? Probably not, but there's no true standard of what constitutes "hospital grade." In many cases it refers to a closed system, which means the pump can be shared between users (with sanitation) without contamination risks.
I think the main two hospital pumps (as in actually used in most hospitals) are the Medela Symphony and Ameda Platinum, with the Symphony being the preferred choice in every hospital I've been to.
@delujm0 I fricking love my Symphony. It was worth every penny, and it's such a good deal on eBay.
@Xath how do you maintain or clean your Symphony? I was always worried about a used one breaking on me and then getting zero support from Medela as I didn't purchase new/authorized retailer... also, not sure where to bring it to get serviced??
I have wondered that too @michaela0704. I figure if I buy one that is still under warranty, worst case, I could send it back to Medela to fix it and use my PISA in the meantime. because they are multi-user, I would assume that the warranty would transfer, though I'm not positive. I have seen some on eBay that are actually basically new - that had been used as displays in stores, etc - and I may get one of those under the assumption that they'd be more likely to be in good working order, but I'm a little nervous that they sound like stolen property haha.
I know nothing about the potential healthcare changes. I'm on Medicaid while pregnant. Would the possible changes affect this that anybody knows of?? I think they said I won't get the pump until after delivery so that sucks.
@Xath how do you maintain or clean your Symphony? I was always worried about a used one breaking on me and then getting zero support from Medela as I didn't purchase new/authorized retailer... also, not sure where to bring it to get serviced??
In the US I had a few options. One of the local hospitals (and our Pediatrician's office) were Medela authorized renters/resellers, so I was able to pay a small fee to have the pump sanitized. I'm not sure what I'll do here. I'll see if there are similar options in the UK, but I might just buy all new tubing and call it ok since no one has used it but me.
I know nothing about the potential healthcare changes. I'm on Medicaid while pregnant. Would the possible changes affect this that anybody knows of?? I think they said I won't get the pump until after delivery so that sucks.
I don't think they've made the changes clear yet, but I believe it's determined by state, so if you are eligible now, then I think you are good. You may also be eligible for a pump through WIC if Medicaid won't cover one.
We make like $1,000 a year too much for WIC I only qualify while pregnant for Medicaid so I'm sure getting insurance in the fall will be a nightmare! But I know as of right now Medicaid will give me a pump!
We make like $1,000 a year too much for WIC I only qualify while pregnant for Medicaid so I'm sure getting insurance in the fall will be a nightmare! But I know as of right now Medicaid will give me a pump!
I'm in the same boat. Not looking forward to looking for new insurance in August, but yay another free pump for now! Just hoping they cover a decent one or I'm buying it out of pocket. I'm going to call and check with the hospital this week.
@Xath how do you maintain or clean your Symphony? I was always worried about a used one breaking on me and then getting zero support from Medela as I didn't purchase new/authorized retailer... also, not sure where to bring it to get serviced??
In the US I had a few options. One of the local hospitals (and our Pediatrician's office) were Medela authorized renters/resellers, so I was able to pay a small fee to have the pump sanitized. I'm not sure what I'll do here. I'll see if there are similar options in the UK, but I might just buy all new tubing and call it ok since no one has used it but me.
This is good to know...believe my hospital is an authorized dealer as is an independent store in the city. Score.
Is the Spectra 2 the one that doesn't have any car adapter properties? If so, has anyone had luck plugging it into a regular plug if your car has one (mine does but it can be sketchy)? I will be doing some car pumping for sure
Me: 36 DH: 37 Married May 2013
TTC #1: April 2016 (Mirena removed March 2016 after 2.5 years)a BFP #1: 10/14/16 - DD born 6/2017 TTC #2 November 2018 (Mirena removed October 2018 after 1 year) BFP #2 9/11/19 - EDD 5/24/20 - DD born 5/2020 TTC #3 May 2022 (Mirena removed after almost 2 years) BFP #3 11/24/23 - EDD 7/30/24
@delujm0 I was looking this morning and it seems like there are a ton that have very little, if any use... I'm so tempted to buy one now... I really did LOVE the Symphony that I had rented for the first few months - I justified the rental price that as it had to be cheaper than buying formula for twins each month and was well worth the investment in my boys' health - I was worried my supply would drop if using anything less than it... I plan on calling Medela to ask about product registration and the transfer process as there is one with a warranty until 9/2019 - never been used/still in shipping box. It is more than some of the others, but I figure I can resell it on ebay for a few hundred dollars when I'm done and it still have a warranty to entice buyers... as long as that is a legit thing per my discussion with Medela.
@sevenn I don't have personal experience, but from research online and asking friends that used it, it looks like the Spectra 2 does not have a car adapter, but the Spectra 1 has the option of plugging in or an internal rechargeable battery. It looks like Aeroflow offers the Spectra 1 as an upgrade for an extra fee if your insurance covers the Spectra 2, so that's what I plan to do.
