May 2017 Moms

Pumping Questions

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Re: Pumping Questions

  • @jayandaplus. I think they are pretty much interchangeable, but I only have experience with Medela PISA.  I loved the simple wishes bra that previous posters have mentioned.  
  • With DD, I pumped a bit in the beginning to get my supply going and then not again until I went back to work. My supply was very low and I was only able to get one 8 oz bottle a day, pumping 3x per day for 15 minutes each time. Any suggestions on if I should at least pump once a day from the beginning to help build supply? I'm not so worried about building a stash, just would prefer not to supplement this time. 
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  • If you're going to do any pumping immediately after birth, I would request a rental of a Medela Symphony.  It's my favorite pump in general.  I actually strongly disliked the Medela Pump in Style Advanced with my first.  It didn't get much out for me and I would be left with lumpy, engorged breasts.  I did like the Medela Freestyle.  I got a Hygeia EnJoye with my second from insurance and it was nice enough, but I didn't like adjusting the speed and the suction separately.  I never figured out the perfect combination since DS2 quickly rejected bottles.  I'll probably do the Spectra this time for comparison's sake, but I'll rent a Symphony if I need to do any serious pumping.

    I think it's worth a reminder that Medela pumps (non-Symphony) are only designed for one year of "average" use and using them regularly beyond that can impact your supply.  There are places that can test their suction if you really need to use an older one.  Medela pumps have some mold issues too with lengthy use (why they're single user).  None of this applies to the Sonata, which I know nothing about yet (I'm a LC).
    Feb 2012:  DS1 born 40w2d, 7 lb 11 oz, 20"
    May 2014:  DS2 born 40w3d, 10 lb, 23"

    Due May 2017 with DD1!
  • I'm really glad I read this thread because I'd never heard of the Spectra brand pumps. I used a Medela Freestyle pump with my first and it worked very well for me. My insurance doesn't cover either of these two brands; the one it covers doesn't have fantastic reviews. I just assumed I would be paying out of pocket for another Freestyle, but now I've been reading about the Spectra on Amazon reviews and it sounds like it might be a better option AND cheaper!
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  • I agree completely with @skeetied the pump rental (symphony) in most places goes down in price every couple months as you are renting as well. The symphony is best for establishing a supply which is super important for the first 12 weeks until your milk supply regulates. I have a freestyle that I bought for 80 dollars on EP trading post which is a fb group for ladies who want to sell off their pumping stashes. I have already bought practically new dr browns bottles from a momma on there as well. I will have two pisas and the spectra s2 and a friend will be lending me her symphony when she is done with it. I have 5 complete sets of medela pump parts. As previous people have said you do not have to wash your parts in between use. If you EP and are at home you can use the same parts all day. When you are finished with them put them in a bowl and stick them in the fridge for the next pump no rinse necessary. You can do this all day and then wash at night. Same with when you go back to work. I would pump with a fresh set then refrigerate it all with the milk in between pumps and just use them till I got home and used a fresh set then. If you purchase the spectra you can "hack" the tubing and use medela parts if you so choose. The instructions are online easy to find. I never used the medela steam bags or wipes. 

    I would highly suggest changing out your medela membranes to duckbill membranes which you can buy on amazon for 5 bucks. It makes cleaning much easier, the suction is great and the medela membranes are so sensitive if you get them worn out a little or bent in the bag on your way to work they wont work while the duckbill ones do not have that type of design to even have that issue. 
  • @Yiggle09 I didn't even know that the duck bill membranes for medela was a thing!  I also got a adapter off of amazon to use my medela parts on the Spectra without a real hack to the tubing.

