Should I buy a breast pump?

sammyjo1138 · September 2010

I plan on breast feeding as long as all goes as planned. I am also going to be a stay at home mom. I read in my Mommy Rescue guide to breastfeeding that a pump can help to get you flow started after delivery.Do I need to buy a big $$$$ pump or can I just wait and see how it goes?

Any tips for a first timer planning on exclusively bf???Thanks!

tippykins · September 2010

I don't necessarily think you need a pump to get your supply going. What I did that I think work very well is that I made sure to get baby up and eating every 2 hrs even in the beginning when your milk hasn't come in yet. It was hard to do at 1st bc they are just so sleepy, but I think it benefitted both of us. He barely had any jaundice, I never got engorged when my milk did come in and he lost only 2oz before gaining it all back then some. I do think having a pump is a good thing. You could add a pump session in the morning (when your supply is greatest) to build a stash in case you have to leave baby for any reason and need someone else to feed dc. Or you could just pump the day you need to leave (if you have to) since you don't necessarily need a stash since you will be a sahm. I have a stash since I had to back to work and I pump during the day so I'm still adding to the stash since I have a oversupply and he takes in much less pumped milk from a bottle than I send with him (he won't take a bottle which is another issue). So I have more entering my bm stash than leaving it.

tippykins · September 2010

Sry there's no paragraphs I'm on my phone...

sdkrlm · September 2010

Ditto tippy. Don't buy a pump before just in case bfing doesn't work out. If you need to pump in the hospital they can provide one. You may not need a double pump at all if you're sahm. I loved my manual pump for the times I was engorged or traveling and needed to express for a babysitter bottle. Good luck!!! There are quite a few successful bfing stories on this board.

MaryIshSmith · September 2010

My LO had a poor latch but once she got a good latch I ended up not using mine much. If you end up needed it you can get it then. I am also a stay at home mom . Good Luck I know you must be getting excited.

missmiss307 · September 2010

You could probably rent one from your hospital until you figure out if you will need to buy your own.

uagirl · September 2010

I would wait until LO is here.

I didn't buy one until yesterday. I wanted to make sure I could BF with no problems and work on establishing my supply first.

lilcrablegs · September 2010

If you want to have one on standby, I'd suggest buying a manual pump. I got the cheap Lansinoh one, and it was all I needed with a SAHM schedule. I didn't pump to establish supply, but I used it in the very beginning a couple times for engorgement pain when LO had trouble latching immediately.

MrsAO · September 2010

missmiss307:
You could probably rent one from your hospital until you figure out if you will need to buy your own.

Ditto this. I did this and the cost at my hospital was minimal. It did also help my milk come in as I was having latch issues. I introduced the pump on day 3 and saw results. However, I would tend to lean to the advice of the other ladies on that matter in that it's probably not necessary to help your milk come in.

Bottom line - rent for a month or so you'll have an idea of if/how much you'll need one of your own.

ETA: When I used the pump in the hospital, they gave me a brand new bottle/horn kit (w/ the tubes and all u need for the pump - Medela brand). It was mine to keep and it worked w/ the pump I rented from them and would've been compatible w/ the Medela pump I was interesting in buying. I said all of that to say that the kit itself has everything you need to pump manually, so it was good to have.

sammyjo1138 · September 2010

Thanks for the great advice ladies! I signed up for a breastfeeding class at UAB so I am going to find out about renting then.

MrsAO · September 2010

Are you going to be delivering at UAB?

I had a couple friends deliver there within the last couple years and they give a gift. You get to choose a carseat or a medela breast pump I believe.

ricejl · September 2010

I agree don't buy one just yet. When I was in the hospital I was even having trouble getting any colostrum out so the pump helped to get a little bit out and give to my LO through a syringe while he was on the boob. It triggered him to start sucking. The hospital gave me all the tubing, horns and a manual pump which was nice.

Pumping is good if you need to run out somewhere. In the beginning, my LO was feeding every hour so I was able to pump enough for my hubby to give him a bottle so I could run out. I would say that my supply is not greater in the morning like it is for others. I pump every evening while my husband gives him a bottle and I get more milk at that time. Another reason we give him a bottle is because my Pediatrician wants us to give him vitamin D and the only way we can get it to stay in his tummy is through a bottle. Otherwise he spits it up.

ricejl · September 2010

Also, my baby wasn't feeding every 2 hours in the hospital, more like every 5 and he didn't develop jaundice. It is different for everyone.

sammyjo1138 · September 2010

That is good to know. I will be delivering at the new uab woman's and infants center

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