Types of Pumps II

Disclaimer: Some of this advice worked for some people some of the time. Neither they nor Working Moms Refuge take responsibility for its applicability to your family. Please discuss any questions with your own network of professionals, friends and family first.

Evenflo:

The breast pump that best worked for me was an electric pump....brand -- Pigeon or Evenflo.
I usually pumped during my lunch break at which I reserved a conference roomI could use. I just thought that the ladies' room is not hygienic enoughfor such a "ritual". I then store the milk I just pumped in our office refrigirator which remains chilled until the time I go home. When I reach home, i just submerge the feeding bottle in a glass half-full of hot water. This then is ready for serving to my daughter who is now ten months old.
-- Felicity

Medela

I was fortunate compared to some of the mothers that I have spoken with regarding expressing milk in the workplace.I had an office so I did not have the challenge of finding a place to express. I used the Medela Pump 'n Style. I pumped for 10 months starting before I returned to work at 4 weeks postpartum. I stopped pumping when M. was 11 months old as I was between jobs at the time.
-- Jennifer

I used the Medela Pump 'n Style after going back to work at my half-time job. I saved reading to do while I was pumping, sitting on the floor of an office store room. (It was comfortable, really it was!) I only had one difficult incident. I was just starting when the ceiling opened up. I felt a draft and some water falling on my head. Then I looked up and saw a workboot. I managed to gather everything up and button my blouse before the roof repairman climbed down into the store room!
-- Betsy

I went back to work when my baby was 10 weeks old and I pumped until my daughter was12 months old. I started pumping with an Evenflo electric/battery pump when my daughterwas 8 weeks to start my supply. That pump did not work for me. It took too long and it did not have a strong enough suction.I bought the Medela Pump In Style and I love it! It cut my pumping time down to 15 - 20 minutes and I was able to pump both breasts at the same time. When I was pumping it gave me time to relax a little and it made me feel closer to my daughter. The bad part about pumping was that I had to do it in the public restroom of my office. I was lucky thoughbecause there are two bathrooms on myfloor and the one I use is rarely usedby anyone and it is cleaned at least threetimes a day. My officemates were great about my pumping time. Most of the timesno one even noticed that I was gone.
-- Judy

I started pumping right after my son was born since he was in the special care unit, and then had problems latchingon to one breast. Once that got better, I pumped occasionally to build up a freezer supply for when I went back towork - when he was three months old. I've been back at work for two months. My company has a lactation room and I also use a lab that my group owns and is rarely occupied - I put a sign out on the door "please knock" and my coworkersknow I'm in there. I use the Medela Pump 'n Style which is great and also looks like a briefcase. I pump twice a day, but now that my husband is going back to work, I won't be able to meet my son for lunch every day, so looks like I'll be pumpingthree times a day for a while. It is really worth it to be able to continue breastfeeding and assuage my guilt over workingat least I'm providing what I think is best for him.
-- Sharon

I use a Medela Pump 'n Style which works great for me. You can single or double pump, it's very lightweight and portable and you can store your milk within the pump case. I try to pump 3 times a day during work. I've cut down to 2 session now that my son is 10 months and he isn't nursing as often. I'm able to have one hand free so that I can read, write or use the computer while I pump. The best advice I can give is not to miss a pumping session and store all the milk you can before going back to work- it lessens the anxiety just knowing that you'll always have enough.
-- Lynn

I have been using the Medela Pump in Style for 11 months. I have been very pleased, as it pumps quickly and quietly. The carrying case is very nice, too. I just take my breaks and pump, sometimes I pump at my desk and work, and sometimes I pump in the car on the ride home!
-- Angela

I use the Medela 'Pump in Style' at work, usually twice a day. I find that it is very efficient and FAST! It takes longer to set up and clean up than it does to actually pump. My daughter is 8 and 1/2 months old and has never received formula. I have access to a small conference room that I secure with a large piece of furniture in front of the door and place a sign outside of the door. My daughter has never had an ear infection and has gained weight at a very healthy weight. I regained my prepregnancy weight in about 4 months, and was able to wear my regular wardrobe at about 8 weeks post delivery. I am confident that breastfeeding played a big role in my quick recovery.
-- Anita

