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 Breast Pump Recommendation

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TSCloudx
post Jun 30 2015, 10:22 AM, updated 9y ago

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Hello fellow mummies & daddies.

I'm about to be a daddy by November, so since there's still some time to go. I'm doing some research on breast pump and saw this thread.
First of all, I found a lot of information here smile.gif I notice that a lot recommend Medela Freestyle,but it's too over my budget which is around RM500.
So based on the recommendation here I notice 3 types of breast pump which is within my budget, would want to ask about any experience between this 3 or is there any other good pumps?
Another thing is my wife will be working after giving birth, so it's a trouble for her to pump during worktime. According to her, her office is small & doesn't really have much space for her to pump the milk, any mummies out there can advice on this?

1. Autumz Passion
2. Spectra M1
3. Freemie Deluxe
talexeh
post Jun 30 2015, 10:29 AM

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My wife used both Medela Freestyle & Spectra S1. Both are good though Medela is much much much pricier. The good thing about Medela though is that it's very small size so it's very easy if your wife needs to pump & move around.

Anyway, with regards to the list you've constructed, you need to know that item #3 (Freemie Deluxe) is not a pump. It's just a milk collection cup that don't real protrude out as much as the other pump's default suction cups.

If you insist on the list, I'll vote for Spectra M1. However, you'll really need to consider the mobility of those pumps since you said your wife's office is small. She definitely needs to pump while in office or she'll risk stopping the breastmilk supply.
TSCloudx
post Jun 30 2015, 10:34 AM

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QUOTE(talexeh @ Jun 30 2015, 10:29 AM)
My wife used both Medela Freestyle & Spectra S1. Both are good though Medela is much much much pricier. The good thing about Medela though is that it's very small size so it's very easy if your wife needs to pump & move around.

Anyway, with regards to the list you've constructed, you need to know that item #3 (Freemie Deluxe) is not a pump. It's just a milk collection cup that don't real protrude out as much as the other pump's default suction cups.

If you insist on the list, I'll vote for Spectra M1. However, you'll really need to consider the mobility of those pumps since you said your wife's office is small. She definitely needs to pump while in office or she'll risk stopping the breastmilk supply.
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Thank you talexeh for the advice.
I think I'll need to see and compare the actual unit by myself before making the decision.
kausar
post Jun 30 2015, 10:35 AM

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go try or consult with their adviser first. u have to learn how to use it and read review the pump u want to buy. for me first buy medela electric pump ( the small one) then my wife cannot use it becoz not suitable then change to medela advanced (can pay instalment hahaha) coz have this technology not remember. regarding pump at office too u have to look the pump u buy , for medela have the small freestyle and medela in the backpack. try wearing loose cloth or jacket when pump it. recommend too to look for philips
hanishoney
post Jun 30 2015, 01:14 PM

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QUOTE(hanishoney @ Dec 4 2014, 01:25 PM)
Factors to consider in choosing your pump:

How often and how long will you be pumping? To me, manual pump is a waste of money. Hand expressing is actually more effective than manual pump, and cheaper! Since the first month, you should just latch latch latch, that gives you a whole month to practice expressing by hand and IF expressing by hand doesn't work by the end of that first month, THEN only you buy manual pump. Click here for my favourite hand expressing video.

It took me about two weeks of trying every day to get the milk to come out by hand expression. When I first started, I just practiced getting the milk out. I practiced in the shower until my arm was sore, and then stop. I repeat only once a day. One day, it just shoot out! Only when I could make the milk shoot out from every angle of the breast 360degree, then only I practice to collect the milk. Hand expressing is soooooo useful and so convenient. I just keep a clean bottle in my car, in my handbag. Any emergency, I just wash my hands and express. I never have to worry about what if I forgot my pump! Even if I forgot the bottle, I just go to a baby shop or baby section of dept store and buy milk bags. Can pump straight in without washing.

However, if you're planning to go back to work full time, or you're going to be separated from your baby for more than 6 hours at a time, then you should definitely buy a double electric. To bf successfully, you should latch OR pump every 3 hours around the clock for the first 6 months. Let's say you're a typical working mum, so you're going to be separated from your baby for 8 hours + 1 hour commute between home and office. That's 9 hours separation, and that means 3x pumping.

