Nursing Mommy needs your Help?!

[Goingtodisneyworld]

Please help with any breast pump recommendations ~ our trip this year will be in Dec. w/ DD (2 ½), new baby (due Aug. 7, so will be a little over 4mos.) & my parents, since my parents are coming w/ us I dream of maybe 1 or 2 nights w/ just DH, and maybe take DD to Hoop Dee Doo Review w/out baby. I breastfed DD however only had manual Avent & was not very successful w/pumping, so I was never really able to leave her for any period of time. I am only a stay at home mom but would still like to invest in a highly recommend pump (I know most expensive, does not always equal the best), and since I have read such great advice here from breastfeeding moms, I knew there would be no better place to ask for unbiased advice!! Also, has anyone heard of insurance reimbursing for breast pump purchases, just thought I’d ask however if it allows me just a little time away I feel it may be worth every penny!! Happy early 4th of July ~ Christine

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I don't know if this would be of any help, but when my DS was born, he was quite premature and was unable to nurse for a long period of time. The lactacian consultant at the hospital recomanded renting a high quality machine and put us in touch with a person( aslo a lactation consultant) that we rented from. This machine was not real small but that has been ten years ago and and I am sure that they have gotten smaller. Our insurance did in fact pay for the pump, but it was for a special needs infants so doubt that it would pay for a healthy infant. You could ask your infant's doctor or the hostpital where you delivered for a referal.
What a great trip this sounds like with having grandparents along and being babies first trip. Your older daughter would love HDDR. What a great treat for being a big sister.

Good luck.

Jordan's mom

 

[4greatboys]

Out hosp had some you could rent. You buy the manual part, I want to say Avent. All the part that come in contact with the milk are part if the manual one and are yours to keep. The hosp one worked great.

 

[Nette]

The Avent Isis for traveling since it is light weight and the best manual pump out there (avoid the gerber and "evilflo" pumps at all costs!). I used it for about 3 months exclusively (I work FT) until I got my Medela Pump In Style (about $300US) for xmas.

I love both pumps.

I know you said you weren't real successful pumping. And this may be because you are a stay at home mom. Now WAIT... I'm not knocking you!!! I'm just saying that pumping is something that takes a LOT of practice (that you wont get if you are lucky enough to be with your little one to nurse). I used to get so frustrated when I was on maternity leave that I was barely pumping a couple of ounces... turns out that I could get up to 22 oz in a day (at work) after a few months of practice.

Try pumping a little at the begining when you are so engorged. You'll get the practice and pump off some of that excess foremilk that causes gas in teeny babies.

Also remember that you probably wont need to leave too much milk for a 4-5 hour absence. A baby will only need about 2.5-3 oz per lb he/she weighs in a 24 hour period. Divide that number by the number of nursings in a day and you have the # of oz to leave. So nurse right before you leave, leave a small bottle, and nurse as soon as you get back.

Good luck!!!

 

[kaseyC]

I am a stay at home mom too. My favorite manual pump is Avent. With my oldest dd I rented but that was seven years ago. With my second dd I decided to by a good electric pump because I like to have expressed milk available for dh to bottle feed the baby. I purchased the Ameda" Purely Yours" its an electric double pump w/ adjustable suction. The bag it comes in is sorta big but the pump itself and parts are small enough to put in a small diaper bag. I love it because it is easy to set up and you can pump quite a bit of milk quickly. I like to keep my freezer stocked as well as keep fresh milk in the fridge. I bought the Ameda two years ago and I am still using it with our newest arrival dd #3 born in April. Its in great shape and I have not had to buy any replacement parts.
Now as I said, it was purchased 2 years ago so I cannot say what the newer versions are like. (I hope they made the carrying bag smaller) I paid about $200 for it then and I bought it brand new on Ebay.
For short trips I take my manual Avent but for longer trips I take the Ameda because I can pump more milk in a shorter period of time. So in August I will probably be taking the Ameda.
Good Luck with Your choice.

