Oh, where do I begin? I went through 3 different breastpumps: the Medela Swing Breastpump, The First Years miPump, and finally the Medela Pump In Style Advanced w/ On-the-Go Tote.
Medela Swing
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
I had no problems with the first pump I got, the Medela Swing (approximately $120). It’s a small little handy electric pump. I would strongly recommend it to any stay-at-home mom who finds herself occasionally pumping. I would not recommend it for a working mom or a moron like me that thought she could just become a sole pumper rather than fixing her breastfeeding problems (don’t become this too).
The features I like most about this pump was the fact that it was small and compact and came with all the standard features you will find in most electric pumps (2-phase expression, comfortable breastshields, etc.). It also comes with a handy little feature that shuts the pump off after 30 minutes. I found this to be very useful since I kept falling asleep at the pump. J
I had to move away from this pump because I found myself pumping all the time and wanted to cut that time in half. I knew I needed to spend the money and a get a double.
The First Years miPump – Double
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
I ended up getting the miPump (approximately $63) solely based on price and the fact that I ordered it from Amazon.com, so I could freely take the risk in trying it. This is something important to note. Amazon.com will allow you to return opened and used breastpumps (they have wonderful customer service). You will not be able to return your pump to some stores because they consider it a hygiene product – you’ll be forced to contact the manufacturer instead. So my advice is to purchase your pumps through Amazon.
So a $63 double breastpump turned out to be indeed too good to be true. The First Years miPump comes with all the standard features, plus it comes with a “hand-free” bar contraption to hold the pumps. It’s not handsfree because you still have to hold the contraption with one hand. This pump seemed to work just as well as my Medela Swing, but sadly after 4 days milk got in the tubing. This was a common complaint in the Amazon.com customer reviews. Thankfully Amazon refunded me my money and I broke down to buy a “real” double pump.
Medela Pump In Style Advanced w/ On-the-Go Tote
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
A good breastpump isn’t cheap. This double pump will run you about $280. I do not regret the purchase at all. This pump comes with all the standard bells and whistles, 2 other things that it comes with that I thought were great was the tote – discreet for lugging my pump to work, and the cooler carrier – perfect fit in the bag and with the ice pack can hold 4 bottles.
I would recommend this pump to anyone. I think it is a great pump and it made my life a lot easier.
I did need to get some additional supplies/accessories that made pumping easier:
PumpEase Handsfree Breastpumping Bra
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
The big one is that this particular Medela pump isn’t handsfree. This is kind of comical. You have to somehow hold two pumps to your breast and still operate the pump itself. The booklet actually shows a mysterious third hand coming out of nowhere to adjust the pump. I bought a handsfree breastpump bra to solve this dilemma. You are not going to be able to live without one of these. Medela has its own version of this that they sell in most baby stores. I ended up getting the PumpEase Fabulous 50's Collection one. It ran me about $32 but it’s actually cute and a nice silky fabric. Just make sure you pay attention to the sizing chart because they run big.
Medela Personal Fit Breastshields
Now not all nipples are the same. All the pumps come with 24mm breastshields (considered a size medium). I ended up having to move up in size (they come in 21mm, 24mm, 27mm, 30mm, and 36mm). Pay close attention as you pump to see if your nipple is fitting in the breastshield appropriately.
Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags
(Approximately $6.50) This is great for pumping at work or away from home. Each box comes with 5 bags and you can use each bag 20 times.
Medela 9V Vehicle Lighter Adapter
Now pumping in the car may sounds weird, but for me it was very convenient when we had to go on long roadtrips.
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