    ~~~~~~~~~Siggy Warning~~~~~~~~

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     6-12-2010  Miscarriage. 
    3-16-2012 D&C/Miscarriage.
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    Diminished Ovarian Reserve   
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  • It doesn't look like I can get the Spectra through my insurance. They gave me a list of providers near me that I just need to purchase the pump through and they bill insurance. I called those places, but my only options from them are Medela, Evenflow, or Ameda. I called my insurance back to get a few more provider locations, but I got the same answers. I'm a little bummed...I wanted to try the Spectra after hearing so many good things, but it looks like I'll be going with the Medela PISA (which, granted, people seem to like perfectly fine, too).
  • Just got off the phone with Aeroflow...first they said my insurance would only send the pump after the baby was born- then I paid 95 to upgrade from an S2 to an S1- because I'm always driving around for work and the S1 has a battery option and now it's going to ship next week. It was a good experience and very easy. 
  • It doesn't look like I can get the Spectra through my insurance. They gave me a list of providers near me that I just need to purchase the pump through and they bill insurance. I called those places, but my only options from them are Medela, Evenflow, or Ameda. I called my insurance back to get a few more provider locations, but I got the same answers. I'm a little bummed...I wanted to try the Spectra after hearing so many good things, but it looks like I'll be going with the Medela PISA (which, granted, people seem to like perfectly fine, too).
    Have you tried an online pump supply company? Like for Tricare I'm going through Pumping Essentials and there is a really long list of accepted insurances... 
    Married 03.09.09
    Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
    Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
    Little Brother Due 05.22.17
  • @hp_momma To be honest, this is all really new to me. I've been following the steps my insurance gave me. Would I just look up some online suppliers and check their accepted insurance list?

    I've also been seeing things about Aeroflow (like @Hansolosparka just mentioned). Maybe that's an option to try, even though I already got a prescription from my doctor and such?
  • BabyMC517BabyMC517 member
    edited March 2017
    @starphish18 I went through Aeroflow as well and they'll contact your insurance company and even request the prescription or you can provide it to them if you already have one. They will send the pump out 30 days before your due date I believe. So that's why they won't give me any more information until April to choose one. Pretty simple process though. Doesn't hurt to check it out! 




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  • @starphish18 the one number my insurance had for pumps gave me horrible options the pisa wasn't even an option so I called my old lactation consultant and she told me about yummy mummy I just received my pump spectra s2 free in the mail today
  • @starphish18 Aeroflow will send you a list of all of the pumps that you qualify for and "add ons" that aren't covered like an upgraded pump or a bag/cooler set. 
  • With my daughter the insurance company just kept giving me names for suppliers and no one would provide breastpumps  I found Byram Healthcare online and I was able to get my pump through them. Just another supplier to check to see if they have the one you want.
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  • @starphish18 try https://www.byramhealthcare.com/
    my insurance first said I had to go to a local medical supply store so I went to one only to find out it got bought out by the hospital and doesn't offer pumps. So I called my insurance yesterday and was told to go to that website. Check and see if your insurance is on there (there are lots) and try that route. They have tons of pumps and I just ordered the spectra today. 
  • Thanks for all the tips! I'll give those a check.
  • Another website is Edgepark (there are quite a few suppliers): https://pages.email.edgepark.com/bp/eligibility/form/?rc=EPBPMAIN

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  • I don't know if it's only Tricare that does this but I don't have to go through a supply company. I can buy what I want and then submit the receipt for reimbursement. Just something to ask your insurer is you're having issues finding a vendor. 

    I'll probably pick up a pump the next time I'm at BRU and just submit a claim. 

    May '17 labor memes
  • I used Byram and got a Spectra @starphish18.
  • So I went through Byram (my insurance was listed) and just ordered the Spectra. It sounds like they just contact my doctor for a prescription (I did email it to them, as well, in case that would work) and I should be good to go. I'm hoping it truly was that easy! I always get so nervous about things going through insurance...like, what if they made a mistake and that pump isn't covered, could I cancel my order, would I have to pay for the pump myself, etc.
  • I'm pretty sure I went through Byram for my pump while pregnant with DS2 and it truly was that easy.  It appeared on my doorstep a week after I ordered (and that was a few months before my due date)... I was shocked!  Hope it goes as smoothly for you.
    Feb 2012:  DS1 born 40w2d, 7 lb 11 oz, 20"
    May 2014:  DS2 born 40w3d, 10 lb, 23"

