which breast pump?

[stillplayswithbarbies]

My next obsession is which breast pump to buy and once again I turn to the experts on these boards. :)

I will be going back to work for one day a week at 6 weeks and then full time after three months. I commute by train an hour each way daily. I am away from home from 8:00 AM to 6:20 PM every day. I have an office that locks and that is where I have to pump. I have access to a kitchen at work, but there is no hot water.

I plan to breastfeed for at least 2 years.

What do I need?

I am looking at the Medela Pump In Style, the Medela Pump In Style Traveler, the Purely Yours, or the Medela Double Ease.

What do you get with the Traveler over the Pump In Style, just the backpack? Is that worth the extra cost? I carry my laptop and purse to work in a backpack anyway, so I assume I could just put all the pump parts and a cooler in my backpack rather than have to lug a separate bag?

Should I be looking at the Whittlestone too? It seems to be in the same price ranges.

Thanks in advance for any advice you all can give me.

...Karen
Mom to Jake age 12 and expecting Logan Elizabeth or Logan Bartholomew, EDD March 21

[etwahl]

I just ordered my Whittlestone and expect it to get here Thursday or Friday. From everything I've heard, the Whittlestone is by far the most comfortable pump available. It has a massaging technique. I ordered mine from www.babybellyboutique.com for $267.50 and that included free shipping. I personally chose this one because I've heard it's very comfortable (more so than any other pump), because it is apparently very fast at getting milk, and finally because the price is just slightly higher than the next best one.

Good luck shopping!

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[parkersmama]

The only one of these that I have any experience with is the basic Pump in Style. I bought it 5 1/2 years ago when Parker was born and pumped practically every day for a year with each child. It's still going strong and the only part I've ever had to replace was the A/C adapter. I called Medela and they recommended Radio Shack. I got the part for about $10 and kept right on pumping! I felt like it was a very comfortable pump. I've never used the Whittlestone but have used some hospital grade pumps and my PIS was just as comfy. Another good one to have around is the Avent Isis. This is the one I used when I was at home. It's so convenient and a lot less hassle than the PIS. I thought it was extremely comfortable and I got quite a good bit of milk with it but I wouldn't recommend it for daily, long-term use since your arm would get pretty tired and you can only do one breast at a time.

I lugged the pump back and forth to work every day but I think your plan of keeping the parts & a cooler pack in your backpack is a good one. The pump itself (at least with the PIS) doesn't have to be cleaned, just the parts so taking them home to the soap and hot water would be good and just leave the pump itself at your office. If you do this, that would be another good reason to have the Isis or another pump at home cause I guarantee you that you're going to have some times where pumping at home is a necessity (trying to increase your supply, didn't get enough milk at work that day, baby refused to nurse...ouch! gotta pump, and so on). Also, I have an old model of the PIS and I don't know how the newer ones are but fitting a cooler pack and several bottles of pumped milk into the little cooler section of the pump is pretty tight. From this standpoint, too, it would be easier if you had your own small cooler to carry the milk home in. I had a small, dorm-size fridge in my office that I used to store the milk after it was pumped. That was handy but I've been told that bmilk can be kept at room temp for 6 or 8 hours. I'd be a little wary about then freezing that milk (like on Friday when you won't need another bottle until Monday) after it was out all that time.

I pumped in my office, too. It was actually pretty relaxing once people got the idea and quit knocking each day during pumping times! LOL! It was pumping with my first child that got me hooked on internet message boards like this one. As a matter of fact, I'm still on a board for Sept 97 moms that I've been friends with everyone since my early pumping days!

Sorry that I can't give more info about specific pumps but I do consider myself an old pro at pumping, storing, transferring, freezing, etc. so feel free to ask any other questions you can think of! Good luck on the pump search!

Denise
mom to:
Parker, 9/1/1997
Wesley, 3/9/2000
and #3 (a girl!) due 4/29/2003

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I'm trying to convince my company to set up a pumping room, but I am apparently the only breastfeeding mom in the company, even though there have been 6 or 8 women come back to work recently after maternity leave. I just can't see how it can be "private" when the people next to me can hear the pump, and my phone will ring and people will knock on my door etc. And it sure won't look professional.

Connecticut law says they have to provide a place that is not a bathroom, but they say my office meets the requirements of the law. Oh well.

I may decide to get two pumps so I can have one at work and one at home. The last time I did this 12 years ago, I pumped in the morning before I left for work and as soon as I got home too. Fed the baby from one side and pumped the other. I don't know if that will work well this time too.

...Karen
Mom to Jake age 12 and expecting Logan Elizabeth or Logan Bartholomew, EDD March 21

[parkersmama]

I know what you mean about "private". I knew that anyone who came up to my door and the woman who worked in the office outside of mine could hear the pump going but it only took a week or so to for me to forget about it and be pretty comfortable. Right or wrong I've always had the attitude that I was doing the best for my babies and everyone else could just stick it! LOL! The weirdest part was that my boss at the time was an older gentleman (retired army) who just didn't get it. Pretty much everyone in the office would leave me alone but he always managed to call or knock on my door when I was pumping! ARgh. Luckily the clerk whose office was outside of mine was my employee and a friend and she always tried to run interference for me. As far as the phone ringing, do you have the ability to put it on "do not disturb"? If so, that really helps by sending any callers straight to voice mail. Just be sure to return any messages ASAP so that people will know that although you're serious about your "baby business" you're also serious about your job.

I never have been able to work out the pump one side while baby nurses on the other thing. Also, my babies seemed to want a bottle when we were apart so even when I was only working part-time I was still pumping once a day. Additionally, I couldn't stand the full feeling I had if I didn't pump during the day but of course your body adjusts to whatever routine you and the baby set up. Isn't that a cool thing about breastfeeding?! Talk about amazing!

Denise
mom to:
Parker, 9/1/1997
Wesley, 3/9/2000
and #3 (a girl!) due 4/29/2003