Breast Pump WWYD & ?

honeybee434 · March 2014

So, I just got off the phone with my insurance company and apparently my employer plan is "grandfathered" and doesn't have to cover a breast pump. (Such fun for me. :-/ )

Would you shell out the $$ for Medela or higher priced pump if you didn't know if breast feeding would work out OR if you only planned to breast feed while on maternity leave? Are there cheaper pumps that I won't get frustrated with that would still work? I wasn't completely 100% sold on BF'ing,but I liked the idea of doing it if I can and I stupidly/naively was thinking that my insurance plan would cover some type of pump coverage, so I would at least try to pump as much as I can and bottle feed until I was off maternity leave (max of 12 weeks, but I may go back part time a week or two early). After going back I assumed I would formula feed, unless pumping was just really going great and I would try to keep that up. With so many unknowns, and being a FTM, I just don't know which route would be the best to go. I know that some people will use hospital rentals, so I could check out that route possibly. I have no idea what those usually run to know if that would be a smarter financial route or not.

(Sorry for the two post questions in one day. It's apparently a very eventful day for unplanned things in my pregnancy. )

jnnfrrose6 · March 2014

There's no need to have a pump on day one, unless prescribed by your doctor in the hospital for supply issues and in that case you can rent one from the hospital. You'll want to focus on establishing your supply and working with your LO over the first couple of weeks anyway and pumping will not help with that, so I'd say wait to get anything. If nursing works for you then you can always purchase your pump a couple of weeks after your LO comes and you start to get a routine down.

pantherRN · March 2014

What about getting a hand pump (the Medela one is $35-$40)? That way, if BFing doesn't work or you hate it, you haven't invested much money. At the same time, you'd be able to pump enough for a bottle for DH or just to relieve some pressure.

1982Babies · March 2014

With your situation, I would wait until your 3rd or 4th week postpartum and see how it is going with the breastfeeding, and if it's going well, shell out the cash and buy the good one. Then, start transitioning her to the bottle a couple times a day or something to see how she handles it.

zellatrix · March 2014

Have money set aside for it and get one if you need it. Latching didn't work for us so I pumped for about 6 weeks and supplemented with formula. When I decided I needed the pump, DH ran out and got one. It was a hefty price though, so that is why I say be prepared.

iris427 · March 2014

I agree with the suggestion to try a manual pump. They are cheap, and good to have around in case you need a break or want to start introducing bottles, or need to pump for other reasons (to help with a clogged duct, etc.). And if BFing doesn't work out, you haven't spent much money. If you decide to continue BFing once you go back to work, you can upgrade to an electric pump.

AKB090609 · March 2014

If I were you I'd start out with a hand pump or look in to the price of a hospital grade rental. I used a hand pump for maternity leave and always had it in my car as a backup to my electric after that.

If you decide to stick with bf you can then invest in an electric. Last time I went into bfing with the attitude that 'I'm going to try and if I don't like it I'll stop' I bf DD until almost 18 months. It worked for us and I'm glad I didn't go into it with expectations.

honeybee434 · March 2014

Thanks, everyone. I suppose "waiting and seeing" might have to be the best option as you all mentioned. I'm SUCH a planner that I usually hate going that route

I know that I've had a couple people mention that a pump is good at first b/c they had extra milk, more than the baby needing, so they were able to pump and store a lot. When I hear "at first" I assume right away, does this usually happen a little later once BF'ing is going well?

I may pick up a manual one like @pantherRN suggested just to have something on hand if I need it. I could always wait a bit to open/sanitize it in case I ended up having to return it.

I don't mind shelling out the $$ if everything works out well, I just hate the idea of spending it, using it a couple of times and then it just sitting there.

pantherRN · March 2014

I'm a planner too. I think for me, a manual would satisfy my need to feel prepared and not end up being a waste of money.

bgoodbpar · March 2014

Medela is totally worth if if you know you will be pumping. But I agree with PP that you may want to go with the medela manual pump if you are doubtful (used it as my back up pump, works very well just more work and only one side at a time).

I knew I wanted to BF for as long as possible and needed an efficient pump for the long haul (ended up BFing for 14 months) when I went back to work after having DS--the medela was awesome for me. And even though there are other issues that may arise that prevent successful BFing, the medela pump (double electric pump in style for me) is pretty good at helping with supply issues etc so it may even be beneficial whether or not you encounter issues with BFing at the beginning...and if you don't have lack of a supply it's great for getting extra milk for storing for future use as you could even have the over-supply issue. Having that extra milk stored in the freezer when I went back to work took the stress off having to pump enough everyday and which actually helps with successful BFing

ETA: Wuurds are hard.

cbpj2012 · March 2014

Also BRU rents them fairly cheaply ($1 a day or less) so that's always an option to give it a try.

jnnfrrose6 · March 2014

honeybee434 said:

Thanks, everyone. I suppose "waiting and seeing" might have to be the best option as you all mentioned. I'm SUCH a planner that I usually hate going that route
I know that I've had a couple people mention that a pump is good at first b/c they had extra milk, more than the baby needing, so they were able to pump and store a lot. When I hear "at first" I assume right away, does this usually happen a little later once BF'ing is going well?
I may pick up a manual one like @pantherRN suggested just to have something on hand if I need it. I could always wait a bit to open/sanitize it in case I ended up having to return it.
I don't mind shelling out the $$ if everything works out well, I just hate the idea of spending it, using it a couple of times and then it just sitting there.