I've rented a Medela Lactina for work - it sits under my desk and doesn't come home. I purchased an Avent Isis hand pump for home/weekends/traveling, and this has worked out just great. My daughter is 4 months old now, and I've been at work two months - I just shut my door when I need to pump, and people just copewith it. I pump once a day at work (2 4-5 oz bottles), and she sometimes gets formula at home, but I'm not sweating that as long as she's still getting some breast milk.Seems to have helped get through the winter cold season.
-- Cathi

I used a rented Lactina Plus and Lactina Select (rented through my local LLL leader), and these worked beautifully for me. I tried hand expression, hand pumps, and even a battery pump that a friend gave me, but I wasn't able to get a let-down with any of those. The Lactinas were the answer for me. And I have to say that pumping was one of the best things I could've done for my son. It allowed me to return to my job (even though I didn't want to) and still "be there" for my son throughout the day by pumping and supplying him with all the nutrients he needed for the first 14 months of his life. If I hadn't pumped, I'm certain my son wouldn't still be nursing today at 2.5 years old.
-- Lori

Nurture III

I have a 15 week old girl and returned to work at the Post Office when she was 9 weeks. I have been using a Nurture III electric pump which can pump one or both breasts. I found that my milk supply decreased after a couple of weeks. To remedy this I've set certain times of day to pump instead of trying to fit it in when I had a chance. Take your time pumping. Don't skip a pumping. Most importantly have a supply of milk before you go back to work. I didn't and I'm constantly trying to keep up.
-- Liz

Ameda-Egnell:

I returned to work 8 weeks after the birth of my son. I rented an Ameda-Egnell pump that was really quiet. i was able to adjust the cycle and level of suction, so it was really comfortable. in 10 minutes i had pumped both sides!! it was so easy! later i bought a medela pump in style. i don't like it as well, but it gets the job done. my son nursed for 10 months until HE decided he didn't want to anymore. enjoy it while you can!It's the BEST gift you can give your child!!

General Advice:

When I first returned to work, I pumped in the ladies restroom for about 2 months. I soon learned that there were other new moms that were pumping in their cars or going home to pump. Because there were so many of us at the time, our employer built us a lactation room, purchased pumps for the rooms, purchased cooler-totes and breast pump attachments for each of the moms for transporting the milk, and hired a lactation consultant. We formed a close group of friends and support group for those that used the facility. We had up to 10 women using the facility at one time. I used the rooms twice a day until my son turned 1 year old, and I visited his day-care every day at lunch to breastfeed in person and to get in some bonding time.
-- Barbara

It was so long ago, that I cannot recall what brand pump I used - it was a manual pump, because I'd heard that electric pumps could be painful, as the suction tended to be too forceful. To pump at work, I'd just hang a sign on the outside of my door, which read, "milking Elsie!", and shut the door. It was a small office, and I'd made it quite clear that I thought breastfeeding was the most natural thing in the world. If it embarrassed any of my co-workers to think about what I was doing behind my closed door, none of them ever gave any indication thereof. My biggest problem was that I had great difficulty getting my milk to let down when I was not actually nursing my son. What I ended up doing was pumping milk after he'd nurse, and placing the milk in those little plastic nurser bags and then freezing it. My body adjusted to this nursing and pumping schedule, and I nursed my son until he was 8 months old.
-- Kim

I returned to full time work when my sonwas 11 weeks old. I had saved little breast milk in the freezor so I was totallydependent on what I could pump each dayfor him.

I found it easiest to pump while I was feeding him in the morning and evening (I could pump 8 - 12 oz twice per day) andI also went to the daycare and breastfedtwice during the day. We cut back to onceduring the day when he was 6 months. This worked very well for me.

I only had a small Evenflo electric pumpbut it seemed to work very well for me. Some people that I have talked to thoughwere unable to use this pump. I foundthat once I learned how to use the suctionrelease properly I didn't have any problems
-- Sherrie

I used various methods in regards to storing and transporting milk but what I finally ended up doing was using a quart sized Rubbermaid drink container. I would combine all of the milk that I got that day into one container. My day care provider could then make bottles as large or as small as she needed. There was little wasted milk since it did not get frozen. It also decreased frustration levels since neither one of us needed to bother with those bags.
One important piece of advice I can share is to be aware of the newest storage recommendations since they have recently been updated. Most printed material errs on the cautious side of these guidelines but the complete text can be found at www.lalecheleague.org I would also recommend that you educate your day care provider on storage and handling. Breastmilk normally separates and if she is unaware of that, she may discard you precious liquid gold.
-- Jennifer

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