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September 2022 Moms
kboydbowman
member
Product Spotlight: Breast Pumps and Accessories
kboydbowman
member
What are you favorite tools for boobie squeezing?
Current pregnancy -
First BFP on 1/4/22. Due date 9/13/22.
First BFP on 1/4/22. Due date 9/13/22.
Four prior losses, no living children - 1 first trimester miscarriage, 1 blighted ovum, 1 chemical, and one extreme premature live birth daughter who died at 15 days old.
Re: Product Spotlight: Breast Pumps and Accessories
With my daughter I used the Spectrum S2 and it was a good pump. My one and only complaint was that I couldn't easily move it around the house, which ended up being very important for me. So this time I grabbed the Motif Luna with the battery option (I had to pay $30 for that option, but I'm sure it'll be worth it). I learned my lesson about 5 months in that I needed a hand pump as well for when I was out without baby and needed relief. I chose the Lansinoh hand pump (under $30) and I absolutely loved it! I would sometimes even choose that over my electric pump, especially toward the end of my "pumping for extra" journey.
If you're having trouble getting good output, it's possible your flange is the wrong size. I needed to order different flanges and that helped with the pain and output immensely. I used Pumpin' Pal and loved them.
And for those who are curious, yes, the Haakaa is 100% worth it, especially in the first few months. Latch it to the side baby isn't on so it catches all of the letdown. I could easily get 6 ounces extra a day that way. Look online for methods to keep baby from kicking it off and research how to use it properly. It's super easy, but used incorrectly it won't work well.
For us, I used the pitcher method. It takes two extra bottles a day, but is worth it. I used a tall Dr. Brown's bottle for the first pump of the day (we didn't use this brand, but we got it free for registering and it held a lot), then the second pump would sit in the fridge next to the chilled milk. Once I went to the third pump session, I added the second pump to the first and washed the second bottle until next time. It's important you don't mix temperatures, which is why this is how most people do it.
For bags, we used the Kiinde bags because we liked the bottle system and once she dropped using them for milk, we used the extras as food pouches. And they're recyclable. 🙌🏻
I had a spectra s2 for my first. It worked great. I need to be able to adjust suction and speed separately to get the best output so medela (that was available then, not sure if there's been changes) wouldn't work for me
With my second I switched school districts so I was able to get two pumps one from each insurance agency because you can get a new one even after baby is born. I got the motif luna (battery one didn't come out until after I had my second). And I loved it. It's pretty much the same as the spectra just sleeker in design and smaller.
When I had the new insurance I opted to get the motif duo.... I don't recommend. I could get more milk with my haakaa than I could get with it. I emailed motif and explained this they thought maybe it was faulty and sent me a new one. That one worked the same. I'd get 2 or 3 ounces total with it when it I were to use my normal pump I'd get 4-6 ounces. I gave one to my cousin and kept the other as a oh shit I need one with no electricity and even 2 ounces of relief would be good.
My cousin who has a second 6 months younger than my second got the motif luna with battery. She was having issues with it and contacted motif and was sent another. She found out she was an idiot and didn't push the cord in hard enough so that's why it didn't charge. So she gave me her second one, and it was so nice to be able to move about while pumping. Even something as simple as oh shit I forgot to lock the door and can't reach if I'm plugged in was so nice to be able to get up and lock the door.
I have 2 haakaas a smaller one, and then a larger one. I find the larger one gets in the way while breastfeeding and gets knocked off more. The smaller one, I fill quickly so I need to have a jar to dump in.
I love my Sarah wells pump bag, cooler, and pumparoos.
I keep all my milk in mason jars with pour able lids (amazon has many options) . On Fridays I dump it all together into a pitcher and separate into bags. The parents choice bags come in 10oz sizes and that's really handy when normally it's 6 oz, you use less bags that way. Both of my daughters didn't care for bottles, so I had a large freezer stash even though they went to daycare. I was able to donate through the human milk for human babies Facebook group. The last mom/baby I donated to a few times, made pumping and donating so worth it, unlike some of the others I met where it felt like a sketchy drug deal meeting them on the corner and handing over milk.
I still have that and it still works so I’ll be using that and getting something else more portable probably this time around since I qualify to get a new one. I also plan on getting a haakaa this time around.
Low for me was supplementing starting at 2 weeks old 🥴 including domperidone prescription for me starting at 6 weeks postpartum. I really hope this time around is easier for me otherwise I’m out and formula feeding it is.
[rant] Why are all our bras so specialized?! I'm already planning to get nursing bras, and a few nursing friendly tops, but now need to consider pumping ones, too?
Not as convenient but you can also hack your nursing bras…
https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/hands-free-pumping/
This time around I’m getting the Willow. Might as well go big or go home with this pregnancy.
This is the pumping/nursing bra I used is cheap one is falling a part after a year, but it did its job. Essential Pump&Nurse Bra, All in... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UK9K06U?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
My insurance (BCBS) approved me and sent it within the week while my sister's insurance (UH) approved her and will send her chosen pump shortly before she's due to deliver. Both of us went through the same site earlier this year and had the same experience.
First BFP on 1/4/22. Due date 9/13/22.
I am upgrading to the Spectra Synergy Gold after reading lots of reviews.
I also found this really helpful group on FB. I posted the couple pumps I was looking at and what I needed and tons of moms offered their opinions.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/breastpumpreviews
First BFP on 1/4/22. Due date 9/13/22.
I bought a hand/manual pump in addition to the one my insurance covered, but that's it. For now, just take a deep breath and check out the Aeroflow site and others like that that were mentioned above.
I read Ina May's guide to breastfeeding and felt that gave more information than the lactation appointment before I gave birth. Mine felt more like a health class when she had diagrams and went over what tissues make up breasts. I felt she was useless after birth as well when she started to tell me I needed to use formula when I didn't. Thankfully I had educated myself, or I might have not been able to breastfeed like I had wanted. She did give me pump supplies in the hospital to use with the hospital pump that also have a manual pump so I had the medela manual pump and haakaa in addition to my electric pumps.
That said, I swear by my little manual pump for when I don't feel like getting everything hooked up. It was about $30 at Target and pumped so much for me. My electric pump was used daily, but sometimes I just grabbed that one instead to get the milk out because it worked so well for me. That's the kind of situation where you might consider getting more than one.
Save your money for other baby gear and don't risk having an extra pump lying around, not being used.
As far as hand free pumps. I really wanted one as I wasn't sure I was going to get pumping time with teaching at a new school when I had my second. I ended up buying a portable one and it didn't work as well as the big models so it was useless to me and made me think that I can't use the hand free pump and they'd be making me lose what supply I had.
@nightknight If you're home with baby all the time, you won't need a pump. If you're one of those amazing moms that can hand express really well, you won't need any pump. I remember with my first, the first time she slept a 4 hour stretch I was in a ton of pain and didn't have a pump as we were traveling and at a hotel, I had to hand express a bunch of milk into the shower just to get the ladies to not be rock hard and allow my daughter to latch on.
I will say that pumping hurts less than baby especially in the beginning because you're not working on perfecting the latch of a machine. After a few weeks, if you don't have any complications with latch and such, it shouldn't really hurt. That being said, my nipples were really sensitive from when I ovulated until my period came and nursing during that time was never comfortable, with my first when it happened the first time, I thought she was getting teeth and biting me, I was so sad I thought I was going to have to stop breastfeeding and she was only 6 months old. Thankfully after I got my period, it went back to not hurting and everything was fine.
Harmony - Manual Breast Pump | Medela | Medela