Manual breast pump?

Starfish113

I plan to BF, but haven't bought a breast pump yet. They are just so expensive and I want to make sure I can do it first. Also, when I return to work after 4 months I don't think I will be able to pump, so I will switch to formula by then. I should probably be asking this on 0-3, but does anyone have any experience with a manual pump? Or, have you bought one? I'm thinking that might do the trick for the summer while I'm home with LO, in case I need to pump once in a while. Are they any good?

Rachelilly23

My sister gave me her manual pump. She said she barely used it, as it takes some time to master it. I have that until she's done with her Medela, but she'll probably get that to me before LO comes. Otherwise, I'll have to start figuring out the manual one! I'm not sure how expensive they are, but it's probably worth a shot if you don't want to go for the regular pumps.

mama_duck

I bought a Medela Harmony breast pump.  I will be a SAHM, but I still will need one for random things.  It is under $40 at Target or close to that.  I have already tried it out...and IT SUCKS!  lol! 

I'm not sure if you want to pump at work, but I think for the occasional pump it is the way to go.  I didn't want to spend $200 on a breast pump, so it was a good purchase for me at least.  GL and HTH!

shari_rngleson

the hospital actually gave me a free medela manual pump in my goodie bag that i used for the first week.  it worked, but i ended up buying a double electric just so i could go faster!

mcadams1

I think manuals are the worst thing a person can buy. With my first, I thought I'd exclusively BF so a little manual pump (it was an Avent) would be just fine. HA. No way! No matter what you pay in an automatic, it will reward you a thousand times over. The manuals don't work, aren't effective, hurt like heck and are all around worthless. Even if you are able to exclusively BF, its always nice to have a backup supply. I ended up in the ER unexpectedly two weeks after DD was born and were it not for my automatic pump and the extra supply I had saved up, I would have had to convert to formula and I doubt my supply would have gone back up. You aren't saving money if you're buying something that's crap so seriously consider an automatic. You'll want a dual pump with intensity adustments (because you don't want max intensity right when you start- ouch!) I bought a Medela pump in style but there are other brands. If money is an issue, you can always buy the main part on ebay and then order "replacement" pieces that touch your skin or the milk so that they're sterile. There are so many positive uses for a pump and it allowed me to breastfeed when even a lactation consultant couldn't help us. Plus maybe you'll be more likely/able to pump when you go back to some degree with a machine that makes it more easy, if that's something you'd want.

anvloveskme

I have heard that they are super hard to use and can be painful...have you looked into just renting a closed system from your hospital or clinic?

teach2183

I borrowed my sister's manual pump last time.  DD had a total of 8 bottles in her life.  It was just SO much easier to let her nurse than find the time to pump.  I bf until she was 18m old.

norman25

DS had latch issues so they supplied me with a manual harmony medela pump. It didn't hurt. At all. I was in the hospital for 5 days with DS and used it the whole time in the hospital.  It worked really well for me, but since they are for 'occasional use' only, when I got home I paid $50 for faster shipping to get my double electric pump  because I thought my supply would tank without it. I got it and tried it out and decided I preferred my manual. Less parts to wash. It worked better because I had gotten used to it. I  probably used my manual  pump 8 times per day for like 4  weeks straight. I eventually made myself switch to the electric which took awhile to get used to. That was only because I used the crap out of my manual and needed a new shield, so i made myself use the expensive pump I already bought. Plus, it was nicer to be able to do both sides at once. If you are only pumping occasional, I don't see why you would spend the extra money. I exclusively pumped with my manual for weeks and survived. Everyone is different, but at only $30, It is worth a try, you can always buy an electric later if you end up needing it. And, really, It wasn't painful at all to use ( my electric was more painful to get used to).

Tulips21

i got the lansinoh manual.   I registered for it because I had heard great reviews.  here's a link to the reviews at walmart... 

I think what you buy should fit your lifestyle... so think about what you ideally want to do and if a manual pump can help out - than check out this one.

 https://reviews.walmart.com/1336/7755682/reviews.htm

 

whitless

mcadams1:

I think manuals are the worst thing a person can buy..

 

I totally agree with this.  To me, a manual pump would be a WASTE of $40, whereas a Medela would be a wise investment of $200.   I can't imagine having any kind of pumping success with a manual.  Relaxation is so key when you're pumping, and squeezing your hand over and over is NOT relaxing!  Seriously, I would have died without my Medela and think that it was worth every single penny.  Plus I'll use it for this baby and the next....