Product Spotlight Series: Breast Pumps/Accessories (w/o 3/27)

MouseMama817

Has anyone else heard about the new CDC guidelines regarding pump cleaning? I happened to stumble upon it on Pinterest of all places lol. Now it's recommended to only clean the parts in the dishwasher or in a wash basin used solely for that purpose and w/ a bottle brush used solely for that purpose, then to store in a food storage bag to prevent contamination AND to do all of this after each use. Yikes. The article I read cited an infant death caused by bacteria transferred from the kitchen sink to the pump parts. I didn't research further, just looked up the guidelines to familiarize myself. I'll definitely be buying extra sets of things cause that sounds like it's asking quite a lot of breastfeeding mothers.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/healthychildcare/infantfeeding/breastpump.html

offtoneverland

@MouseMama817 Ugh. No thank you! I think during the early days it's important to sterilize the parts...we washed them in the sink and then sterilized them in one of those microwave bags. But I only did that for a few months because it doesn't seem necessary to do it the whole time. I think as long as you have common sense about what's been in your sink, it should be okay. Don't wash pump parts with the sponge you just used for the raw chicken. I think (it's hard to remember) I stored the parts in a plastic bag after washing and drying them. I would be hesitant to leave them on the kitchen counter for a long time in case any food splashed on them or something. 

Also, I didn't wash my pump parts every time. I stored them in a gallon size plastic bag in the fridge between pumping sessions so I didn't have to wash them as often. That was really handy! 

MouseMama817

@offtoneverland Yes, the fridge trick saved me!

emjohn517

Agree with @offtoneverland just have common sense. Keep sink clean and keep away from raw meat and what not. We did have a specific scrubber we used only for that. 

i remember one time I had spent like an hour boiling and sterilizing parts, laid them to dry. MH came over to wash his hands and open mouth sneezed all over my just sterilized parts. I came dangerously close to murder that day.  

mockingjay1

I mostly pumped the first 3 weeks until DS learned to transfer milk correctly, and I'd put the parts in a bag in the refrigerator too. I'd use the microsteam bag to sterilize the parts every night which was handy. 

mamabee1113

I feel like this is such a clueless FTM question, but if I will be a SAHM, do I need to get a pump? Insurance covers basically any one I would want 100%, but if I won’t need it then I won’t bother with the process to get one.

mockingjay1

@rosebud1230 - I would. You never know if baby will latch well, if you'll need the pump to help increase your supply, if you ever want to go out for a few hours you'll want to have some pumped for a bottle, etc. 

wildrainbow

@rosebud1230 I am a SAHM and the pump was seriously a life saver. Granted we had issues with be at the beginning, but having the pump allowed me to have a bottle handy if I was somewhere where it was a bit difficult to be. Plus, your H may want to feed the baby and trust, you will want some time without having a babe latched. That first trip to the store without baby is the best, most liberating experience ever.

mamabee1113

Thank you @mockingjay1 and @wildrainbow you both make great points that I would never think of. Anyone I tend to lean on for seemingly simple questions like that all exclusively bottle fed for various reason, so I’ll be figuring everything BF-ing as I go!

wildrainbow

@rosebud1230 I went through hell bfing ds, so if you have questions, dont hesitate to ask me. We only just stopped by (after 2 years) when I found out I was pg because his latch felt like acid on my nipples. 

mamabee1113

@wildrainbow thank you!! I’ve heard so much about how BFing is hard and painful and doesn’t happen as naturally as it seems. 

lifesabeach85

@rosebud1230 I SAH and I BFed DD for a year, and it actually went really smoothly. But I definitely was glad to have a pump, and am getting my second free one. I usually only pumped once a day or so. I liked DH to give her one bottle at night (so you don’t have to do all the night feeds!) and as @mockingjay1 and @wildrainbow mentioned you may want to step out for a few hours, leave the baby with grandma or dad or a sitter and then you need milk. Also handy for traveling, or places where it’s awkward to nurse in public. 

purelex

@ginny_203 Sorry for the delay in my response.  I think I considered the Hygeia before because it has/had the option to add an external battery pack (AA) if I decided I wanted or needed it.  It was also a more traditional shape and thus easier for me to pack and lug around.

