I guarantee if you’re pregnant, you’ve already thought about whether you want to breast or bottle feed. Perhaps you’ve been asked this question already. You will hear it many, many more times before you deliver your baby.
Of course, it is an important question. Breast feeding has been scientifically proven to have a vast number of benefits for moms & babies. Breast milk has nutrients that formula cannot recreate, & is an amazing, wonderful substance for your newborn.
In an upcoming post, I’ll talk more about the challenges of breastfeeding, as I’m one of the unlucky minority that has struggled with low-supply (yes, even after many consultations with lactation consultants & trying supplements & having hormone levels drawn, etc, etc, etc). But that is a topic for another day. Let me summarize to say, breastfeeding is amazing AND hard.
Today I want to talk about breast pumps. This should be one of your first things to think about. If you’re going to breast feed, or try to breastfeed, you need to consider a breast pump. Even if you will be home with your baby, you will need one at least occasionally.
So, let’s start with some awesome news: MOST insurance companies will provide a breast pump free of charge, so look into this! They typically won’t provide it until after the baby is born, & usually they will provide a list of specific brands & models for you to pick from. That said, look into it now to figure out what kind you want, & what “hoops” you need to jump through to get it.
For example, our insurance requires a “prescription” from the OBGYN. I get this as soon as the baby is born. Then we have to send the prescription & another form to a particular ordering company, that then verifies the insurance & mails us a pump. We’ve been able to email & fax this info from the hospital after delivery in the past, to speed up the process.
Frankly, some of it has been a little silly with our insurance, but I can’t criticize it too much, as it’s still a free breast pump, & a huge blessing. Your insurance will probably be different, so plan ahead & before the baby arrives.
Choosing a Basic Pump
1. YOU WANT AN ELECTRIC PUMP! Even if you don’t think you’ll use it often, get an electric pump. Hand pumping is a pain (literally) & takes forever. Just do it, trust me. It is also wise to consider if there is the option to use batteries or only an a/c wall plug, as it’s helpful to have both options to pump anywhere. This isn’t a requirement, but certainly, a nice advantage in some situations. For full disclosure, I also ended up also keeping an $20, manual hand pump in my car for emergencies (which I’ve needed a handful of times over the last 5 kids). It is a pain to use, but a few times, when I haven’t had my pump or access to power, I’ve been thankful for it.
2. Look at double pumps. This allows you to pump from both breasts at the same time. Otherwise, pumping will take twice as long, since you’ll have to do each side separately. Keep in mind, you don’t have to pump from both sides each time, as most pumps have the option of just using one if you only need to pump from one side. However, you want to invest in a pump than can do both.
Now that we’ve established the basics- an electric, double pump, let’s talk about brands. There’s a million brands & options out there, so I’m just going to address the kinds I’ve used & liked, or that I’ve heard frequent great reviews on from friends or patients.
Personally, I’ve always preferred Medela brand pumps. It’s what I’ve used & like & have had good experience with.
Specifically, the Medela Pump in Style has been my go-to, main pump. For one kiddo, I also rented a hospital grade Medela Symphony as an experiment, which I loved. If I had a $1000 to drop on a pump & several more babies in my future, I’d consider buying one. But it certainly isn’t necessary & was a total luxury to use for a short time.
The other most common brand I hear praises for is the Spectra. This is comparable in price & design to the Medela & is a well-made, reliable machine. While there are many other options out there, these would be the first two brands I’d recommend looking at. You can’t go wrong with either brand, so go with what looks best to you.
When you’re looking at pumps, there are some technical differences related to all the parts, pieces, valves & tubing. If you pump, even somewhat regularly, you’ll be taking this all apart to wash & sterilize FREQUENTLY. Some of these odds & ends (like the valves) will also need to be replaced regularly. For me, one thing that was a primary deciding factor in choosing the Medela was that it is easy to find replacement parts everywhere. I can walk into Target or WalMart & get new valves while doing other shopping. While Spectra has also been around a long time, it isn’t as common in stores (although that is starting to change).
Fancy Pump Upgrade
There are a couple newer pumps on the market that look amazing, that I’ve been eyeing this time around- the Willow & Elvie. There are some differences between the two, but basically, both are cordless pumps that you place in your bra so that you can pump without being hooked up to a machine & tubes like a dairy cow. They work independently of each other, so you could use one while you nurse on the other side, etc.
