Breast Pump Questions

Re: Breast Pump Questions

• foreverapartofme member

  August 2014

  I had purchased a medela pump when I had my DD and loved it!  The travel bag was convenient and there are lots of accessories that go with it to make pumping easy and convenient on the go or even at home.  When I recently gave birth to DS, the hospital gave me a new medela.  My old medela still works amazing so I have one that I keep packed up and ready for travel and the other I use at home.  Not sure about the other brand, but my vote is on medela!

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• jlpev member

  August 2014

  I have used 3 different medelas & I havent had any issues with them. I vote medela

  

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• JNGettinMarried member

  August 2014

  I was only offered the Ameda through my insurance company. It was terrible! I had a very hard time nursing in the beginning and needed to rely on my pump for breast milk. After about a month I cracked and ended up renting a hospital-grade Medela pump from Babies R Us. Here's what I can give you from my experience:
  
  1. I was only able to pump 30 mL max from either breast after about 30 minutes and was always able to easily hand express more afterwards.
  2. I noticed that over time the suction power decreased dramatically, even when used while plugged in. By the end of the first month, even the highest suction wasn't much.
  3. I had an issue with the bags used in the flanges for pumping. They would contract all the way but then never fully reinflate.
  4. The only positive I can give is that Ameda offers some really fantastic accessories. I needed to buy smaller flanges for myself and easily found them online as well as something called an "areola stimulator" which I wish I could use with my Medela! It was so comfortable and did help my production.
  
  In the end, I wish I had purchased something "good" from the get go... I think it would have saved me a lot of time, energy, and stress. My vote is for anything but the Ameda!

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• frugalphillybride member

  August 2014

  I agree with the previous poster.  I got the Ameda free from my insurance company and feel like it's not very effective.  I would vote for the Medela.

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• katekat8721 member

  August 2014

  Also received Ameda from insurance, also found it to be lacking Bought a Medela PISA and am renting the hospital grade for at home. Way better than the Ameda!
  

  
  

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• Designermomma member

  August 2014

  I got the Ameda and am on my 3rd one. The motor is crap but customer service is great! They listen to the crap motor on the phone and overnight me a new one. One thing I've learned from talking to customer service so much is the little white valves need to be replaced every 2-3 months or you have no suction. Don't remember reading that anywhere and it's not easy to find them so stock up (though customer service sent me new ones with my new pump each time) You are better off trying Medella I think.

  

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