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Breastfeeding
Can anyone talk to me about your breastfeeding "system"?
Im registering and trying to decide on which pump/bottles/storage bags.
Im having twins so Ive decided that the double is necessary. I have no idea if it will be difficult for me but I assume I would go the electric route just for speed purposes especially once I go back to work.
Can you tell me what your system is?
do you pump into bottles or bags?
What pump do you use and why?
What bottles do you use with and without the pump and why?
Did you prefer drop ins?
As a side... My insurance does not cover pumps
Thanks in advance!
Im having twins so Ive decided that the double is necessary. I have no idea if it will be difficult for me but I assume I would go the electric route just for speed purposes especially once I go back to work.
Can you tell me what your system is?
do you pump into bottles or bags?
What pump do you use and why?
What bottles do you use with and without the pump and why?
Did you prefer drop ins?
As a side... My insurance does not cover pumps
Thanks in advance!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Can anyone talk to me about your breastfeeding "system"?
Not many insurances cover pumps, so you are not alone.
I use the Ameda Purely Yours and I pump into bottles. It's easier to see how much you have pumped this way, vs. bags. I bought cheapie "First Essentials" brand bottles to pump into, in addition to the Ameda brand ones that came with my pump. I bought the Ameda b/c it was more affordable. I have 3 sets of flanges (I'd wait to buy more once you see what size you need). I think I have 18 pumping bottles - 6 Ameda, 9 5oz cheapies, and 3 9oz cheapies (for the morning pump when I get a lot more).
For feeding, we use Avent brand bottles. They are REALLY easy to clean. Anything with a wide neck is recommended for BF babies b/c it resembles the mom better. Who knows if that is really true. :-)
I do not use drop ins b/c I feel like they are a waste. Bottles are easy enough to clean.
I could go into a lot more detail but it can get overwhelming.
I have the Ameda Purely Yours. I love it (see post below). I used the bottles that came with it and also regular Playtex bottles (not drop ins, just regular bottles). They fit right onto the pump, so I had 18 or so bottles that I could pump into. I would pump into bottles all week and then at the end of the week I'd freeze all the extra in bags (Lanisoh). On Mondays baby got the oldest frozen milk so I'd slowly rotate my stash.
The Playtex bottles had several different nipple types that fit them so I was able to find a nipple my baby liked without getting a different bottle and having to transfer milk all the time.
I prefer to pump into bottles. It takes me 20-25 minutes of actual pumping time to empty, and I find it hard to sit still enough with the bags hanging for that long. The bottles are just neater. As far as avoiding dishes, I pump with the same parts all day long and keep them in the refrigerator between pumps, then wash once at night. When I pump both sides, I combine the milk in 1 bottle and refrigerate. Then the next pump, I re-use the "dirty" empty bottle from the last pump + 1 new one.
I use the Medela PISA. I wanted a double electric to save time and effort. Medela's customer service has great reviews. I see the spare parts at all sorts of stores, so I feel like if something ever broke or I forgot it when going to work, I'd easily be able to pick up a replacement.
I use the Medela wide base nipples, slow flow, for bottle feeding DS. I use either the medela bottles or cheap Gerber bottles ($1 ea or less from Target) for the actual bottle part. I used to pump into the 8 oz bottles because I had an oversupply and could easily overflow the 5oz one with my good boob, but have always fed DS out of the 5oz ones (usually only 4oz at a time).
I never used drop-ins. I didn't find washing bottles to be that bad. I had enough pump parts and bottles to go 2 days without washing anything, and then it would all go in the dishwasher or I'd just hand wash them all at once and it wasn't so bad. With twins, I'm not sure I'd have the same attitude, though.
Can you tell me what your system is? I pump after feeding little one. I try to get her to only latch on to one breast and pump with the other. I try to alternate sides but if one nipple is particularly sore, I nurse her on the other and pump on the sore nipple (which is much more comfortable).
do you pump into bottles or bags? Both. I am bottling/refrigerating enough for my scheduled hours out of the house and freezing in bags to build up stock for returning to work. Bags take up less space in the freezer.
What pump do you use and why? I just bought a Medela Harmony manual pump which is good for now since I am home most of the time and only need a few bottles a week when hubby is watching her while I'm out for a few hours. I also have a Medela double electric pump but need to get replacement parts that total 80 dollars (cash is tight so I am waiting until I am back to work full time for this). The Harmony was under 40 dollars
What bottles do you use with and without the pump and why? I use Medela 2.5 ounce bottles currently but have some of the 5 ounce ones for when she starts eating more. They fit directly on both my pumps and I have not had a problem with them leaking so I'm happy with them. Of course, not all babies take to the same bottles. It is a good idea to try out different ones and see which your little ones like.
Did you prefer drop ins? Haven't tried them yet but they seem convenient
- I love my "medela pump in style". Definitely get a good double pump.
