I was given a meleda pump in style, so I can get another with my insurance. I like the idea of having a hands free pump while I work on stuff around the house, do you all think the spectra 9+ with freemie cup would be better than the freemie/freemie cups?
@tryingktogku unfortunately, you probably will need it fairly early. Maybe not in the first month, but honestly the earlier the better.
With kiddo #1 I was intimidated by pumping and didn't start until about 2 weeks before I went back to work. I never felt like I was pumping enough and my supply really didn't stay where it needed to long term so we used some donor milk to bridge the gap. Obviously everyone is different, but establishing a pumping routine early could benefit your supply or let you know if you need to look at other options.
Part 2 of this is - for me personally - pumping is a labor of love. It was something I did purely out of motivation for my little guy. With baby #2 I knew I would be home and almost exclusively breastfeeding so I put off pumping for weeks, then months, then never. Baby #2 never actually took bottles. This is going to sound terrible, but its the best way I can explain - the burden of having to be available to nurse on demand was less cumbersome and more satisfying than worrying about pumping. So, again, if pumping is important it is probably better to start earlier so it's part of the routine instead of an extra chore later on.
ETA: it may be worth looking into pump rental options near you. If you have a chance to rent a really good pump (like a hospital grade Medela) for a reasonable price early on, that may tide you over until you can get a Spectra.
@mom_of_the_vogels that’s good advice! I feel similar to you where pumping seems more intimidating that exclusively breastfeeding and I don’t really plan to pump frequently until I go back to work! I may buy the medela single electric swing for now (as it’s cheaper and then I’ll have something “just in case”)
@autumn87654321 I don’t know anyone in the US that could pick one up for me and ship it to me or I would go that route! It’s funny because the US is a literal 5min drive from where I am but I can’t get to it lol
So I ordered the Spectra 9+ via insurance and it will ship in mid-Nov, but I have a ton of FSA $$ left in my account bc we met our out of pocket max early this year doing IF treatments and all of the extra DNA carrier testing so I’m thinking of ordering the Elvie as an extra pump. It’s expensive though but appears to have the best reviews for fully hands free. I also feel like it’ll be the easiest to take with me on the go. I am also considering exclusively pumping just because of our lifestyle and anticipating my own needs for emotional/mental stability so I think I like the idea of multitasking while pumping (but I also realize I really have no idea what’s going to work and so any “plans” are fully loose).
I’m wary of giving in to the fancy marketing and technology though. Any thoughts from BTDT’s who may have tried it or other similar brands?
@tryingktogku the thing is, you never know how it's going to go. I had every intention of exclusively breast feeding. Then it turned out Ben had a pretty severe tongue/lip tie and was starving. If I didn't have that pump on hand, I would have lost my supply. Having the pump meant I was able to at least exclusively pump and supplement (usually one bottle a day of formula). If you have a great latch, it won't really be an issue, BUT, there's no way to know. I can ship you one, I'm in NY so it's usually pretty quick. I know the shipping isn't cheap but I'm sure it's better than not getting it. Just LMK!
@tryingktogku My experience with my first was very similar to @willashbaby. I wound up exclusively pumping with him, and if I hadn’t had my pump from the very beginning then he would have wound up with formula. Then with my second, I was so worried about nursing actually going well, that I didn’t give her a bottle for too long, and by the time I did, she wasn’t having any of it! If I was gone, she just refused to eat. The bottom line is that you just don’t know how nursing is going to go, or if your supply will be sufficient (pumping can help increase supply, especially in the beginning). My take is that you definitely need a pump at the beginning, but whether it has to be a spectra or something else is up to you.
@tryingktogku Have you considered other pumps? I had a Spectra before but got a Motif Luna this time. It looks like you might be able to get it shipping to Canada!
@gingkomama I have never heard of that one! Everyone I know has the spectra and loves it or have tried a medela or avent and ended up getting a spectra anyway so I was just wanting to go with what the people around me say has worked for them! This Motif Luna looks similar and does ship to Canada! I’ll hVe to look into it more
@tryingktogku Definitely check it out! I have never used it, but all reviews I read comparing the Spectra to the Luna had the Luna come out on top so I figured I'd try it!
Re: Milestone - Breast pumps!
With kiddo #1 I was intimidated by pumping and didn't start until about 2 weeks before I went back to work. I never felt like I was pumping enough and my supply really didn't stay where it needed to long term so we used some donor milk to bridge the gap. Obviously everyone is different, but establishing a pumping routine early could benefit your supply or let you know if you need to look at other options.
Part 2 of this is - for me personally - pumping is a labor of love. It was something I did purely out of motivation for my little guy. With baby #2 I knew I would be home and almost exclusively breastfeeding so I put off pumping for weeks, then months, then never. Baby #2 never actually took bottles. This is going to sound terrible, but its the best way I can explain - the burden of having to be available to nurse on demand was less cumbersome and more satisfying than worrying about pumping. So, again, if pumping is important it is probably better to start earlier so it's part of the routine instead of an extra chore later on.
ETA: it may be worth looking into pump rental options near you. If you have a chance to rent a really good pump (like a hospital grade Medela) for a reasonable price early on, that may tide you over until you can get a Spectra.
Diminished ovarian reserve
BFP: 4/14/2020 EDD: 12/20/2020