Most insurances won’t yet cover these, so this would likely be something you would be splurging for out of pocket. Plus, these are both QUITE pricey. As I haven’t used one, I can’t say that they would fully replace the basic electric, double pump, especially in terms of power & suction capability.
That said, if you are going to be pumping frequently, it might be worth looking into. For me, one of the coolest aspects of these pumps is the ability to pump while laying down or reclined. I have always had to pump after feeds (day & night), so being able to pump while snoozing would be a DREAM for me.
I think ideally, I would probably have my insurance provided, standard double pump to use for reliable, complete emptying of the breast & building supply (something that is important for me). But I would use the Willow for nighttime & when I’m away from home running errands, etc. Certainly, you have to consider your own use in determining if it is something worth the expense for you, but it is an amazing option now available.
Middle Ground, Affordable with Flexibility
There are definitely some other middle ground pumps that provide more flexibility than the standard pump, but are less expensive than the options above. They are more portable, smaller, and rechargeable so that you don’t have to be connected to an outlet. The two I am most familiar with are the Baby Buddha & the Medela Freestyle. The Baby Buddha is one that I have heard RAVE reviews about, but I have not used personally.
For my youngest, I used the Medela Freestyle for the first time, which I did like a lot. It had relatively good charge time & suction power to fully empty, similar to the standard Medela Pump in Style. It fit into large pockets or could be worn on a lanyard around my neck, so that I could more easily pump while doing low-movement things around the house.
I then got smart & paired it with Freemie cups, which worked fairly well & provided additional portability. However, I used the original version of Freemie cups, which didn’t have a good backflow valves prevention. Sadly, it meant that I had an incident of milk getting sucked into my Freestyle pump & burning out the motor.
However, before I broke it, I pumped a lot in the car. I have a 30-minute drive to work, which was a great time to pump. I also had to take Kensie back & forth to the hospital for chemotherapy infusions, which was an hour drive one way. It allowed me to get a full pumping session in, then reach over & turn off the pump when finished, without being a distraction to driving, since I could do it hands free.
The newer Freemie cups do have better backflow valves & are great. I believe Freemie also has its own pump now, which I have not experimented with, nor have I heard many people who would choose the Freemie pump exclusively. However, the Medela Freestyle/Freemie combination is less expensive compared to the Willow or Elvie & does provide a good hands-free pumping set-up. If I don’t end up purchasing a Wiilow, I will definitely be getting another Freestyle!
You could also use the Freemie cups with the Spectra or Medela Pump in Style, which would allow a hands-free pumping option, but would still require being attached to the wall outlet. As another note, the Freemie cups don’t provide the perfect seal the way the regular flanges do for me, so I wouldn’t use it 100% of the time.
Buying Used Pumps
The last thing to mention, related to pumps, is the issue of buying a used pump. Let’s face it, pumps are expensive, so buying one second-hand or from a friend may be tempting. But there are a couple things to consider. First, pumps’ efficiency decreases with hours used. It’s like mileage for a car. Some pumps show hours used, other do not, making it harder to know how used & abused the pump may be.
Additionally, & perhaps more importantly, not all pumps have closed systems. For pumps that are not a closed system (which is MOST non-hospital grade pumps), there is some possibility for milk to get inside the pump. This can kill the pump itself (like my Freestyle), but in smaller amounts, can transmit germs or build up mildew/mold. Theoretically, you could transmit diseases to your baby if you purchase a used pump on ebay, etc. While it’s unlikely, especially if you replace all the tubing & valves, it isn’t worth the risk, in my opinion. On the other hand, if you have a friend/family member you TRUST, that used a pump infrequently, it is probably ok. Regardless, you ought to change all tubing & attachments.
So, there you have my favorite pumps. As for me, I will be getting another Medela Pump In Style from insurance since they will cover one every 2 years & my last one was well-loved. I will also be getting either a Willow or another Medela Freestyle with new Freemie Cups.
Of course, I love to hear from you. What breast pump have you used & loved? Do you have a dream pump you would buy if it was financially feasible? Are there other pumps you are researching for your next infant?
As always, love to you all!
Until the next adventure.
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