Pump question - which one?

sweetiebird726

So I have a bit of a dilemma regarding choosing a pump.

 I will be working part time, up to 20 hrs a week as a mobile children's therapist.  I am a contractor, so I only get paid the hours I work, not any travel to and from the family's homes/kids' schools. 

The Medela PISA is simply not in my budget no matter how we try to swing it, but i got the Medela Swing using a bunch of gift cards.

 I'm really starting to wonder if I really should get a double and try to pump while driving (using handsfree obviously) to reduce my unpaid time out of the house.

I was looking at the double electrics that are close in price to the Swing single, and saw the Lansinoh Affinity.  Reviews aren't as good as they are for the Swing.

So my question - keep the "better" brand single pump, or exchange for a double pump that is not as good?  I'm not sure what the better option is!

[Poll]

ilovelife

I was in the same situation when I pumped with ds (no budget for a double). Someone bought a Medela Swing for me from my registry. I kept telling dh that it was taking too long to pump since you need to pump each side for 20 mins. He suggested buying another Swing and using the hands free bra. Best idea ever!!!! So now it's like I have a double.

L8kissie

I had a Lansioh last time because it was made by Ameda. They've stopped selling under that brand. I'm getting another Ameda for this LO. It's a double pump (much better than single for quicker pumping) and Ameda is the brand most hospitals use. They had me pump in the hospital with a pump they brought in and the kit was sent home with me and gave me a spare one. It was great. They work equally well to the Nedela and are so much cheaper. The best price I've found so far is on Amazon. It was a tad under the Ameda web site. GL. 

L8kissie

Oh, and one more thing. It is a closed system, keeping the milk completely out of the tubing. This makes cleaning easier. The pp's suggestion of a pumping bra is a very good one. Hands free pumping is the way to go. 

sweetiebird726

ilovelife:

I was in the same situation when I pumped with ds (no budget for a double). Someone bought a Medela Swing for me from my registry. I kept telling dh that it was taking too long to pump since you need to pump each side for 20 mins. He suggested buying another Swing and using the hands free bra. Best idea ever!!!! So now it's like I have a double.

Would LOVE to do this, but the budget problem again haha.  I also don't need all the extra stuff the comes with the PISA, like the cooler and tote bag, etc.

My leave is also 100% unpaid, so I'm going back after 4 weeks, LO will start daycare at 6 weeks.  Again not ideal, but we are trying to make the best of it. Since its unpaid, every.single.cent is budgeted out so we can't fork over the additional money for a second swing or exchange our current swing for a more expensive PISA.

watercolor5

Not sure what your budget is, but I got the Ameda Purely Yours with the breastpump only for $127 on Amazon.  (The vendor is ameda though... they have a 20% off promotion going on...) 

You can just buy a black backpack or purse for it, or you can easily get a carry case inexpensively on ebay, which is what I did.  It's way cheaper to just get the double electric pump, than the pump with bag/ bottle cooler. 

I know the lansinoh is supposed to be pretty similar, but for some reason the ameda purely yours got better reviews...

sweetiebird726

L8kissie:

Oh, and one more thing. It is a closed system, keeping the milk completely out of the tubing. This makes cleaning easier. The pp's suggestion of a pumping bra is a very good one. Hands free pumping is the way to go. 

 Either way I am doctoring an old sports bra to become a hands-free pumping bra. 

watercolor5

This is kind of unrelated to your post, but I found out at my breastfeeding class that my hospital gives all patients a medela harmony manual pump for free, so if that's the case for you, it might be one less cost if you were thinking of getting a manual as backup.

sweetiebird726

watercolor5:

This is kind of unrelated to your post, but I found out at my breastfeeding class that my hospital gives all patients a medela harmony manual pump for free, so if that's the case for you, it might be one less cost if you were thinking of getting a manual as backup.

I don't think my hospital does this, but I am planning on asking anyway while I am in for delivery.  It can't hurt to ask, even though I'm pretty sure they don't do it.  

danabsd

Have you looked into renting?

sweetiebird726

kyssmi88sd:

Have you looked into renting?

Thought about it, but I'm planning on trying to BF for 6+ months at least, and it didn't seem to be worth it to rent a pump for more than it would ultimately cost purchasing one.