renting or buying a breast pump?

moesie · April 2011

I intend to BF and have read some people renting them from the hospital and others buying them. What are you all doing? Is renting cheaper than buying them? I also would hate to spend the $$ on buying them and then it turns out BF doesn't work?

Thanks for your help!

Kari Merks · April 2011

You can always buy one and not open it until you know BFing is going to work for you. With my first daughter I rented the hospital pump for a couple of weeks and once I knew BFing was going well, I bought one.

IU_baby · April 2011

With DS, I rented a hospital pump for the first 2 months. I wanted to make sure that BFing would work for me and then I bought my pump before I went back to work.

mypeanut2010 · April 2011

If my MIL had not bought mine as a shower gift, I probably would have rented one. I had not idea she was actually going to buy it until it showed up in the mail. I had put in on my registry just because, and sure enought she bought. I do agree with previous poster about renting one to make sure things work out before you buy one.

alyson686 · April 2011

I think I'm going to buy one just because I'm kind of a germ freak, and although I logically know that renting one from the hospital is clean and safe, it still kind of grosses me out. However, I know a bunch of people who have initially rented them until they knew whether or not BF was going to work for them and how much they would actually be needing the pump.

joyclara · April 2011

i bought a used one for real cheap (just 3 yrs old but still a current model), borrowed one from a friend, and bought every thing that's to attach to the machine and to me brand new. all you really need is the machine part anyway.

b55c · April 2011

borrowing a friends and buying all new attachments. she has a place near her that will check the pressure of it and make sure it's working alright. will make me feel better about getting a used one!

IU_baby · April 2011

I had to buy the pump parts, including the tubing, bottles, membranes, valves and shields. The only thing that came from the hospital was the Medela Symphony pump, a closed system.

azzyberry · April 2011

I bought one before I had DS and I'm really glad I did...one less thing you have to worry about after the baby is born. I got the Lansinoh double electric for around $150. It worked great and I never had any issues. I plan on using it again this time around.

If you're concerned BFing might not work out, just buy the pump but do not open it and keep the reciept so if BFing doesn't work, you can return it.

Depending on how long you plan on using BFing and using a pump, it can be quite costly and end up costing more than purchasing your own. I definitely recommend buying over renting if you plan on having more than one child.

daniella2727 · April 2011

I am going to rent to make sure I can BF since once you open the $300-$500 pump from the store, you can't return it!

Plus the pump you rent from the hospital is like a $2K pump - so if you are unsuccessful with that, probably won't be successful with a store bought one.

Kari Merks · April 2011

alyson686:
I think I'm going to buy one just because I'm kind of a germ freak, and although I logically know that renting one from the hospital is clean and safe, it still kind of grosses me out. However, I know a bunch of people who have initially rented them until they knew whether or not BF was going to work for them and how much they would actually be needing the pump.

My hospital rents the Ameda closed system pumps and they give you brand new tubing, flanges, etc. and you just take the motor part. No germs to be shared.

jeffrae · April 2011

that depends on how long you pump. For me it is cheaper to purchase then rent.

3PupsAndABaby · April 2011

i was all set to rent one with DS1 until I saw the price. The cost to rent is almost the same to buy!

woolgathered · April 2011

Our hospital did not rent them, but Babies R Us does. I am renting one from there this time. I bought an inexpensive one last time, and it was terrible, but I don't want to pay $300 for a pump (there goes over half our health account!).

kristennd · April 2011

I was originally going to rent one first for the same reason as everyone else, but the hospital's lactation consultant pointed out that they strongly recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first three weeks (six if you're not returning to work) and by then you'll know whether it's working. And so by that point I can just safely buy one.

Want a personalized experience?

renting or buying a breast pump?

Re: renting or buying a breast pump?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards