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I can't keep all these breast pump part straight.

rakle99rakle99 member
in 2nd Trimester
I'm researching breast pumps and I really don't know what all these parts are. Do the pumps come with all the parts? Do you really have to buy all those extra parts that are available? I would love for someone to explain all this to me.
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Re: I can't keep all these breast pump part straight.

  • tiphoni02tiphoni02
    I bought a medela electric pump in a carry case.  It came with everything.  I only bought more bottles for storage. 
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  • rakle99rakle99 member
    Ok, but what is 'everything'? The best I can figure out is you put it to your nipple and your milk goes into a tube. I've read about breast shields, and needing a different size due to your nipples, and seals for something, and milk backing up into things, etc. I have no idea what they are talking about when they say that.
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  • mkinMImkinMI
    You're bringing back bad memories of having to wash all those parts.  I had a Medela Pump in Style and it came with tubes, shields, membranes, connectors and valves.  Everything you need to pump.  But if you plan on pumping a lot, I would buy extra parts so you don't have to constantly be washing parts.
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  • rakle99rakle99 member

    imagemkinMI:
    You're bringing back bad memories of having to wash all those parts.  I had a Medela Pump in Style and it came with tubes, shields, membranes, connectors and valves.  Everything you need to pump.  But if you plan on pumping a lot, I would buy extra parts so you don't have to constantly be washing parts.

     But what are all those parts for? What is their function? 

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  • mkinMImkinMI
    imagerakle99:

    imagemkinMI:
    You're bringing back bad memories of having to wash all those parts.  I had a Medela Pump in Style and it came with tubes, shields, membranes, connectors and valves.  Everything you need to pump.  But if you plan on pumping a lot, I would buy extra parts so you don't have to constantly be washing parts.

     But what are all those parts for? What is their function? 

     

    The tubes are for suction and they hook up to the motor and the shields.  The shields are what you put your boob in, the membranes snap onto the valves that hook up to the connectors that you attach the shields to.

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  • choppinbroccoli22choppinbroccoli22 member
    I never cracked into the extra parts that I bought, but I didn't have to pump full-time. It's all a big mystery until you unpack the pump, boil everything, and reassemble it all together the first time.
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  • jenyjenyjenyjeny member

    The pump usually comes with all the parts, but you can buy the extra tubing and vavles at BRU or other local baby stores - they are not expensive. I never had to replace the tubing - which are only supposed to pass air - no milk. And the little flap/valve things sometimes fall off and need replaced so good to have extras of those. 

    Once it's all together, you will understand the mechanics, and it's not nearly as complicated ;) 

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  • IsaiahGirlIsaiahGirl

    imagerakle99:
    Ok, but what is 'everything'? The best I can figure out is you put it to your nipple and your milk goes into a tube. I've read about breast shields, and needing a different size due to your nipples, and seals for something, and milk backing up into things, etc. I have no idea what they are talking about when they say that.

    The milk actually just goes pretty much straight through the shields into the bottle that's attached.  The tubes attach to the pump to create the suction needed to express the milk.

    If you need to pump in the hospital, they will help you with telling you if you need another size as well as show you how to use it.  They also gave me a few extra parts (I'm sure my insurance was billed, though - check to make sure you're covered on those things first).

    If you pump frequently, you'll know which parts to buy several of - I ended up getting 2 extra sets of things because DD had such a hard time bfing and I almost exclusively pumped.  If you're just pumping on rare occasions or getting out extra milk, you might not need as many extra parts.  I would personally wait to purchase those after baby and you see what you need. 

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  • blondie42107blondie42107 member
    imagemkinMI:
    imagerakle99:

    imagemkinMI:
    You're bringing back bad memories of having to wash all those parts.  I had a Medela Pump in Style and it came with tubes, shields, membranes, connectors and valves.  Everything you need to pump.  But if you plan on pumping a lot, I would buy extra parts so you don't have to constantly be washing parts.

     But what are all those parts for? What is their function? 

     

    The tubes are for suction and they hook up to the motor and the shields.  The shields are what you put your boob in, the membranes snap onto the valves that hook up to the connectors that you attach the shields to.

     

    I also have the PISA.  The only thing I bought extra of was shields (I needed bigger ones and a lactation consultant at the hospital helped me to figure out what size to get) and bottles for storage.  I never actually used the bottles for feeding as the flow was too fast.


     
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