- I always pump into bottles and rarely ended up freezing milk (i just kept 1 or two emergency frozen bottles in the freezer).
- At first we just used Medela bottles and nipples, sometimes a nuk one. My LO never really liked bottles so we moved to sippy cups at 6 months.
- I also really like the Medela sterlizing bags for the microwave, so easy!
Good luck!
I have the Medela PISA. I use it with a hands-free bra. I really like it - I pump every morning and have also been pumping one additional bottle a day to get her used to taking a bottle. When I return to work next week I'll be pumping a lot more.
I pump into the Medela bottles that came with the pump and transfer those to Lansinoh storage bags.
When DD takes bottles we do Dr. Brown's. No real reason other than that's what DS used and we never had issues with them. She's been a little slow to get used to the bottle but is getting better.
I have never used drop ins.
do you pump into bottles or bags? I pump into the bottles that came with the pump. When I get home from work, I transfer the milk into larger 9oz bottles to store in the fridge until I make up the next days bottles. I freeze in Lansinoh bags on Fridays.
What pump do you use and why? I have an Ameda Purely Yours Ultra. I like that it's closed system. Easy to clean. It came with a decent bag. It's small. Cheaper than Medela, but works great.
What bottles do you use with and without the pump and why? With my pump, I use the Ameda bottles that came with it. For feeding, he uses the Avent bottles.
Did you prefer drop ins? I never tried them, but I wanted to avoid them just because it was one more thing to spend money on.
I bought mine because I plan to use it again.
My "time frame" starts after midnight and ends before midnight the next day, a 24 hours time period. I pump at 3 a, 6 a, 9:30 a, Noon, 4 p, 7 & 10p. I pump into bottles only. The baby sitter has frozen BM but when she's home she only gets fresh stuff. after my 7 p pump session I freeze all the milk that is left over and use my milk from my 10p session to feed her during the night.
I have a Medela PISA and love it. I work 40+ hours a week and have a 6 year old that is in a ton of sports/activities. It's a double electric with a removable compressor and a lot of storage. I didn't think the storage would be necessary but it so is when you're away from LO for a long time. In addition to the cooler bag that came with it, I use another cooler bag that stores perfect in the larger bag.
I pump into bottles then bag them every night. I bought the Medela attachment to pump into bags but haven't used it once (12w6d pp) because it's hard to measure right in the bags. When you're freezing the quantity I do it's much easier to just measure out 5 oz (for example) in each bottle then freeze those 5 oz instead of having a 3 oz bag, 6 oz bag etc. It's inconsistent and (for me) not the best for my babysitter.
I have a dozen Medela bottles that I just use for storage and only use Dr.Brown bottles to feed Alyssa. I tried drop ins with LO1 and hated them. I don't think they'd work this time around because we use a bottle warmer to warm the milk that's been in the fridge if I don't have fresh milk to offer her.
Can you tell me what your system is? I am unemployed right now, so I don't have an actual pumping schedule. LO goes to daycare two half days a week, so I pump then, and pump if I get engorged (somehow my boobs haven't completely regulated themselves yet). When I get back to work, hopefully soon, I'll pump at work and nurse whenever I am with LO.
do you pump into bottles or bags? I pump into the medela bottles. I also have pumped a few times into bags when all my bottles were either being used or dirty.
Did you prefer drop ins? I wanted to like them, since so many of my relatives used them and swore by them. I don't like that they are disposable, I'm not a fan of throwing things away all the time. And LO hated those bottles... so in the end, no, we dont' prefer drop ins.What pump do you use and why? I have the medela pump in style advanced. It's the one I use because I got it for free. My SO's mom bought it for his ex wife when she had their son. He was born premie, and couldn't latch. She used it for maybe a week, then gave up. I know everyone says not to use a used pump, but really, I replaced all the hoses, valves, flanges and bottles, and checked the diaphram for mold (which is clean!). My LC also said that if I knew she didn't have HIV or Hep B that there really wasn't and issue. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my pump. I've never used anything else, so I can't compare it, but I've never had a single issue with it. And I love that it comes as a black tote, so that when I go back to work, it won't be weird to carry in with me - I'm an engineer, and will be working with almost all men, they don't need to know that I'm carrying in my breast pump every day
What bottles do you use with and without the pump and why? We use the TommeeTippee 5oz bottles for LO to feed with. We tried drop-ins and vent-air. He tolerated them for a couple weeks, but then at 2 1/2 months or so, he refused to take them. It was so bad at daycare that he actually did better with a sippy cup. I remembered my LC suggesting that brand in our BF class, and bought just one (it was $10, so I didn't want to buy a whole pack if he refused them too). Thank god, totally worth the money.
Married April 1st 2017
DS #1: May 2009
DS #2: Jan 2012