    Due May 2017 with DD1!
  • Ok question for your STM. I thought you can pump right into bags and store them instead of using the bottles if you wanted or do you have to pump in bottle and then transfer to bags? Wondering how many extra bottles and such to have. 
  • Canadian moms, it seems like Canada has blocked shipping of the spectra, just wondering if anyone has found their way around that or know a way to order where shipping/ exchange won't be astronomical. I don't have any family/ friends in the US to ship to. 
  • SWE2 said:
    Ok question for your STM. I thought you can pump right into bags and store them instead of using the bottles if you wanted or do you have to pump in bottle and then transfer to bags? Wondering how many extra bottles and such to have. 
    I only put milk in the bags once I got 5oz, it felt like a waste otherwise.  Also since I EPd I didn't have a ton to pack away and freeze so I would store most in the fridge.  I have 10ish Medela 5oz bottles and a ton of 4oz NICU pump bottles but I am planning on buying another set of Medela bottles.

    I think it also goes back to how many times you pump and how much you pump each time.  I only liked pumping in the bags when I was out and about, one of my boobs would consistently pump 6-8oz and the other was 3-4oz, so I would end up with 1 full bag and 2 half bags vs 2 bottles/bags if I transferred the milk.  You are also supposed to combine the milk if you pump more than one bottle/bag on one side since in one you will end up with most of the fat in one and not the other, since we dealt with Failure to Thrive that was a huge deal.


    ~~~~~~~~~Siggy Warning~~~~~~~~

    Me~28 DH~27 

     6-12-2010  Miscarriage. 
    3-16-2012 D&C/Miscarriage.
     Blocked Left Tube. 
    Diminished Ovarian Reserve   
    MFI - Sperm Morphology 2%.  
    MTHFR 
     Abnormal Antiphospholipid Antibodies
    April 2013 ~  1st IUI attempt - 100 mg Clomid- Canceled
    May 2013  ~ 2nd IUI attempt -100 mg Clomid- Canceled
    June 2013 ~ 3rd IUI attempt - 100 mg Clomid+ Trigger+ Progesterone~BFN
     IVF/ICSI #1 May 2014 ~ Freeze All ~ Due to OHSS
     5/1/2014 ~ 22 retrieved, 12 fertilized, 3 frozen
    5/28/2014 ~ FET#1 ~ Transferred 2 Hatching Blasts
      6/1/2014~ **BFP**
    6/9/2014 Beta #1 ~ 1022
    6/12/2014 Beta #2 ~ 3099
    6/16/2014 Beta #3 ~ >5000
    6/19/2014 First U/S ~ TWINS!!!  
    1/7/2015 Twins born @ 34 weeks

    image image Image and video hosting by TinyPic



  • vrj0522 said:
    SWE2 said:
    Ok question for your STM. I thought you can pump right into bags and store them instead of using the bottles if you wanted or do you have to pump in bottle and then transfer to bags? Wondering how many extra bottles and such to have. 
    I pump into the bottle and transfer to the bag, that way I can split the milk however I think is best, plus for some reason I have found that the measurement in the bag doesn't always mirror the one in the bottle so I wouldn't know the exact amount of bm otherwise. 
    This. You don't always get the same amount from each pump session so I would pump into bottles, store in fridge, and then at the end of the day I would fill my bags with equal amounts. And I never found the bag measurements exact to the bottle measurements, so I always used the bottle to measure. 
    Married 03.09.09
    Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
    Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
    Little Brother Due 05.22.17
  • When I was at work I'd pump into the same two bottles each pump then put them into one single bottle. when I'd get home I would separate it into bottles for next day. I found you get a more even fat distribution that way
  • I also found it was easier to store in the same smaller amounts all the time. I always did 4oz in my freezer bags. That way I wasn't wasting any milk if baby was only drinking small amounts at that point or if they were doing larger amounts (which my girls never took more than 5-6oz at a time) I could just thaw more than one bag and combine to make a couple bottles. Once you thaw the the milk you need to use it within 24 hours so smaller portions meant I wasn't wasting any milk. 
    Married 03.09.09
    Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
    Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
    Little Brother Due 05.22.17
  • skeetiedskeetied member
    edited March 2017
    I would do even smaller amounts than 4 oz bags, especially if you're only pumping for the occasional bottle.  The recommendation for preserving the breastfeeding relationship is to leave 1 oz per hour of separation (1.25 oz if baby is sleeping through the night and potentially less if you breastfeed at pick up and/or drop off) and no more than 4 oz bottles.