That being said, I think I will get another Spectra S2 (or pay the difference for an S1).  Apparently the Hygeia doesn't save settings between sessions and even though the Hygeia is a closed system, the design still allows milk in the tubes which is annoying.

ginny_203

@purelex super helpful, thank you! 

firsttimespartanmom

Bumping this up because I went to get mine today, and my insurance won’t allow me to get a breast pump until baby’s born. What I will get is the Medela double electric. A friend recommended getting at least one extra set of pump parts to go with it to keep at work. Any other accessories or things I should buy now before baby comes to have? I don’t want to have to worry about it when I have a newborn! 

wildrainbow

So, I'm wondering if I should get a new pump. I have mine from ds, so it's two years old. Any STM+ mom's getting a new one or sticking with the old?

highsteaks

@wildrainbow do you have the same insurance from last time? if so, check to make sure they’ll still cover a new one (mine would only do it once every 3 years). mine is 3 years old, and i will definitely get a new one. i doubt the old motor will be as efficient as a new one, and it will be nice to have the extra parts and back up pump.

runwmusic

@wildrainbow @highsteaks my insurance gives a new pump every three years but also for any new child. I would call and check, you probably can get another. If I had a choice I would have two. One for work and one for home.

lifesabeach85

@wildrainbow I got a new one! We actually do have new insurance, but it has also been 3 years so I think we would have been covered either way. My Medela Freestyle seems to be in working order but my new (free!) spectra 2 has already arrived.

offtoneverland

@wildrainbow I got a new pump too. Mine was 4 years old though and I exclusively pumped with it, so I wanted to make sure I had a brand new one that hadn't worn out at all. 
@firsttimespartanmom I agree with your friend that you'll want an extra set of pump parts to keep at work. As for other accessories, you'll want to make sure you have probably two lunch bags/totes of some sort with a big ice pack to keep the milk cold to/from daycare/work. If you want to be super prepared so you don't have to worry about it after the baby's here, you can get some milk storage bags for freezing extra milk as well. But otherwise, I don't think there's much else that you'll need in regards to pumping.

mockingjay1

@wildrainbow - I'm getting a new one because it's been almost 4 years since DS, and I have a different insurance. I have a medela PISA, so I'm trying to decide if I want another one or if I'll try a spectra and have the PISA as a backup. I'd call your insurance and if they will cover a new one I'd probably get it if it was free/cheap. 

kamahina9

My insurance and hospital won't give us the pump for the first month unless there are complications with breastfeeding. They heavily promote bf and don't want you pumping in the beginning. 
We get the Ameda breast pump, anyone have any experience with it? The reviews don't seem that great.

lifesabeach85

@kamahina9 That seems like kinda a backwards system if they want to encourage breastfeeding actually. Since pumping increases supply, and if you're going back to work you might be less likely to give it up if you already have a good stockpile of stored milk at home.

offtoneverland

@kamahina9 Ugh, that infuriates me. It's not like you're pumping formula out of your breasts, it's still breastmilk for goodness sake! Bfing is no different from pumping, so I don't understand that policy at all. 
I agree that it seems completely backwards. If I hadn't had a pump, I would have completely given up on bfing because pumping was just easier for me. All that to say, don't be afraid to ask for one if you need one earlier than a month. 

highsteaks

@kamahina9 ugh, your insurance co needs to myob. if they want to promote breastfeeding by breast, they can send a pamphlet. but don’t take options away from moms from the get go. what a bunch of bs.
eta-that could also be against the ACA laws. were your policies grandfathered in before those took effect? pumps are suppose to be covered “for the duration of breastfeeding” which means as soon as the relationship begins— at birth. https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/breast-feeding-benefits/

kamahina9

I completely agree with all of you! It's rediculous that we have to wait so long but a friend is gonna give me her gently used modela pump so I at least have something before I can get my new one. It will probably work better than the new one since the ameda reviews say that pump isn't that great. That's another junk thing, we don't have an option for what kind of pump to get. 