When you're pumping, you should pump 20 minutes each breast. If you use a double pump, each session will be 20 minutes x 3 sessions, which means total amount of pumping at the office is 1 hour. If you use only a single pump, you have to do 20 minutes left breast than only 20 minutes right breast, meaning 40 minutes x 3 sessions! That's 2 hours of pumping at the office, not to mention that you'll be disappearing for 40 minutes 3x a day. Your boss will NOT be happy with you.

Double pump is about saving time. You HALVE the time of pumping with double pump, because you pump both breasts at the same time. If you buy a hands free bra, then you can pump AND do other things at the same time. (I liked to nap while pumping; the first 6 months of newborn baby, it was the only sleep time I got!)

Where will you be pumping? Will you have a plug point? If you have a plug point, then you don't need rechargeable battery types, which are more expensive. Will you be pumping in your car? Then you need a pump where you can buy the car charger addition, or consider rechargeable battery types. Will you be carrying the pump around? Then you want to consider a lightweight pump. Heavier, bigger pumps that you can just leave in the office would have better suction so you can pump more milk in less time, if you're just pumping at the office. Will you be pumping in the middle of the office with everyone around you? You may want to make sure that your pump is as quiet as possible. Some pumps can be very loud and embarassing, but no pump is completely silent. I once entered an elevator while pumping. It was a very quiet pump, and normally no one can hear it, but in an enclosed elevator that echoes, the people sharing the elevator with me heard the pump and freaked out a bit by the weird noise echoing so quietly.

How long do you intend to use it for? Are you planning to have multiple children? Do you plan to re-use the pump for second and third and fourth child? Then make sure you know where to send the pump for servicing and how easy/affordable servicing will be. You will need to send the pump for servicing at least, if not more often, every time you get pregnant with a new baby. Malaysian Medela service center no longer services US-bought pumps at all. Medela pumps bought from US are for 1-baby use only. They say it in their manuals, on their website, etc. If you're only using for one baby, then you might really be saving by buying US medela pump, but if you want to use for even two babies, you might as well just buy the more expensive version. Spending RM200 more is cheaper than having to buy a completely new pump when you're pregnant again because your USA pump refused to work (personal experience).

Also if you live far away from the service center, will it be expensive to ship to the service center? Or will the shop you buy it from pay for the shipping? What will you pump with while your main pump is away? How long is warranty?

Do you plan to buy second hand from a stranger or re-sell your pump after you're done? If you do, then consider avoiding medela, avent and other brands with open-pump system. Open-pump system means that the pump itself is not protected from the user. It is possible that any infections of the previous user can pass to the new user AND HER BABY through open-pump systems. There is no evidence that any infections/diseases have been acquired through breast pumps though, so if you wish to take the risk to yourself and your babies, or risk infecting other people's babies, that is up to you. I just tell you what is known. If you don't want to take this risk, look for closed-pump systems.
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Lowyat's previous breastpump thread: 1 and 2

This post has been edited by hanishoney: Jun 30 2015, 01:17 PM
TSCloudx
post Jun 30 2015, 02:49 PM

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QUOTE(hanishoney @ Jun 30 2015, 01:14 PM)
Lowyat's previous breastpump thread: 1 and 2
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Thank you so much hanishoney for your long and elaborate explanation, will show this to my wife tonight thumbup.gif
Snoopie
post Jul 1 2015, 08:26 AM

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If you have budget, the best would be Medela Freestyle. I wanted to buy for my wife but unfortunately, is way over my budget. Medela Freestyle is expensive cause of its brand and it is small, convenient and comes with a extra rechargable battery that allows you to pump without finding a plug when you are outside.

But dont be disappointed, there's always alternatives to choose from. I've bought for my wife Spectra Plus 9 breast pump. It is small and there's 10 levels of power suction compared to other brands for only half the price.

