By Maurenne Griese, RNC, BSN
One of the most common questions lactation professionals like myself
get is, "What breast pump would you recommend?" Having
worked full and part time and nursed four children, as well as helped many
women find a pump that works for them, I've listed the most helpful and
comfortable pumps here and categorized them.
I have only included companies with breast pumps that, in my
experience, have provided comfort, efficiency, higher milk production and
ease of use for the nursing mother. Those companies are Medela and
Ameda and presently are the only two companies we do business with simply
because they offer our customers the best products for meeting their
personal breastfeeding goals.
Rental
Pumps
Renting a breast pump is a large investment in the long
term, but some mothers believe breastfeeding may not work for them and are
afraid to invest a lot of money, especially in the beginning. Keep in mind
that a visit by a lactation consultant is far more important, helpful and
worth the money. You need to purchase a rental kit, which includes the
breast pump parts necessary for expressing your milk. You would also
need to pay a daily weekly or monthly rental fee to the rental station
where you receive your rental breast pump.
When there is a need, especially when there is a
separation due to a sick baby or if you are pumping exclusively for your
baby, I would suggest hospital grade rental pumps only from Medela and
Ameda. These include:
Medela:
We both rent and sell the Medela
Symphony Breast Pump.
Ameda:
Elite( at right), Lact-e and SMB Electric rental Breast Pumps.
Call 1-800-323-4060 for an Ameda rental station near you.
You
should consider talking with doctor about writing a prescription for your
breast pump rental or purchase. Some insurance companies will reimburse
subscribers either partially or fully for your rental costs or for
the purchase of a retail hospital grade breast pump. This depends
upon the coverage your insurance company provides for medical equipment
and what the need is. Take a look at our insurance
reimbursement guide for details.
Retail
Breast Pumps
The
Medela Pump in Style
The Medela Pump in Style is a large initial expense for new
moms especially who are unsure about breastfeeding. However, it is sturdy,
reliable and great for long term usage such as for a mom going back to work, and
can be used for additional children. It is very stylish and concealing,
especially the new backpack. You can buy adapters for hands free pumping.
I
have worked with many mothers who wait until they are just about
to go back to work to purchase one. If you have committed to
breastfeeding, do yourself a favor and get a good pump like the Pump
in Style BEFORE you give birth. Also, I do not recommend
purchasing or borrowing a used breast pump.
You can read more about why this practice is a bad idea here.
As of February 2004, Medela offered FOUR models of the
Pump in Style:
The Pump in Style Original with Shoulder Bag Carrier
(above right)
The Pump in Style Traveler with Back pack (below left)
The Pump in Style Advanced with Natural Expressions
Technology (featuring your choice of either the Shoulder Bag or Back Pack
Carrier) see below
The Pump In Style Breastpump provides professional
performance for today's active mothers. This is the only pump you can buy
that features high performance and the appearance that busy mothers need.
The pump is stored in a stylish designer-look shoulder
bag that can be discreetly carried wherever busy mothers need to go. The
bag holds the fully automatic pump, a double-pumping kit, collection
bottles and cooling elements to chill expressed milk.
The Pump In Style's double-pumping option can be a great
timesaver and also helps maintain milk production. Its automatic
suck-release-relax cycle mimics baby's natural nursing pattern, and
features adjustable pumping speed and vacuum within safe limits.
I personally used the Medela Pump in Style Original
while nursing my last two babies and was exceptionally pleased with it's
comfort, performance and milk yields. I started selling this
breast pump when Medela first began offering in the late 1990s and I now have
mothers as customers who are using this breast pump as they express milk
for their third child!
It is a testament to the durability and performance of
the Pump in Style that moms are still using the same breast pump and
getting the same performance a few years and a few babies down the
road. They sometimes have to replace
parts, like tubing, valves or membranes but they all say it was a
worthwhile investment in their babies and in themselves!
Medela Pump in Style Traveler (above)
Medela discontinued the Traveler model in January
2005. Some retailers may still have some available for sale. The Pump In Style features these accessory products to
make this pump more versatile and convenient: Manual Conversion Kit, CSFTM
Starter Pack, PureLanTM 100 sample and a set or breastfeeding
information sheets for mother's reference.
An optional PowerPakTM powers the pump with a
rechargeable battery when electricity is not available. An adapter for use
in a motor vehicle is also available.
Medela offers two different bags for the Pump
in Style. The pump motor and parts are the same; the Original
offers a carry-all bag and the Traveler
offers a backpack. You can remove the breast pump parts and motor
from the Traveler and use the backpack bag for
other uses as you see fit.
Medela Pump in Style Advanced (back pack and shoulder bag models)
Medela also began offering a new pump with Natural
Expressions technology in the Fall of 2003, the Medela
Pump in Style Advanced. Natural Expressions technology simulates
the natural suckling action of a baby both during and after letdown.
First researched and developed for hospital breast pumps, Natural
Expression is an advanced pumping pattern that mimics a baby’s nursing
rhythm by pumping in two distinct modes.
Let-down mode: Simulates your baby’s initial rapid suckling to
initiate faster milk flow.
Expression mode: Simulates your baby’s slower, deeper suckling
for maximum milk flow in less time.
We began offering the Medela
Pump in Style Advanced in the Fall of 2003 and this breast pump has
been our best seller. Our customers seem to be very happy with this
latest addition to the Medela breast pump family. Medela began
offering the Advanced in a Back Pack Model (pictured above) in February
2004.
Ameda
Purely Yours
The Purely Yours offers the utmost in flexibility and
portability. This value-packed portable breast pump offers eight (8)
adjustable suction levels and four (4) cycle speeds to create a
stimulation that feels both natural and comfortable. It provides numerous
variations to mimic baby’s suckling, even as baby matures and grows.
It operates on three (3) power sources, including AC
adapter, AA batteries, or optional car adapter. Weighing only one pound,
Purely Yours fits into its own compact tote bag designed to hold the pump
and all accessories while safely storing collected milk up to 10 hours in
the insulated cooling compartment.
We sell the Ameda Purely Yours
Breast Pump with the Back Pack and the Carry All.
The new Double
Select Breastpump
and CarryAll from Medela offer the convenience of double pumping for
mothers who need to pump during short-term separations from baby. The Double
Select has an advanced motor design for quiet operation, and features more
convenient selective controls, enhanced ease of use, and complete
portability. The mother’s comfort is ensured with the pump’s Autocycle™
pumping action, which simulates a baby’s nursing pattern. Adjustable
vacuum lets mothers set the pump to a level that is comfortable and within
safe limits. The Double Select can be operated by electricity, or by two C
batteries.
Consumer Reviews:
Ameda
Purely Yours Breastpump
Medela
Pump in Style Original
Medela
Pump In Style Traveler
Consumer
Reports
Links for More Information:
Ameda
For more information on Ameda Breastfeeding Products.
Medela
For more information on the Medela Classic, Pump In Style, Mini-Electric
and Double Ease Pumps.
Medela
Double Select
