I'm going to (breast) pump you up. Recs please.

mjdavies · December 2013

I keep getting mail that I can order a breast pump for free due to Obamacare and thought I would ask you lovely ladies for recommendations. Which ones are the best? Any ones I should stay away from? Any funny/horrifying breast pump stories? Thanks!

Mztwilson · December 2013

Get a pump that does both at the same time because once one breast "let's down" the other one will too! I made that mistake and ended up pumping one while letting the other drip into the other bottle I had. Needless to say dh walked in and looked at me quite confused. Alway pump before you shower! Again I made that mistake. So when dh decided it would be fun to jump in with me he ended up getting sprayed. And let me tell ya when your engorged you can get some serious distance! A little tmi but this is stuff no one warned me about!

SecondTimeinMSU · December 2013

If you are looking to get it free through your insurance then I would call to see what is covered. Last time my insurance covered it but I had to get it through one of their approved medical supply facilities and there was only one option there for covered pumps. Thankfully it was the Medela Pump In Style which was a double pump and worked well. When my cord died due to it fraying and shorting they overnight-ed me a replacement for free which I was impressed by. I'd also heard really good things about the Ameda Pumps too but have never tried them.

Unknown · December 2013

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ktwils2010 · December 2013

I have the avent double electric and it worked really well with my dd - no complaints! I only used it for occasional pumping (once a day or every other day) as I'm a SAHM so I can't speak to how it holds up under heavy use. But it's still in great condition for use for this baby.

mek20 · December 2013

I had the Ameda purely yours. It's a closed system, which is definite plus. Works great!

chance_encounters · December 2013

I have the Ameda purely yours and I HATE IT! It just does not give me a decent suction. I LOVE my Medela and they stand behind their product

KeyLime81 · December 2013

I also LOVE my Avent double electric! I used it a lot for about 3 months and it held up well. (DS was a December baby and I had to go back to teaching in March to finish out the school year before becoming a SAHM). However, I think insurances only cover certain pumps and I don't think Avent is one of the brands they cover.

mjdavies · December 2013

Thanks everyone! My feeling is that I'll spend the money and buy one if my insurance doesn't cover a good one. I just didn't know what a good one was! This is very helpful! And the tips were great @Mztwilson

lucreciac · December 2013

Another vote for medela pump in style advanced. I EP for 4 months and never had a problem. I'll be using it again.

Mrs_D_in_KY · December 2013

Another vote for Medela. I used a Pump in Style Advanced and it was the best money I ever spent. I EPed for a year with my son and I know I wouldn't have made it without other pumps, because I did try other pumps in the early days.

Definitely check to see what is covered. I know with DH's insurance they will give us a list of medical supply stores we can get the pump from. Then they bill the insurance directly.

brittanywest · January 2014

I had to exclusively pump for my first baby and the medella freestyle was my breast friend!

rmjones15 · January 2014

The ACA is not covering anything, it's up to the insurance you already have of the insurance you purchased from the exchange. Many of the pumps covered by insurance thru the exchange are not double electric pumps. You should check with your carrier to see what your options are before you pick anything out.

Ladybird2014 · January 2014

My vote medula PISA.

lclark79 · January 2014

LoHerrim said:

I just contacted my insurance company. They gave me the number to their medical supply company. When I called them, they said I am eligible for any breast pump they offer at 100% coverage with $0 deductible. I am way excited about this! The company provides a choice between the Medela Advanced Double Electric, Ameda Purely Yours Double Electric, and The First Years Breastflow miPump Double Pump. After reading all your comments, I think I may choose the Medela. My question is, it says it has an A/C adapter and a battery pack is not included. I saw at Target.com you can purchase the car charger ($19.99) and an extra battery pack ($19.99). My question is, is this pump really a good portable pump? Is it bulky?

I had the Pump in Style and it's not too bulky. I traveled with it a lot and never had a problem with bulkiness. I always used the plug and never needed to use any batteries. It was a great pump and I'm gonna use it again with this baby. I just need to get a hands free bra this time.

lclark79 · January 2014

LoHerrim said:

OK, what is a hands free bra??

Try not to laugh. But it's supposed to be great. All the bumpies raved about it during my last pregnancy.

lclark79 · January 2014

Haha, that's basically what it is. It's supposed to hold the pump in place so you can still use your hands. I had friends that had them and said it was really useful, especially if they we pumping at work. I won't be at an office job, but with a 4 year old running around I know I'm gonna have to use my hands to get her something at some point and don't want to have to stop pumping. Plus then I can easily Pump n Bump.

RedMar · January 2014

I just contacted my insurance company and they'll only cover a single electric pump- is it even worth getting??

babygabe614 · February 2014

I was searching through the pump threads but I haven't seen my question answered so I figured I'd add it here before starting a new thread for it.

For the discussion of closed system (Ameda) vs. non (Medela) - can anyone explain to me what the impact is of choosing either one? I have heard some reviews of Medela pumps getting mold in the motors but it seems like that isn't that common. Is it just less time spent cleaning or are there bigger pros and cons to choosing closed vs. open that I don't know about? I am able to get a variety of pumps through my insurance but this is the one piece I don't understand well enough to make a decision. Any input would be helpful!

tlcalloway · February 2014

@loherrim - look at simplewishes.com - i have it and loved it...there was a promo code for a few one of their new design - i got 2 just in case - you just pay S&H...it was posted here in the bump if you have a minute to search. i paid for one 5 years ago with my son - godsend...

also - others have mentioned this...but call the med supply company back and ask about bags, etc...some companies are also covering them too..mine is - i just have to go through the med supply company rather than amazon or somethng...but hey..free is free if you can get it

dragonfly711 · February 2014

mjdavies said:
Thanks everyone! My feeling is that I'll spend the money and buy one if my insurance doesn't cover a good one. I just didn't know what a good one was! This is very helpful! And the tips were great @Mztwilson

@mjdavies
Check with your insurance company. If they don't have the one you want. Some will let you pay the difference for the one you do want.