Ask your wife to try it out to see which she feels comfortable with. As a reminder, dont try to test the breast pump by sucking the milk out when your wife is going to due. Because the first few drops of the breast milk is vital for the baby once he/she is born.
ezekiel_77
post Jul 17 2015, 10:17 PM

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Have you ever researched Medela Swing? Small, lightweight, budget a bit over but not too much (about 6XX), my wife use for 6 months without problems.
agape_ian
post Jul 27 2015, 05:25 PM

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I personally recommend Medela brand but it's kind of expensive. I'm not sure about other brands. Try to get those that comes with 2 pumps (save time).

Came across someone selling that you might be interested of:
https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3651764

Good luck!
hanishoney
post Jul 30 2015, 03:05 PM

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QUOTE(Cloudx @ Jun 30 2015, 10:22 AM)
Another thing is my wife will be working after giving birth, so it's a trouble for her to pump during worktime. According to her, her office is small & doesn't really have much space for her to pump the milk, any mummies out there can advice on this?
You don't need space to pump milk. You need time and you need guts. If you have guts, anywhere also can pump milk. Get a nursing cover and pump under the nursing cover wherever you are. My favourite nursing cover, but anything can work. A friend of mine uses her own office jacket. Block out your meeting calendar for pumping time, so people don't do meetings during your pumping time, or just walk out of the meeting, explaining you have to go pump. If any guy walks out to go smoking, you take the excuse to pump while he's smoking.

If really shy and cannot pump in front of men, find out where the surau in your building is. In Malaysia, there should always be somewhere the muslims go to pray; ask any muslim girl who wears tudung where she prays. In Islam, breastmilk is the right of ALL babies up to age 2 years old, so pumping milk for any baby is considered a religious activity, so even if you're not a muslim, you have the right to use a woman's surau/prayer area to pump. Just make sure to look for an arrow. It'll be on the ceiling or on the floor. It points to where muslims face for prayer. You want to sit near the wall OPPOSITE to where the arrow points, so that you're always sitting behind anybody praying instead of where they are forced to face you pumping.

To cut down on time taken to pump milk, make sure to get a double pump. Double pump will halve your pumping time. Whenever your baby is not directly feeding from mama, mama MUST pump every 3-4 hours, 15-20 minutes EACH breast MINIMUM. Otherwise your milk supply will start drop. So if you get a single pump, it will be 30-40 minutes every session, but if you get double pump, it will be 15-20 minutes every session. And every 3-4 hours starts from the moment you START pumping, not from when you finish pumping. That means let's say the last time you feed baby was 6a.m, you have to pump latest 10a.m. then 2p.m. then 6p.m. but if you need more milk, you'll have to pump more often than that. You can also pump shorter but more often, for example, every 5 minutes 1 breast every 1 hour. Do whatever works for you, as long as it maintains your milk supply. Remember that the pumping/latching causes the supply, not the other way around. You have to pump/latch first, then only the milk will come in, and often it's not immediately. If you pump every 10a.m. the body will know oh, 10a.m. is when I should make milk, but sometimes the body is slow to change and you have to pump for 3 days straight at 10a.m. only then the body will finally produce the milk at 10a.m.

After the first pumping session of the day, no need to wash; just put everything that kena milk in the fridge/cooler bag. Then next pumping session can just open fridge/cooler bag and put the horn back on your boobs, connect the tube back and turn pump on. Repeat until you go home. Only need to wash the pump parts once a day when you get home from work.

Learn to feed in side-lying position and co-sleep with baby. Then baby can nurse with you all night while you dream feed and therefore need less milk pumped out during the day. Then for sure can stretch the pumping to the minimum 4 hours 15 minutes, instead of doing more frequently because need more milk in the bottle. Also, then no need to get up to pump at night to make bottle. Remember, whenever baby not direct feeding, must pump every 3-4 hours. Imagine having to get up and set up pump every night every 4 hours! You can feed baby while lying down, but no pump can allow you to pump while lying down! Lying down, even when you can't sleep, is still more rest than sitting up, and rest helps with supply. If too tired also, supply will drop and you have to pump even more often and you'll be more tired and so on.




 

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