 

[NotUrsula]

I have an Evenflo Pump n' Style; about $300. Good pump, but more of an investment than you probably want to make. If you know someone who could loan you one, you would only have to buy the sanitary parts (the horns and tubes), that would run about $30. BTW, if you do decide to invest in a serious pump, try buying it from a hospital; in most places, they don't charge sales tax.

I noticed that you said "An Avent Isis" -- I take that to mean you only used one? That was probably what your problem was. Single-pumping is much less effective than double-pumping; it works much better when you do both sides at once, odd as that may seem. Massaging from the armpits inward, before pumping also may help.

There are also a couple of herbs that can help milk production, if you don't respond well to pumping. One is called milk thistle (appropriately enough), the other is fenugreek. Fenugreek is a spice that is often found in mediterranean food; it smells ever so slightly like maple syrup (actually, most "maple" flavorings are actually made with it.) You can get both of these in capsule
form from health food stores.

 

[Bird-Mom]

Another vote for the Medela Pump in Style!

I'm a horrible pumper too, but the PIS works pretty well. The only way I can pump more is with a hospital grade rental. The PIS comes in a leather looking bag with a storage compartment, and it doesn't look like you are carting a pump.

Your insurance may very well reimburse if you can get a referral from your lactation consultant or baby's doctor. They would need to word it that the pump is medically necessary for (fill in the blank) reason.

Try a warm shower or a rice bag heated in the microwave and placed on your breast for a few minutes before pumping. Smelling a piece of baby's worn clothing helped me too.

 

[crisi]

My insurance covered my rental, but they wouldn't have covered a purchase. And they only covered my rental because it was a medical necessity.

I'm not sure if you are just looking for a pump at Disney or want one at home. My rental was a hospital grade Medela, and you could probably rent one from an Orlando medical supply company for your trip (you'll need to purchase some parts, in addition to renting the pump).

My rental was $45 a month. If you are planning on a full year of nursing, it makes far more sense to buy one (unless the insurance covers it). We only nursed six months before my daughter decided to move on (her decision), so we wouldn't have broken even on a purchase.

Someone mentioned borrowing a pump - and sometimes you can buy used pumps - check with your hospital's lactation consultant, she may know of a "pump exchange" in your area. You will need to purchase your own tubing, etc.

I worked and breastfed, and I was never very successful at pumping - even with my hospital grade pump. Where my friends could get ample milk in two ten or fifteen minute sessions, I was pumping at work three times a day for half an hour each time to provide enough milk. And I was taking fenugeek. It worked, but took dedication. Some of us seem to be less talented at milk production than others.

Another thing to consider (and you don't need to do this, by any means, but you may want to consider it) is supplementing with formula for the few nights you are out. You wouldn't need to deal with the hassle of the pump and formula is fairly cost effective as a supplement to breast milk when compared with purchasing a pump for just a few feedings. Particularly if you turn out to be less than a great pumper.

 

[danicaw]

I am currently renting a Medela "Lactina Select" from a pharmacy - works great.
I have the Avent Isis, but was not sucessful using it early on and needed the double electric. I think the Isis would work better for me now that I know a little more what I am doing.
I wouldnt want to travel with this rental - the case is pretty good size. You might check out the Medela website and see if you can rent one in Orlando. You will need to purchase tubes, funnels, etc (sold in a kit, about $45) but as I understand these pieces can be used on any Medela electric pump.

 

[mcnuss]

If you think you'll use it often, or maybe have more children, then buy a good quality electric or battery powered pump. I think most people would agree that Medela makes the best ones. My DD is now 9 and so I cannot remember what model I had, but it could be used in the car with an adapter (very handy for a traveling working mom), as well as with batteries or with household current. It was not a double pumper, and was small and light. It did have the variable suction to better mimic a baby (DH wanted to paint lips on the horn and called it the electric baby).

I could NEVER get a manual pump to work, ever, and I had a good one. Yet with my trusty Medela, I could pump 8 oz. in under 10 minutes. I was quite prolific!

Good luck.

 

[Simba's Girl]

I agree with the others.