Check that first before just buying one.

I want the Medela advanced one. My insurance doesn't cover that one I don't think so I will be calling to see if I can upgrade and pay the difference.

chloephoebecali · February 2014

My insurance covered a Medela PISA or an Avent. I loved my old PISA so I went with that one. I went into an accepted pharmacy on Wednesday and walked out with a pump 5 mins later with no charge.

babygabe614 · February 2014

@mullenem Thank you! I wasn't sure if open vs. closed was really a dealbreaker or not, so you definitely answered that question. I ended up ordering a Medela PISA based on the glowing reviews I've read on the product and their customer service. I also saw some comments about the Ameda losing suction, which seemed like a much bigger issue to me than cleaning the tubes!

babygabe614 · February 2014

mullenem said:

babygabe614 said:

@mullenem Thank you! I wasn't sure if open vs. closed was really a dealbreaker or not, so you definitely answered that question. I ended up ordering a Medela PISA based on the glowing reviews I've read on the product and their customer service. I also saw some comments about the Ameda losing suction, which seemed like a much bigger issue to me than cleaning the tubes!

You're welcome! I'll be getting a new PISA for this babe. Insurance actually covers $150 towards a pump this time (unlike with DD, hence the hand-me-down pump) and I can't wait to use the features on the newer model, like having a battery option.

Yes, I had insurance cover mine too and am so thankful for it, otherwise I was going to be using a hand me down also (not terrible but I'd prefer new if I can get it!) plus I was able to order an accessories kit with extra tubes and bottles through my insurance as well. Might be worth looking into if your insurance covers those extras.

gmc222 · February 2014

I actually had two: a Medela Pump In Style and the Medela Freestyle. They are both double pumps and work great, but I highly recommend the Freestyle since it was super small and easy to carry around.

While I didn't plan on having two, it was great to be able to leave one at work and only have to transport the bottles back and forth.

Oh! And a big tip that saved me a ton of time is instead of washing the bottles and parts after every pump session, just keep them cold in the fridge until the next time you have to use them. I only washed them once/day and it was perfect!

izzetoot · February 2014

Wow! This thread is awesome! I also just contacted my insurance provider and found out they cover 100% with no deductible. Cha-ching! One question though... there are 3 options and 2 that I am considering: Ameda Purely Yours (which a few ladies have commented on) and Medela Advanced Portable w/o accessories. Is this the same as the Medela In Style Advanced or is it a smaller more portable version. And if so should I opt for the Ameda?

Thanks in advance for input!

izzetoot · February 2014

mullenem said:

izzetoot said:

Wow! This thread is awesome! I also just contacted my insurance provider and found out they cover 100% with no deductible. Cha-ching! One question though... there are 3 options and 2 that I am considering: Ameda Purely Yours (which a few ladies have commented on) and Medela Advanced Portable w/o accessories. Is this the same as the Medela In Style Advanced or is it a smaller more portable version. And if so should I opt for the Ameda?

Thanks in advance for input!

I would guess that the Medela option is just the PISA pump, without the bag and extra accessories, like this link:
https://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/698/pump-in-style-advanced-breastpump-starter-set#!Overview
So basically you would have to use your own bag and maybe buy this cooler/bottle set plus as extra set of flanges (trust- you want two sets of flanges if you are working so you only have to wash every other day) or they have a $100 option on their website to buy the bag with the cooler and some other accessories, but I personally wouldn't do this.
There was a link recently to a blog post doing a direct comparison of the Ameda and Medela pumps buuuuuut I can't find it right now. Can anyone help? The gist of the blog post was basically both are good pumps and you'll likely get the same output from both so it's a lot of personal preference.

Thanks! Thats super helpful and I can prob just register for the bag and the bottle set. It looks like the preference (from this post anyways) swings in the Medela direction. So that's probably what Ill do. If anyone knows where to find the bag that'd be helpful, or if it doesn't matter and I can just use anything small and portable.

Thanks again!

eryale · February 2014

I didn't read through all of these, but I thought I'd quickly pipe in about my experience with my insurance this week. Thanks to another "bumpy" post a few weeks ago, I too learned that my insurance may cover a pump! So Tuesday I called (I have Aetna), and they told me I'm eligble for 100% coverage plus supplies. Then they gave me the number of their supplier. It was all very easy... surprisingly! There were 3 double pumps from the following brands to choose from: Medela, Ameda, and Hygeia. After a little research and reading reviews, I chose the Medela Advanced Personal Double Pump. It should come in the mail within 30 days of my expected due date!
So, my advice is to call your insurance company, see exactly what you're eligible for and cash in! As another poster said, mind as well take any free pump you're offered, even if its just used for back up!

LegalLadyBug · February 2014

FWIW I bought a PISA out of pocket with DD and hated it. I tried all different flange sizes, took it to the lactation clinic with me, I could never pump more than 1oz in either side. After reading about open v closed systems and knowing I saw condensation in my tubing I opted for the Hygeia this time around. Doesn't seem to be the popular opinion and that's fine, just wanted to offer another view :-)

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I'm going to (breast) pump you up. Recs please.

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