Product Spotlight: Breast Pumps

littlemarshmallow · December 2023

I think some breast pumps are covered by insurance but honestly not sure how that works. Anyone know the details?

winterecho · December 2023

Popping in from the July BMB! With my first at my OB's office they needed the fax number from insurance to send over a prescription for a breast pump during my 3rd trimester. Once everything was confirmed, insurance called me to ask which brand I wanted. I looked into it from before and was able to answer right away. They confirmed address and I got it a few weeks later.

maggiemadeit · December 2023

My insurance gave me a list of suppliers, and I took my Rx to them. I ended up getting the cheapest Medela model with my first, and upgraded to the Spectra S2 with my second. I am a heavy pump user and much preferred the Spectra. I also always had a Haakaa on hand to collect the leakage while breastfeeding. My supply is just enough so every drop counts!

I’m curious to check out the reviews on some of the new pumps that you can walk around wearing. I always hated being stuck in one spot while pumping.

saltedcaramel518 · December 2023

I used aeroflowbreastpumps.com last time. You input your insurance info, and it will tell you your options for what you can get.

I used a Medela with my first baby and a Spectra S2 with my second. I preferred the Spectra.

curlyandpreggo · December 2023

Almost all plans have to cover breast pumps (there are a few exceptions - "grandfathered" plans - but at this point it should be pretty rare). Most insurance providers contract with a company that you can order through. I used Aeroflow last time. They require a prescription from your doctor and then you can shop on their website to choose a pump (many without any cost, a few higher end ones will require you to chip in). It's super easy! Also, they cover replacement parts as well, and Aeroflow will text you reminders when it's time to replace parts.

Your insurance website should tell you what company (or companies) they contract with, but you can check if Aeroflow has a contract with your insurance here as well: https://aeroflowbreastpumps.com/qualify-through-insurance. (Aeroflow is what I used, so it's what I'm most familiar with, but for example, here is a full list from United of companies they work with: https://www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/health-topics/pregnancy/breast-pumps)

saltedcaramel518 · January 2024

I highly recommend getting a hakaa or similar milk collector in addition to a regular pump. It's a little silicone cup you put on the breast you're not using while the baby is nursing, and it collects the let down milk from that side. You may only get an ounce or 2 each feeding, but that adds up.

maple1422 · January 2024

I had a Medela with my first and struggled hard with my pumping experience. I was young, uninformed, and overstressed. It’s a whole tale, so we’ll save the long story for later. I don’t know that the pump had anything to do with my actual experience. 8 years later, with my second I used the aeroflow website to get a significant discount through insurance when I bought my Willow 3.0 pumps. They say not to solely use the wearables because they don’t drain all the milk, but I had no issues with it. I breast fed and pumped between until DS2 got teeth on top and bottom. That was my deal breaker. The Willow worked for me all 5 months that I was exclusively pumping. I had a hand me down pump as a back up and never had to bust it out. My second round pumping was as close to wonderful as pumping can be. I highly recommend the wearables, specifically the Willow 3.0 with the reusable containers. I’ll use it again for DS3.

Edited to add: I also recommend the haakaa for letdown on the other side! At one point I was able to pump one side while nursing the other, but I had to work up to that.

curlyandpreggo · January 2024

Love milk collectors when you are nursing. I think haakaa unfortunately contributed to the frequent clogged ducts I had, but I used and liked the Elvie Curve - I've also heard good things about the Boon Trove, but that wasn't out when I had my first one. One thing to note is because these use pressure, if you have an oversupply this can continue to contribute to oversupply (I had low supply so not something I'm familiar with personally, but have heard about people not realizing this and so wanted to note it)

There's also other types of milk collectors that don't use any pressure (sometimes called milk collector shells - things like the Elvie Catch, Haakaa Ladybug, etc.) - these can be good for leakage either while nursing/pumping or that you might just have between nursing/pumping. I never really had much leakage, but that milk is still good to use and these can be good options to save it if you do!

jrose424 · January 2024

I purchased a Medela with my first. It was alright and I will probably just use again, since I mostly bf. In retrospect a cordless pump would have been amazing, since your not bound to one spot. Also I really liked the Medela manual pump. It was great for leaving the house long periods at a time, since it doesn’t take up a lot of space in your bag.

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