Bottles and pumps

chelseabride2009 · January 2013

With so many choices of bottles and pumps I'm at a loss as to what kind to buy. I know every baby is different but with so many brands and choices I just don't even know where to start. I do plan on going back to work 4 weeks after delivery going back 3 days a week. Any suggestions would be so helpful!

t.bird · January 2013

Medela Pump In Style Advanced: Metro Bag

https://www.diapers.com/p/medela-pump-in-style-advanced-the-metro-bag-309340

that thing is a workhorse. i pumped like it was my job after both my girls (i nursed an insane over supply & stocked a couple chest freezers) & i've had nothing to complain about. ever.

as for bottles- i just went with Medela as well. thankfully, both my girls took them with no issues. bottles can be tricky for some babies so don't bulk up on 1 brand. start with 2 & go from there- see what your baby will take & what make them happy.

some people swear by Dr Brown's & some people swear by Mimijumi & etc etc. here's a little article on the "best" bottles for breastfed babies: https://www.lilsugar.com/Best-Bottles-Breastfed-Babies-16069693

good luck!

Max'smom · January 2013

I have tried most bottles but the ones that worked best for both my boys were the Playtex Drop Ins. And honestly they were the ones that I like the best because they are the lowest maintainance. The second most used bottle was the Medela bottles, I used and loved my Medela Freestyle pump.

We were not a fan of the Breast Flow bottle it frustrated DS2.

MommaG123 · January 2013

I'll second the medela PISA. That is what I used with DD for a year and it did great. I'll be using it again for this baby. We just used the Medela bottles since they came with it and DD had no issues with them.

Angellove32086 · January 2013

I have to say I LOVE the Playtex drop ins. using the bag you can push all the air and bubbles right out which of course makes babies belly happy. They are fairly easy to clean and if you have a ton of replacement nipples you can reuse the base because you just put in a new drop in. Also, my daughter liked them because when she was old enough to hold the bottle herself I could push out all the air and she didn't suck down any air. As far as pumps my first time I used a very old model that isn't made any more. This time I found one at a second hand shop that hadnt been used but the seal was broken so they couldn't just return it. Its the Lansinoh Affinity and it is So much quieter than my first one and it has 2 stages of pumping so that you don't start out with super suction. Its also way cheaper than the other brand but I used the deluxe version of the other brand in the hospital and it was just like the old ancient one. Hope that helps. Just one mommies opinion.

nikip6454 · January 2013

For Pumps, I recommend Medela PISA or the Avent Double Electric. I had both and actually liked the Avent better, plus it is cheaper. Look into your insurance, as most are covering pumps now.

Bottles, we started with BreastFlow and I swear by them! I had issues and had to pump for the first month or so and used these bottles, the switch back to breast was seamless. They have "drop-in" versions now. We did end up switching to Avent since they attached to my pump, we still use the bottles as sippys!

Mama-Bear · January 2013

I used the Medela PISA. DS1 wouldn't take a bottle (he was too used to BFing and would SCREAM if he even saw a bottle).

With my twins, we used Evenflo bottles, it was $10 for 12 of them at BRU. I know many swear by Dr. Browns, but they're so expensive. I wanted to try the cheaper option, and if I had to change later I wouldn't be out much money, but in the end I saved a bundle because my kids didn't need expensive bottles with 50+ parts each. Also, if I lost a bottle it wasn't a big deal.

taraleanne · January 2013

Such a good question!! I was going to post something in baby gear forum about this too! I'm also overwhelmed with the "type of bottle" question. I plant to breastfeed and pump/breast feed as is convienent at the time. Though I plan to take a whole year off (allowed in Canada) so I can't imagine only 4 weeks!

Every single person I know who has used a breast pump has told me not to cheap out - a good investment (even at a cost) will save you alot of frustration and time.

GraceInCA · January 2013

We're researching pumps now, and I think Medela will be the one I go with as well. As far as bottles, I'd like to use glass ones. A friend who is currently BFing and pumping told me to avoid the Dr. Brown bottles, because there are too many pieces and they're a pain to clean.

Olegna · January 2013

Many lactation consultants recommend the BreastFlow brand for bottles. I plan to breastfeed exclusively; so I'm shopping around for pumps. I'm thinking about the Medela Free Style. There is another one called Simplese. It has good reviews, and its quiet. The downfall with that one is that it weights 8 pounds. Whatever I get will have to hold up. I haven't looked at Avent; but I will. Everyone's comments are helpful.

prego760 · January 2013

Olegna:
Many lactation consultants recommend the BreastFlow brand for bottles. I plan to breastfeed exclusively; so I'm shopping around for pumps. I'm thinking about the Medela Free Style. There is another one called Simplese. It has good reviews, and its quiet. The downfall with that one is that it weights 8 pounds. Whatever I get will have to hold up. I haven't looked at Avent; but I will. Everyone's comments are helpful.

I have tried the freestyle and the pump in style advanced from Medela and I didnt care for the suction on the freestyle. I produced more milk and was more comfortable with the Pump In Style. I had a Lansinoh pump for a while and it was so loud and one day it just wouldnt work.

Bottles for us were a trial and error kind of thing. My son had reflux really bad and the Dr Brown seemed to help the most of the ones we tried but I will check out those Breastflow bottles.

kristenavt · January 2013

Angellove32086:
I have to say I LOVE the Playtex drop ins. using the bag you can push all the air and bubbles right out which of course makes babies belly happy. They are fairly easy to clean and if you have a ton of replacement nipples you can reuse the base because you just put in a new drop in. Also, my daughter liked them because when she was old enough to hold the bottle herself I could push out all the air and she didn't suck down any air. As far as pumps my first time I used a very old model that isn't made any more. This time I found one at a second hand shop that hadnt been used but the seal was broken so they couldn't just return it. Its the Lansinoh Affinity and it is So much quieter than my first one and it has 2 stages of pumping so that you don't start out with super suction. Its also way cheaper than the other brand but I used the deluxe version of the other brand in the hospital and it was just like the old ancient one. Hope that helps. Just one mommies opinion.nbsp;

I am starting to think about this stuff more now and plan to register this weekend! I'm all for less cleaning and overall convenience...can you pump directly into the drop ins? Also can you freeze and store in them as well? I know nothing but it seems so easy to pump, store and feed all from the same apparatus!

happywife2b · January 2013

Dumb question: why do moms use a breast pump if you are breast feeding? Does it help you create more milk? Just curious. I BF'd the first time and plan to again this time. Everyone tells me to get a good pump, but I don't know why I need one. Never used one before. So confused!

MommaG123 · January 2013

happywife2b:
Dumb question: why do moms use a breast pump if you are breast feeding? Does it help you create more milk? Just curious. I BF'd the first time and plan to again this time. Everyone tells me to get a good pump, but I don't know why I need one. Never used one before. So confused!

In most instances it is someone returning to work who wants to continue giving their baby BM instead of formula while they aren't with their child. Even for a SAHM it allows you to have milk stored so that you can leave your child with someone else if you need to.

I also used it to try to increase my supply as well as build up a stash of frozen BM. It also allowed my husband to feed our daughter a bottle a day so that he could experience that bonding time with her as well.