    ETA:  This is completely different than formula feeding guidelines.  For exclusively breastfed babies, the volume of milk consumed remains constant between about one month and six months old, when it starts to slowly decrease as solids are introduced.  During the one to six month old window, the average consumption is 25 oz/day, with a range of 19 to 30 oz.  In short, unlike formula fed babies, breastfed babies don't increase their volume of milk per day as they grow.
    Feb 2012:  DS1 born 40w2d, 7 lb 11 oz, 20"
    May 2014:  DS2 born 40w3d, 10 lb, 23"

    Due May 2017 with DD1!
  • ^ What @skeetied said. 

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  • I did the opposite. I filled my storage bags to the top...but everyone has a different system that works. Someone told me they used an ice cube tray and froze small amounts and then put those cubes in a ziplock bag. That seemed like a smart idea.
  • lrwardrop said:
    I did the opposite. I filled my storage bags to the top...but everyone has a different system that works. Someone told me they used an ice cube tray and froze small amounts and then put those cubes in a ziplock bag. That seemed like a smart idea.
    When we went to the baby food making class at BRU they showed us these trays that are portion sized to freeze baby food and breast milk or formula. Pretty cool! And apparently the frozen breast milk/formula will fit the teething rings they they have. H really liked them so we added them to our registry. 




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     "A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~Charlie Chaplin
  • for those getting the spectra, are you getting the s1 or s2? my insurance covers the s2 and there's a upgrade fee for the s1. the s1 has a rechargeable battery for pumping on the go. I never felt a need for a battery pack the first time but now with a toddler it might come in handy to be able to move around the house while pumping.
  • HansolosparkaHansolosparka member
    edited March 2017
    @lrwardrop I decided to get the S1 because I'm going back to work and my job involves me driving from building to building several times a week and I'm hoping that I'll be able to pump in the car. As much as I hate that it seems like my best option- otherwise I have to announce to someone at every location that I need a room to pump in and some building staff are nicer than others...I have a PISA from DS and never needed the travel option but at the time my job didn't involve so much travel. 

    Edit: also it triggered some kind of loophole in my insurance. Originally a fully covered pump wouldn't ship until baby was born- but when I paid for the upgrade they said it would ship out in a few days. So that alone made the $90 upgrade more worth it. My pump didn't get delivered until the day we got home from the hospital and that's the last day you want to be dealing with unpackaging and sanitizing all the parts. 
  • Stupid FTM Question here...

    When you guys discuss sanitizing parts, what's the process here? Buy one of those bags for the microwave? A special soap/solution for a soak in the sink? Bleach? hah! I'm struggling.
  • @ShadeofGreen816 I am alllll about those microwave bags. Normally I am not a hardcore sanitizer germaphobe but since my daycare only half assedly rinses the bottles out and throws them in a room temp cubby I like to give them some extra clean loving. 

    Pump parts also go in the bag. Since I use only one set a day and keep them in the fridge between sessions I give them a go through the microwave too. 

    May '17 labor memes
  • @shadeofgreen816 I soaked all my pump parts in hot soapy water every night because there are so many little crevices . At first I was a crazy sterilizer because I got an infection so I was sterilizing nightly, once I calmed down I sterilized all parts/bottles weekly. I have a tomee tippee sterilizer that sits out on the counter. I don't use a dishwasher but if I did, I might not even own the sterilizer.
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