I'm just hoping to be able to bf. I know it's not as easy as people think and I really want it to work. 

mockingjay1

@kamahina9 - that is super frustrating. Can you call around and see if you can rent a medela symphony (hospital grade pump) if you need a pump the first month? If you could rent one if you needed to, and if insurance will cover a decent one, I'd probably wait and get a medela or spectra vs buying an ameda out of pocket. 

kamahina9

If we need a hospital grade one then they will let me rent it. At least there is that. I'm sure everyone feels the same but calling insurance to see what they will cover is such a pain in the butt!

highsteaks

@kamahina9 yes!!! such a pain.

runwmusic

@kamahina9 make sure you sterilizer all the parts as Medela is not a closed system like spectra is.

runningyogimama

Does anyone have a favorite manual pump, just to have as a backup (with an hour commute, I would hate to end up at work without my pump and have nothing)? 

highsteaks

@runningyogimama had no problems with my medela harmony; i would recommend it as a backup.

my question:
is battery back-up for an electric breastpump awesome? is there a compelling reason to have that as an option? i’m a sahm, if you think that matters in your opinions.

i can get the spectra upgraded version (S1) for $12.60 extra oop vs. the basic version (S2). the only difference between the machines that i can tell is that the S1 has the added feature of being able to run off a rechargeable battery if i need it to for whatever reason. reviews say the battery is just as powerful as the ac, and lasts for a respectable amount of time (one person claims that they only had to recharge once every 14 pumps). does anyone have experience that proves otherwise?

the downside, other than the small added cost, is that i have extra steps that i’d need to take to get the upgraded version, like filling out paperwork then waiting a few weeks for reimbursement, maybe wait awhile for the pump to arrive. if i got the basic version, a third party company takes care of the paperwork and all i have to do is wait for the pump to arrive within the week.

thanks in advance!

offtoneverland

@highsteaks I EPed for a year and never had need for a battery powered pump. Will you do most your pumping at home? Or are you a super busy person who will be pumping outside the house frequently? If you'll mostly be home I think you can skip the battery powered one.
Do you have an outlet in easy reach of wherever you'll be pumping? 

highsteaks

@offtoneverland i’ll be mostly at home within easy reach of the outlet. so, the basic one will be just fine for me. just seeing if anyone could justify the upgrade for reasons i couldn’t think of. so until otherwise, i’m right with you.

offtoneverland

@highsteaks Oooh gotcha. Someone I pumped with at work years ago said she used a battery powered pump so she could multi task (like make breakfast or lunches) while pumping. But honestly I really liked the excuse to be attached to the wall for a while so MH had to wait on me 

highsteaks

@offtoneverland lol! you have a very compelling reason for sticking with the basic version! 

lifesabeach85

@highsteaks for $12 I would do it. Even as a SAH it was nice to have the option of being wherever and not needing a plug. I have the MedeLa Freestyle. It was basically the same thing I paid a nominal amount extra and filled out a form and viola. It was nice for traveling too. But the freestyle is super small so it’s easy to bring around, the S1 maybe not so much. 

MouseMama817

If this has already been covered, I’m sorry. But does anyone have experience with the Haakaa? All I’ve heard about it is that it catches the leaking milk of one breast while you feed from the other, however it’s marketed as a manual breast pump. So my question is are you supposed to breastfeed in one arm while hand-expressing in the other? Or do you just attach it and let it sit there and literally be a catcher? 

mockingjay1

MouseMama817 said:

If this has already been covered, I’m sorry. But does anyone have experience with the Haakaa? All I’ve heard about it is that it catches the leaking milk of one breast while you feed from the other, however it’s marketed as a manual breast pump. So my question is are you supposed to breastfeed in one arm while hand-expressing in the other? Or do you just attach it and let it sit there and literally be a catcher? 

I'm curious about this too. My friend got me one, and I thought I just let it drip while I fed on one side, but it looks more like a pump? If baby feeds on both sides I don't want to pump it out before baby gets to side number 2, but I'd love something to catch the dripping rather than wasting the milk.

MouseMama817

@mockingjay1 Yes, exactly! I haven’t heard a single negative thing about it. I’ve also not heard a single logistical detail about it lol.