July 2021 Moms
wanderlustsoul
member
*Live, Love, Laugh, Learn*
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Product Spotlight 02/02: Breastfeeding, Breast Pumps & Accessories
wanderlustsoul
member
Hello! Now that we know what our babies will wear, let's figure out what they're going to eat! Today we are kicking off a three-week sequence of Baby Feeding Products. Today: Breast Pumps and Accessories (coming up next week: Formula, and then Bottles the following week).
Breast Pumps! An object sometimes of a great love-hate relationship. STM: what breast pump did you use? How do you feel about it? Would you get the same one again?
Aspects to consider about breast pumps:
Prior and Upcoming Product Spotlights
Breast Pumps! An object sometimes of a great love-hate relationship. STM: what breast pump did you use? How do you feel about it? Would you get the same one again?
Aspects to consider about breast pumps:
- Breast Pump functions: how do you like the power, the rhythm, the options for speed and suction during pumping? And how has it held up with long-term use?
- Portability: does it have a portable charger? Car charger? Batteries? Does it come with a bag to carry around? If not, what bag do you use?
- Accessories: does the basic pump purchase order come with options for flange size? Storage bottles to pump into? If you got extra accessories, what were they and where did you get them? Do you recommend a particular pumping bra as an accessory?
- (Accessory hacks: if you get your hands on a different brand of accessories, do they fit across different pumps? Do you recommend an adaptor (third party or otherwise) to smoosh different brands' accessories together?)
- Cleaning: how? What do you use? Basic soap+water or did you have a special sterilizing set-up?
- Affordability and access: where and how did you get your breast pump? Did insurance cover it? For those US-based, ACA guidelines had all (most?) insurance programs cover a breast pump for free--does anyone have experience post-ACA-reducing measures under the current administration? Are secondhand markets a good option?
Prior and Upcoming Product Spotlights
*Live, Love, Laugh, Learn*
Re: Product Spotlight 02/02: Breastfeeding, Breast Pumps & Accessories
Breastfeeding essentials:
- Nipple butter - I used the Earth's Mama one and that thing was a present from angels. Get it, stock up on it, and keep 1 in each place that you will frequent the most.
- Personally I preferred using couch pillows and I did not like the my brest friend for feeding. The boppy pillow was better but I still preferred just a normal pillow under my arm.
- Nursing tanks from H&M - super well priced as it's like $19.99 for 2 and I layered it under everything. I could feed anywhere without issue. I didn't like using a nursing cover so this was great.
I used a S9+ if I needed to pump and it was great but I didn't pump often as my son did not take bottles/I was home and didn't really need to pump.
Water - you will be thirstier than you can even imagine. Keep water bottles full and ready nearby. There is nothing worse than getting into position, latching baby, and realizing you have NO water around you.
*Live, Love, Laugh, Learn*
This time around (and I should have done it with my second, I want to try the Spectra. I believe it is covered under my insurance (it wasn;t the first time around). With my second she latched great and I only had to pump for a stash and once I went back to work.
I loved the my breast friend pillow for the first couple months when she was little enough. I would strap that baby on and walk around the house with it lol.
I'd love to hear opinions on Spectra v. Medela. I feel like learning how to properly use the Spectra will be a lot of work since I am already so familiar with the Medela lol.
I second the idea of water all the time! I also always wore either a nursing bra or nursing tank for quick pumping ability. Latched mama also makes great tips that are also work appropriate - anything I could do to cut down on set up and take down time during work was a plus.
Earth Mama nipple butter is the best I've tried, lanolin is disgusting. I have Spectra S1, I got it with my first bc I was working and wanted the rechargeable battery option. I got another Spectra with my second bc it was free, but got an S2. Exactly the same but always needs to be plugged in. I also had an Elvie with #2 bc I was mostly pumping - I chose it over the Willow because you have to buy bags for Willow. It was fine for during the day when I was alone with toddler and baby, but I preferred Spectra if H was home because it was more powerful. Maymom and Nenebaby on Amazon sell cheap Spectra compatible parts, and we use the Avent bottles with it. My kids just preferred Avent anyway so it worked out. I used the Simple Wishes hands free bra for both kids and will again.
One product that I absolutely recommend is the Hakka silicone pump - I used it to catch letdown when DS was feeding or I was pumping on on side (and it gives a bit of suction too) - it's super handy! Before I started using it, so much milk from my letdown would go to waste (and end up all over everything too I might add - those early days were a hard learning curve lol).
DS was very picky with bottles and we tried quite a few before we found ones that he liked - when he was very small he was fine with the Avent bottles but we didn't use them after a while because he was basically attached to my breast all the time, and then when we reintroduced a bottle when he was a bit older (around 4 or 5 months) he refused to drink from them. So we tried a few brands, and he finally settled on the Tommy Tippee brand.
- I used an assortment of pillows but really I don’t think a nursing specific pillow is the be all, end all. And pretty soon they become obsolete.
DD1 - BFP 7/23/15 (EDD 3/31/16). "We believe in you rainbow" DOB 4/2/16
DD2 - BFP 2/9/18 (EDD 10/19/18). "Grow baby grow!" DOB 10/24/18
BFP 11/16/20 (EDD 7/31/21). "Round 3 FIGHT!"