@michaela0704 let me know how that goes, that would interest me too. That particular seller has had a steady stream of pumps - once one sells she seems to add another. I was considering either that one or one of the ones with very low hours that are slightly cheaper. I really wish I'd done this for DD, then I wouldn't have to rationalize the price as much, since this is likely to be my last pregnancy. But it's better than mastitis.
So here's a weird thing. I gave my information both to the target breast pump program and aeroflow, because i got the sense that target doesn't work with as many different pump companies after I had started things with them. So today i heard back from both of them: target saying that i can get just the medela free style or pay for upgrades within medela and didn't mention needing to wait at all, and aeroflow saying that i had a choice between eight pumps, but I have to wait until I am 38 weeks. WTF? I'm debating whether I should call my insurance myself or just pick the answer I like and go with it.
@ellie111227 have you tried byram healthcare? you can do it all online... my insurance said most people wait/do it 4 weeks prior to delivery or later but it didn't seem like a requirement, maybe I'm splitting hairs on what the woman said but I took that as they don't want you to but you can get it whenever... it looks like per Byram's site that I can get it now. Also, I am slightly concerned that I won't be able to get one with the ACA repeal if I have to wait until May or June to order it!
@delujm0 called Medela over lunch... if you give them (customer service) the serial number they can confirm it is not owned by them (i.e., I think she was essentially saying not stolen from them) as well as not reported missing/stolen from another customer. She said they can also provide/confirm any warranties available for the device. Once we have it we can then register it under our name. I asked about serving/cleaning and they said that it should be covered by the warranty, assuming there is one, and if not it would be max $350 +tax - just ship it to them. I saw that seller mentions on some of the posts that they will provide the serial number for verification with Medela before sale so I would strongly suggest anyone buying one do that! Also, there is not an option to buy one directly from them... she seemed very aware people were buying from eBay and similar type sources, didn't seem to be an issue regarding how we get one as long as it isn't showing up as Medela property or another customer's...
Has anyone looked into the Medela Sonata? It looks to have just been released in January 2017 and is only offered at certain retailers and not covered by most insurances. My insurance will reimburse any pump I buy with submission of a receipt. It seems to have some promising attributes. I was considering the willow but I pump way more than 4 oz from each boob so that would be a inconvenience with that pump.
@tmhk2015 I was reading up on the Sonata yesterday... I believe it will be a retail-only pump, at least for now. Also the expression style is something that the market though Medela had gone away from (i.e., piston) so it will definitely be different than the other more popular Medela pumps... maybe good or maybe bad? It is more technology advanced though. IMO I'd rather have comfort and good expression over technology advancements like an app... and I think you'll only know for sure if it is a good pump for you if you've tried a piston-style pump and/or this pump specifically.
@marble23 I used a Lansinoh electric pump with DS1 and was totally happy with it. It came with a bag, was fairly small to haul around, and didn't give me any trouble. (I breastfed and pumped at work though I was only part time back then). I'm planning in getting a Spectra if possible this time and plan to break out the old Lansinoh if I choose to leave one at work or have issues with the new one. I also plan to use my Medela manual hand pump as needed. I didn't get this until towards the end and regretted not having it prior. So convenient especially to use when nursing in the other side.
I totally concur with the recommendation for Lansinoh bags. By far my fav.
I was told by my lactation specialist to get the Spectra 2 (hospital grade). The insurance rental seems like a headache where I have to renew every 60 days via my doctor's prescription. I think I'll just buy it Amazon for around $200. She said it's her favorite over the Medela. She said to get double pump and pump both at the same time for 15 minutes. I'll follow her recommendations.
Since my insurance doesn't cover pumps, I'll be purchasing the Medela PISA, I've read the Spectra reviews and though I think it's a more effective pump, I'm afraid of the learning curve and it seems that the actual pump requires a lot of hacks to make it as smooth as the PISA. I'm not sure if the battery and night light are worth it.
So I'm going to stick with what I know and buy the PISA.
I got the medela PISA through insurance and it did what it was supposed to so it's definitely a good pump. I exclusively pumped from 6 months to 11 months. This time around if I can get another through insurance I'm going to try to get the spectra. I've heard a lot of good things about it. I still have the medela of it turns out I don't like the other. Or I might keep one at work and one at home.
My 2 biggest recommendations is to buy the pumpkin pals flanges. Only $30 on Amazon but they are so much more comfortable than anything else I used. I also put a little coconut oil on the areas where the nipples are. Kept it from getting sore with how often I pumped.
Ghe other recommendation is buying washable pads. It'll save a ton of money in the long run.
oh and for those who will be pumping at work, a hands free pumping bra is a life saver. Best $30 I spent. I tried medela and it sucked but the simple wishes one is awesome.
Re: Breast Pumps
I can get the following:
- Ameda Purely Yours Ultra
- Medela PISA Starter Set
- Freemie Hands Free Deluxe Pump
- Spectra S2 Plus
- Lansinoh Signature Pro
- Hygeia EnJoye
Is the overwhelming feedback to get the Spectra still based on my choices?