Some women do have an excess of supply early on, but I'd say that is probably not the norm and something you shouldn't plan on. Also, pumping too much can cause an over supply which can lead to engagement and major discomfort. You'll really need to pump when you would be nursing to maintain your supply if your giving bottles. If you're working on building a stash for when you go back to work, you'll have to add that to your nursing schedule but will still probably need to be careful to not over do it and cause an oversupply there either. For me, once we had a good schedule down, I added a pumping session about 90 min after a morning nursing session (you have a higher supply in the morning) and with just that over a few weeks I had a decent stockpile (plus I then pumped at work to keep it up). Sorry for the wall o text, on my iPad.

aimeepigott · March 2014

With DS, on day 3 he had had ZERO dirty diapers!! My MW gave me a way to reinforce his sucking during nursing and supplementing at the same time, but told me to pump each breast for 15 mins after that. I didn't know at the time that insurance paid for pumps so hubs went out and bought the top of the line Medela. I used it for about 6 wks and I was only getting an ounce a day. I would at that to DS's formula, but after 6 wks it was obvious I wasn't producing so I resterilized it and packed it up. I will try again this time. My cousin had a hand pump and she said it was exhausting for her and her DH.(when her arms and legs were tired of pumping he would help). I would suggest what PP said earlier....set $$ aside.

unaveragejane · March 2014

In my case, I knew I would be staying at home with DS1 and thought I would be pumping infrequently. I bought a single electric Medela pump for less than $100. Sadly, I couldn't get DS to nurse for love nor money. The hospital LCs weren't any help, and I didn't know what to do to fix the problem. After a couple of weeks, I finally rented a double pump but by then I was so deep in PPA that my supply never came in good. Anyway, if you think you'll only use it for a short time, I'd probably rent one. If you decide you want to continue pumping, you can always buy one and probably only be out about $40 more than if you had spent the money on a pump to begin with.

alyssa719 · March 2014

I bought the Avent manual pump with DS many years ago and it worked fine for going back to work (back in the days before mothers' rooms, etc). In the end, I was the problem with not being able to (continue to) BF, but I thought the manual pump definitely was doing it's job.

rboisvert · March 2014

I'm confused about what you're looking to do. Do you want to exclusivley pump until you go back to work? Nursing is a demand and supply condition. When all is working well baby demands and body supplies.

Your body produces small amounts of colostrum in the first few days, when your milk comes in it's a hormone driven process. Your body generally speaking throws the kitchen sink at your boobs and baby removes what they need. As you nurse if baby doesn't need everything and complex biofeedback reaction happens and production slows a bit. Over a few weeks engorgement decreases and your body produces, ideally exactly what baby needs. When baby needs more, nursing ramps up and over a few days so does supply, then things level out until the next ramp up and growth spurt.

This is where pumping at the beginning can get some moms into trouble. As the hormone controlled stage transitions into the supply/demand stage if you're feeding and pumping your body thinks you've got twins or more and continues to supply more than baby needs. Oversupply can be more than just more milk than baby needs, it can cause intense let-down which can be a pain for baby to manage, can cause sputtering and a pissy nursing baby. it can be a real challenge to get back under control.

Basically in a long post you didn't ask for, nursing is a complex set of relationships between breast emptying and refilling through nursing/pumping. It can be a challenge to establish properly in the best of circumstances but when you start messing with stuff it can snowball into different issues. I would recommend attending a breast feeding class/LLL meeting to better understand the process and go from there about making a decision on what method of feeding feels right for your family, then make a decision about pump purchasing.

Soon2BMrsN · March 2014

I think you can buy and return pumps from places like bru as long as the box hasn't been opened.

Allison546 · March 2014

I would look into renting a pump... Seems to be the most cost effective option if you aren't sure you need it long term.
I did need a pump the first week to relieve some engorgement bc my milk came in like crazy.

ARCory · March 2014

I have a First Years double electric pump. I did not have any issues but I didn't pump regularly. I bf 98% of the time. It was about $70-80. They even sent me replacement lines and shields for FREE when my dog ate it.