I say keep trying the Avent b/c its very lightweight and cheap, great for travelling. Did you make sure its put together right (it has alot of little parts so it can be tricky, also make sure there are no cracks either and don't forget to put the white thing with the ridges facing up) Try and pump while you nurse. I realize that you probably are like "how the Heck am I gonna do that?" so here's how:

Make sure pump is ready. Get a pillow or boppy. Place baby in football hold. Latch on. Once baby has started and you can feel your milk letting down start pumping. This is a bit difficult but once you get the hang of it you'll be amazed at how much milk you can get.

I must say that I have both a PIS and Isis. I perfer my PIS, but that's because I work FT. I can't say enough about my PIS, it has lasted through 2 babies at least 8 months each and still going strong on the second! So if you can afford it get the PIS.

I have no experience w/ insurance, but the others seem like they do.

Heather (hopes to be still nursing Ashlynn (10/19/02) in WDW in Oct)

 

[Aristocath]

Lots of great answers here! I would say it depends on how much you will be pumping at home. I am a stay at home mom to three boys, ages 5,3 and 5 months. If I knew then what I know now---- I would have bought a Medela pump with my first baby! Avoid the gerber and evenflo single pumps!!!! They are horrible. Most hospital rent the Medela pumps- if this is your last child, rent from the hospital or a lactation consultant if you will pump at home. With my last two boys, I have pumped more often because we get out so much. The double pumps are fast and effective. If you don't really plan on pumping much at home, I would stick with the Avent- a great single pump. Congrats on the new baby and have a great trip!

 

[Amaris]

I would invest in the medela personally. A bad or cheap pump will do just that, a bad job, LOL! Also, make sure baby will TAKE a bottle before you go... if baby is not already on a bottle or does not have experience with one before you go, chances are he or she will not take it. It is not easy to go from breast to a rubbery nipple on a bottle

 

[lindaso]

Another vote for the Medela Pump-in-style. I got one when my 1st was born and it has lasted through 3 babies. Granted I'm a SAHM and didn't give it the daily use that a WOHM would but I still love it. It was well worth the money, even though my 2 boys would not drink from a bottle. At least I knew they had the option and that I wasn't starving them!!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

If you are going to buy one- I also suggest the Medella pump in style (double pump). I could almost NEVER pump out hardly anything until I got the double pump. For some reason pumping both breasts at the same time made me get TONS out. LOL

But I have also rented a hospital grade double pump from a lactation consultant (find one that does rentals too) and that worked great for me too and it was MUCH cheaper. Like $25 for a month but you can rent weekly also. If you think it will only be needed for the trip- you might do better to save a lot of money and just rent one.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Oh and I also agree with using Avent- it's the only bottle (because of the nipple shape I'm sure) that either of my last two nursers would take (one used on rare occasions- one used it a lot because I was working).

Those are a good investment too because you can buy the lids that help them adjust to sippy cups then regular cups later on.

 

[Goingtodisneyworld]

WOW ~ I knew I would get a lot of fantastic advice but this is beyond my expectations!! Thanks so much for all the words of encouragement & recommendations, although this may be our last ~ I always thought we’d have at least 3, however right now it feels like the longest pregnancy ever, & I am ready to sell all my maternity clothes because I am sure I never want to be pregnant again (LOL), I am now confident the investment will be well worth it, we will be driving to Disney and once there staying at OKW w/ a kitchen, so the size will not be an issue, I am also thrilled at the idea of being able to have milk stored in our freezer/fridge at home & sharing feedings w/ DH, something he truly missed. My Avent was a single pump, & I probably did not have the Dedication of a working mom (you all have my Highest Respect!), and when I did get out we supplemented what I was able to pump, however I never liked supplementing (hence I did not go out much), although DD, did adjust well to Avent bottles. Many, Many Thanks again for all the help & a Disney family reaction, Hope everyone has a nice weekend ~ Christine

 

[akrake]

someone recommeded fenugreek (great for bf) and milk thistle....actually, it's blessed thistle that you take. I was told my kathleen huggins (via email .....nursing mother's companion author) not to take the milk one...only the blessed thistle....and it worked great for me!
amie