I am writing as a 29 year old mother of two with a third on the way. I breastfed and pumped for my first two children, and plan to do so for my third. It is an indescribably beautiful connection between a mother and baby... but damn is it hard. It is physically painful, time consuming, and doesn't always go as planned. With my second baby I had a bit more difficulty and had mastitis a handful of times. I tried at least six different pumps, and I am here to share my reviews. Every person of course is different, but this is my experience with the products I purchased. I recommend purchasing one electric pump and one manual/hand held pump. Additional breast pumping products towards the bottom :)
Elvie Double Electric Wearable Smart Breast Pump | $549.00
DO NOT BUY ELVIE. Why? The most expensive and least effective breast pump I ever tried. I got this for the mobility, and it was the biggest waste of money ever. I pumped practically zero milk from it. It also doesn’t really fit easily in a bra like they advertise. You need to charge each piece with its own cable, and it takes an extremely long time to get full charge. If anyone wants one to try, I am happy to get rid of it.. brand new. I would imagine the other expensive pumps that look like this have similar efficiency, but I haven't tried the other similar options.. and definitely never will.
Spectra - S2 Plus Electric Breast Milk Pump | $172.00
Spectra pump (best for at home, but it has a cord so you are immobile). This is the most reliable and durable. I have had it for 3 years, dropped it multiple times, and it still works great. This one gets the most milk out of all the pumps I have tried. The Spectra S2 has both sides or you can choose to use one a single pump if you are breastfeeding on the other tit.
AVENT Single Electric Breast Pump Advanced | $149.95
This Avent Pump I bought when my Spectra broke here in Costa Rica. It was the only one I could find. It worked, but it did not work well. The suction was not super strong, and it only came with one side... so I had to do one side at a time... thus the pumping time was doubled. Who has the time for that?
Medela Freestyle Flex Breast Pump | $223.00
This Medela pump is really nice for portability, but the suction is not as strong as the Spectra... meaning less milk collected. I have a theory none of the cordless pumps are as strong as the pumps that you physically plug in to the wall. The other con is this pump is super delicate. I absolutely loved it to be able to move around, but I dropped it one time and it stopped working. I think I will buy it again, just because we are often in the car or in a hurry around the house. I plan to use it to complement my Spectra (but if you only get one get the Spectra).
Haakaa Manual Silicone Breast Pump | $12.94
Haakaa hand held breast pump is great for on the go. I got it for my first baby, but I never used it until the second baby. I didn't really understand how to use the Haakaa at first. You have to squeeze your boob to get the milk going first, and then suction cup/attach the pump.. the milk should release with the suction power. This is the most compact on the go pump I have used, and it's cheap. It's great to always have in your bag in case you end up being out of the house way longer than expected. Those situations where you're in a pinch and your boobs are exploding, this will came in handy majorly. I recommend trying.
Dr. Brown's Manual Breast Pump | $27.87
This Dr. Brown's hand held pump had a stronger suction than the Haakaa hand held pump. The milk catcher is a bottle, so you can easily put a top on and feed the baby within seconds of collecting the milk. The cons are that it takes up way more room in your bag than the Haakaa. This one also has a lot more parts to clean after use than the Haakaa (at least 6 vs 1 part).
Additional Breastfeeding Items:
My Brest Friend Original Nursing Pillow | $29.95 - 52.95
Breast friend pillow - First of all... great name. This is very nice for the first couple weeks, but then I never used again. It is also bulky to store. The way it attaches around your torso helps you sit up straight and encourages posture during breastfeeding. When you place your baby on the pillow, it takes some weight off your shoulders really helps to reduce back pain. If you have the space and are not super tight on money then get this... if not you will be just fine without it. I am sure if you situated a regular pillow properly it would have 80% the same effect.
Lansinoh Organic Nipple Cream | $11.99
I chose the Lansinoh Organic Nipple Balm because it is natural plant-based. I use their breast milk bags, so I trusted the brand. I think most nipple creams are the same.. they serves a pretty simple purpose. There's no rocket science here. Your nipples have never had some little human feeding off of them before, they aren't used to being used in this way, so your skin becomes tender.. sore.. cracks... bleeds. Then your body becomes accustomed to the process, and it becomes less painful and more beautiful. As a mother the way your body adapts is pretty unbelievable. Anyway, I would make sure to choose an all natural organic cream. Remember you probably will have remnants of the balm on your skin for your next feeding, so whatever you put on there is sure to be partially consumed by your baby.
Haakaa Nipple Shield | $13.29
Nipple shields help the baby latch in the beginning breastfeeding. I had trouble with my second baby latching. It took two weeks of nonstop frustrating work. The nipple shield was my savior. Boone would take the bottle but not the boob... the nipple shield is pretty much training wheels for breastfeeding. These are also wonderful for when your nipples need a break, the shield is a barrier to minimize the pain in the beginning stages of breastfeeding. The hospital had these available to purchase both times. The nurse will show you how to use it if you ask.
Hands Free Pumping Bra | $19.99
You must have pumping bras. This here is a universal hands free bra... meaning it will work with any kind of breast pump. Why is it a necessity? If you’re working from home, eating in bed, reading a book (probably not), or doing anything and you want to be hands free this is pretty much the only time and the only way. Get 2 or 3 because you need to wash them, and you never want to be without.
Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags | $27.76
This pack of 200 Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags is amazing. I have tried others, but many others do not hold as much milk. These stand up on their own. They are easy to open, yet they have a strong closure with zero leakage. Don't venture from these. I keep bags in the kitchen, my bathroom, and my bedside table. It says not to reuse them, but I typically reuse one more time before throwing out.
Sharpie Permanent Marker | $4.38
Yes, I am seriously including a permanent marker. If you do not label your milk bags right away, you will lose track of the dates and the milk will go bad. You don't want all that hard work to go to waste! Keep one in your bathroom and one in the kitchen. You will thank me later.
Newborn Formula | $38.99
Whether you plan to breastfeed or not, experts will suggest you get a small container of newborn formula. Sometimes you don’t make enough milk the first couple days, and your baby still needs to eat. Do not be too hard on yourself even if your main plan is to breast feed. Boobs are unpredictable. I ended up giving both of my babies a little bit of formula in the beginning... and after several months they both ended up on formula. There's absolutely no shame in formula feeding (although certain people try to make you feel that way), all that matters is that the baby gets fed!!!
The end :) I hope this helps you, your sister, a friend, someone!
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