Ladies I need your help, I don't know which pump I should choose. Thoughts? I can have any of the Modela Pump In Style Models or the Spectra S1 and S2 at no cost to me. I don't really know what's an important feature and what's just there for show. I've been reading up on them on Amazon, do I need all the extra stuff some of the Modela ones come with?
This is where my pump is coming from and gives descriptions of each.
https://www.nurturingexpressions.com/breastfeeding/breastpumps-for-purchase/
Me: 36; DH: 38
DD: 7; DS1: 4; DS2 due 6-21-17!
**TW**
MMC & D&C Aug 2016
I had the PISA and it was good, but I got mastitis 3 times right around when I started pump weaning (and pumping more often than actually nursing) so I'm going to go balls to the wall and buy myself a hospital grade this time (off of eBay, lightly used but still under warranty). I will probably also go through my insurance for another PISA because it's free and I can, and it can be used for stuff that the hospital grade can't (like you can get a car adapter plug in for the PISA but not the Symphony, etc). I'll probably use the hospital grade for the most part but either the PISA or my manual pump when I'm on the go. I'm going to go with Medela for the hospital grade too so that the same bottles and parts can be used for both. I think the only difference is that the hospital grade has slightly different tubing.
Does anyone have experience with the Pumpin' Pal shields? I have read good things, and they can be used with the other Medela parts, so I'm considering them.
@Wearmi1, if you're not going to be a regular pumper, I'm not sure all the extras will be beneficial to you, but as an exclusive pumper, the tote and the cooler bag were lifesavers.
Cooler bag: I loved, but I think this time I'm just going to buy the Medela ice packs (available on amazon) and use a regular old cooler bag that is larger/taller, so as to fit in 8oz bottles instead of just the 5oz - there were days at work where I pumped in excess of 20oz and had to really mess around to get it all in there.
Tote: I got the messenger bag one and it was THE WORST. The strap fell off after I had carried it to work for about 3 months. Wound up just going out and buying a shoulder bag that fit everything inside and was actually well made.
The best add-ons I got were the car adaptor and extra sets of parts.
@michaela0704 I hear you on the mastitis...I knew what it was when I got it the first time (and therefore also the next two times) - none of which happened until DD was 8+ months old. Even at that point, I was needing to use the PISA for 30-40 minutes to empty out and I feel like the Symphony would have at least been faster. When I fully pump weaned, I was still nursing twice a day (5:30pm and bedtime) for several months, and I never had any problems. I don't know what my deal was. Ugh.
I will I'll have to obtain a prescription from my doctor after I get my pump, but that seems easy enough.
I'm actually surprised at how easy that was.
I have a military-type insurance, so I wasn't hopeful that they'd cover much, but he said they do, so even if you're unsure, at least call Target to see.
The reviews on the Spectra seem amazing and I know my friends LOVE the Medela PISA. I'm very conflicted as I exclusively pumped last time after the first week with my twins. One article I read said that Medela was better for larger breasts so I'm not ridiculously huge but did have to buy larger flanges last time around... I'd hate to get the cheaper pump (e.g., Spectra) through insurance and end up needing the Medela PISA that I have to pay for it out-of-pocket.
Is that truly hospital grade bc I thought those were in the thousands.
So confused!
I think the main two hospital pumps (as in actually used in most hospitals) are the Medela Symphony and Ameda Platinum, with the Symphony being the preferred choice in every hospital I've been to.
@delujm0 I fricking love my Symphony. It was worth every penny, and it's such a good deal on eBay.
DS1 - 7/2011, DD 12/2012, DS2 - 4/2014, MMC - 12/2015
DS1 - 7/2011, DD 12/2012, DS2 - 4/2014, MMC - 12/2015
Married May 2013
BFP #1: 10/14/16 - DD born 6/2017
TTC #2 November 2018 (Mirena removed October 2018 after 1 year)
BFP #2 9/11/19 - EDD 5/24/20 - DD born 5/2020
TTC #3 May 2022 (Mirena removed after almost 2 years)
BFP #3 11/24/23 - EDD 7/30/24
Edit: making no sense... no coffee yet
https://breastpumps.byramhealthcare.com/#!/breastpump/order
has anyone used the lansinoh or hygeia enjoye? both of these are part of my list but i haven't head about either of them
I did use an Evenflo pump for a week when I did a breast pump study and hated it.
I totally concur with the recommendation for Lansinoh bags. By far my fav.
So I'm going to stick with what I know and buy the PISA.
My options are:
-Ameda Purely Yours
-Hygeia Enjoye
-Medela Pump in Style
-Spectra S2
...now to make a decision. Also have to wait until 28 weeks before ordering.
Edit: should have re-read the first 3 pages before asking about the first two!
My 2 biggest recommendations is to buy the pumpkin pals flanges. Only $30 on Amazon but they are so much more comfortable than anything else I used. I also put a little coconut oil on the areas where the nipples are. Kept it from getting sore with how often I pumped.
Ghe other recommendation is buying washable pads. It'll save a ton of money in the long run.
oh and for those who will be pumping at work, a hands free pumping bra is a life saver. Best $30 I spent. I tried medela and it sucked but the simple wishes one is awesome.