Product Spotlight: Breast pumps and Accessories

ashnicell

This week let's talk breastpumps. For anyone planning to or thinking about breastfeeding and pumping, exclusively pumping, etc. feel free to ask questions or for recommendations from STM+. 

Anyone who has experience, please share any insight on pumps you loved (or didn't), accessories that were must haves, etc. 

chuckle_sandwich

I used a Medela with my daughter 7 years ago. Can’t remember which style. Then used it for my son too. Need to check with insurance about which I can choose from this time. 

Those suction silicone ones are nice in those first weeks/months for when you’re nursing one side and the other has a big let down. Also, reusable cotton nursing pads and nipple cream were lifesavers too. The disposable ones always stuck to my nipples and hurt to peel off.

PurplePumpernickel

I am here to learn. Last time I got a Medela and it was... fine, I guess. It was heavy, so if folks know of a lighter weight pump I'm all ears. I'll be commuting on a train with mine 4x/week (or possibly a train and a bike). I did like the steamer bag for the pump parts (you stick it in the microwave and it is a quick sanitizer for when you can't quickly wash). I boiled my parts regularly at home, too.

As for accessories for the pump, I'd highly recommend having multiple parts - some for work and some for home, for those folks who will be pumping at work. If you have an office, get a white erase board now so your colleagues are used to you putting things like "do not disturb" on your door. Get a pump bra so you can use your hands to scroll social media or catch up on work emails. If you're using a lactation room that others use, learn where it is and how it works now so you aren't going in blind when you return from parental leave exhausted and emotional. Invest in a small cooler that you can slide into a work fridge. I preferred to pump into bags that I could use to fill daycare bottles. More wasteful but so much less laborious. Keep a sharpie on hand to label the bag with the date. I also labeled my kid's bottles with the date, because if daycare sent milk home I could know what I could keep for another day or so and send back.

Everyone has THEIR nipple cream that they swear by. For me it was the Medela brand with lanolin. I'd suggest having a few on hand to see which ones your nips like the most.

Ok so maybe I am also here to teach, in addition to learn lol.

Gingermom15

You can plug your insurance information to Aeroflow’s website and they give you a list of all covered pumps and automatically send you new parts paid for by insurance every 3 months (if I recall correctly). It was super convenient. 

mali0902

I've used both medela and spectra and MAYBE the medela had a better, suck. But at any rate, make sure you are regularly changing your parts (moreso if you're pumping daily)!! I didn't know better with my first and my supply dropped so badly as soon as I went back to work. Parts wear so easily, especially the duckbills (spectra) and the yellow pieces with the flaps (medela). Flange size is also super important (just right versus too big vs too small). There's lots of resources online to help with this. If you're on IG, give legendairymilk a follow! 👌🏼 I also couldn't recommend the hakaa enough, particularly for when you are nursing on the opposite side. With my first, I'd catch the letdown and leaking in a towel. What a waste! 

Gingermom15

@mali0902 yes, worn pump parts decrease supply so much! 

When I pumped with my oldest I tried the Maymom parts and the membranes? (The white flap things lol) got stiff within a few days and didn’t produce enough of a seal to have an adequate suction. My supply dropped by several oz when pumping. I EFF my daughter, so no idea if they’ve improved. If using generic parts be mindful of this!

ETA their tubing and flanges were identical to Medela

autumn87654321

I got the motif Luna for my last one.  It was covered by insurance,  battery powered, compatible with spectra parts.  Worked great. I think it’s a little smaller/light weight than spectra.  Easy to take to work  and pump wherever I wanted around the house. 

coldlife2

I exclusively pumped not by choice for my second child because she had a poor latch and nothing helped. 

I used a Medela Harmony hand pump the entire time. I tried the Medela PISA and an Ameda closed system one, don’t remember which. I never got great results with the electric pumps. I could vary the length of the suction, and that really helped. 

Lansinoh bags are what I used. Store brand ones leaked pretty quickly when thawing. 

ashnicell

I am loving the great info! I didn't nurse with DS but plan to this time around. I checked the Aeroflow site and it looks like my insurance coverage gives me quite a few options. I also feel fortunate to now work from home. It should make nursing and pumping so much easier. My employer does have lactation suites for nursing mothers but they're not super close to my work space in the building. 

sunshine2417

I used the spectra for both kids and loved it. Also recommend having a hand pump in your car or purse for emergencies/just in case scenarios. I forgot my pump one day to work and it was such a horrific day! I’m starting to cry thinking about it. Also loved the Hakka for extra dripping while nursing if you regularly leak or have oversupply or baby only really nurses on one side. 

mflowers929

I have the Avent double electric pump. With my 1st I had issues with my supply and had to quickly run and get one and it was what was in my price range plus I had some of the bottles. It's okay, but the parts are hard to find here in my city so I have to order them. If you're going to be pumping more than once in a while I'd 100% recommend a pumping bra. I kind of modified a too small bra but I could have definitely used a proper one lol.

I also have an evenflo manual pump that I got because I wasn't always where I could use my whole big system. It doesn't get a ton of love but it was handy to have at the time and relatively cheap.

I also have a haakaa that I got before my 2nd and it's amazing. I wound up getting quite a bit of milk to go in my freezer. Unfortunately, it never got used because my 2nd decided that she didn't like getting her milk anywhere but the source!

If you're not covered by insurance or planning on having more than one child I would probably recommend not investing in a whole system until you're sure you're going to need it. If I had bought one before my daughter it would have just gathered dust. A manual and/or a haakaa should do you fine until you know if you're going to need it or not. Always looking to save people money!

js1213

Before I knew any better I got a Lansinoh pump from aeroflow. It was the most obnoxious, pig sounding pump and I really didn't get anything out.

I paid out of pocket for a Medela Symphony which I liked. I borrowed my friend's spectra at work one day and it was uncomfortable and did not give me better results.

I have small nipples, so I ended up buying Maymom flanges from Amazon (like 15 and 17mm) which I LOVED because they were only one part and made me a lot more comfortable.

This time around I'm really hoping to get a Willow pump. They are sometimes partially covered by insurance now where they weren't before. I think the Elvies are as well but Willow seems better for me. Last go around I was pumping 3-4x per 12hr shift initially which was easy as a NICU nurse. This time I'm on a busy peds medical floor and know for sure I won't be able to pump that much unless I have a discreet, hands free option. I also would like to pump more at home which would be hard with a regular pump and a toddler+baby. 

fantasyflyte

I'm a FTM so no experience personally yet, but my sister had her daughter in January and she absolutely swears by the Momcozy Double Wearable Breast Pump on Amazon. They're not super loud and she can pump anywhere with them, she loves them.

ponyoisfun

Chiming in to say that I have a medela electric pump (free with insurance) that I basically only used to bring on labor.  So I am not sure how actually well it works...

I used my hand pump (modela) much more often to relieve pressure and even pump bottles (I am an over producer, which is a blessing, but also very difficult at times).  I got the hand pump through the WIC clinic for free.  If you receive WIC I would definitely see what they have available.