Breast pumps

[Chrissy1]

Hi ladies

I plan on expressing my breast milk as I'm not that keen on breastfeeding but I really want my bean to get the benefits of having breast mil...plus I want my DH to be able to help with feeding too.

I've been looking at either the Tommee tippee or the Avent Isis manual pumps in the shops but I haven't got a clue which one would be best.

I've decided to try manual just to see how I get along with it rather than spending a load on an electric one.

Have any of you got or had one of these two pumps and if so how did it work for you??

cheers

 

[valentine]

Hi Chrissy,

Do you mean you will be doing every feed by bottle and not breastfeeding directly at all?

In that case, you will DEFINITELY need an electric pump - you could be expressing 10+ x times a day and the manual ones are very sore on the hands if using them once a day. With the volume of milk you will need to express, I would definitely buy an electric one - the Meleda ones are supposed to be good.

I would also recommend you give breastfeeding a go, it comes really naturally despite what you may think while pregnant.

Valentine Xxx

 

[Chrissy1]

I'm hoping to eventually be all bottle feeding and I'm hoping to give breastfeeding a go to start with but to mix in with some bottle feeding of breastmilk so DH can have a go too

The manual is just to start with really and I'll go to an electric one when I decide to go more into bottles

 

[Bee]

I have the tommee tippee manual one but I have yet to use it - been waiting for the 6 week mark!

 

[heles7]

i have the TT one and find it good and easy to use but valentine is right, there is no way you'll want to sustain feeding using that alone - it is tough on the hands.

I've been using mine when I've been in hospital to send milk back for bubs or when im in too much pain to hold james and it's fine for those short periods of time. Do you mind if I ask why you're not keen on breastfeeding? It's tough but rewarding if you are determined but i think if id used the pump in the early days I would never have stuck it out (breastfeeding proper, that is) and got to the point where i started to enjoy breastfeeding.

Good luck x

Edited to add... I got mine with a good discount in TK Max

 

[valentine]

I have repeat what I said earlier and say that if you are planning on expressing a lot or a few times a day then I doubt a manual pump will work for you - its hard work and time consuming. An electric pump, although an initially expensive outlay, would be much better.

I have the TT Freedom manual pump as I only expressed rarely up until 6 months, then only 2oz or so per day to mix with breakfast cereal until 9.5 months. I've been expressing twice daily for the last few days as I'm going out over bedtime tonight and I have found that really hard work with a manual pump.

Valentine Xxx

 

[Sherlock]

I bought this one (HV suggested it) and its only £10 more than a manual pump. Plus it takes batteries so can be portable IIRC.

http://www.breastpumpsonline.co.uk/natr ... mp-6-p.asp

Trying it out for the first time later.

FWIW I was told it was best to BF exclusively for the first 6 weeks as baby can get confused between bottle and breast before this. They feed differently from both and bottles tend to be much faster feeds making baby lazy about sucking when on the breast.

I am only expressing with Galen just reaching 3 weeks as he has a HUGE appetite and is a very demanding baby for my boobs. HV said it would be fine to give him a couple of expressed bottles a day with OH as he is feeding so well off the boob and has no problems latching etc so she has no concerns he'll get lazy or won't feed so well on them. I am only doing it as I simply don't have a life atm with the amount he feeds so OH being able to do a couple of feeds a day (one during the night) is at least going to give me a break.

FWIW I am loving BF'ing and would really recommened giving it a go TBH the thought of expressing all feeds (having seen my baby and his demands for feeding LOTS) would fill me with dread. Its so much more work to express that many feeds when you can just whip your boob out and be done. I'd not like to think about expressing and feeding, expressing and feeding and so on. Pretty time consuming when your days are hectic enough. There is only so much you can get out of your boobs at any given time to stock up in advance

Also consider that when your milk comes in and during growth spurts your LO will have different demands for milk. And your breasts adjust according to how much they feed. Galen sometimes has a quick feed in 10 minutes (guzzles lots down though) or a longer one of 30 minutes. I'd be worried that by expressing all the feeds that you'd actually be able to find a good balance with what your baby is demanding. Breast milk does not fill their tummies as full as formula so they tend to feed more often. I know Galen is full as he chooses when he comes off my boob. If I feed him from a bottle I am sure it'll be hit and miss as to how much he takes. Chances are OH will have to use the second feed also if he has fills his tank.

 

[kalia]

I don't like breastfeeding, which surprised me as I thought I would find it to be a great experience. In emergencies I breastfeed but usually I express every feed.
I have the tommee tippee freedom manual pump and the avent isis iq electric one and I'll compare them for you.

First of all, manual vs electric. I used the manual for 3 weeks and it was really hard on my hand and started to get painful for my hand. MIL said she'd buy me an electric one and I thought it might be a waste of money but it so wasn;'t! I don't think it's that much quicker but it gives me one hand free to play computer games, come back on here, go shopping on the internet..... With the TT pump I needed to use 2 hands as I needed to hold my breast in place. That may just be a difference between Avent and TT. The breast massaging let down thing or whstever they call it is really good on the Avent - it sucks and releases. The TT said it had thst but it didn't - it was just solid plastic and if the breast wasn't on tightly some milk would escape and stop it working properly so I had to use both hands and dry off from time to time during each express. The Avent seems to be a far greater quality product than the TT. It's a bit easier to take apart for cleaning too. The isis iq also comes with the attachments to be a manual pump instead of mains or battery powered.

You may want to wait and see what you think of breastfeeding before deciding on a pump. I thought I'd like breastfeeding and I hate it. You may be the opposite. But if you do decide to express anything more than one bottle a day it is really worth the money to buy an elecric pump. I currently express for around 4 hours a day and that time is of far better quality now that I can do things while expessing.

 

[kalia]

Just wanted to add, I express more than she drinks so if she has a growth spurt or throws up lots I produce the extra milk and it's not a problem. This morning at 6, having not expressed since about 10pm or so, I expressed 340ml, just under half what she will drink in a day!

 

[Sydneysmum]

I used the Avent Isis hand pump last time and I've bought another one again as I found it quite easy to use. I once expressed a pint! Generally, I fed my son myself but occasionallly my friend would have my son overnight so I could get some sleep (I was on my own and quite unwell after the birth) but I don't think I started this until I had been feeding him for 6 weeks. It was also useful if I got engorged which happened quite a lot to me.

I never found it tiring and have decided not to buy an electric pump because I don't like the idea of not being in control of the device attached to my boobie!

Everyone's different - suck it and see (pardon the pun)

 

[LisaJ1986]

I have the Tommie Tippee manual. Was meant to get an electric 1 off my sister but she's unreliable! I can't afford an electric 1. But i find manuals easy. It's so simple to take apart and put together. I only favour breastfeeding over pumps coz of sterilising and preparing. But i express regularly now.