hospital grade pump v. medela/ameda

[Lynnie]

anyone have any experience with one of those rented hospital grade pumps ?? if so, are they that much better/faster/more powerful ?

i had trouble pumping with my first baby, and want to try it again when the second one comes along, and thought maybe i should try a stronger pump ? I had my sister's ameda, and an avent isis hand pump, and didn't really start pumping until after i went back to work when my baby was around 3 1/2 months, and then never got all that much. i have read some old posts on this board, and based on what people here said, will try pumping earlier, to get a stash built up for when i am out of the house, and to get my supply up, and will try to do it first thing in the am, but still don't know if i should try renting a big monster pump or not. if they are much faster and more efficient, then it would be worth it to me to lug it to work (and leave it there) once i start back, because maybe part of the reason i didn't get that much was the fact that i was stressing about it taking too long... not to mention the fact that there is really nowhere convenient to pump at work, but i digress....

i do hope to see a lactation counselor or at least attend a class, but don't know realistically if i can swing it, being on bed rest and having a two year old, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. sorry for rambling.

[Jacksonvol]

I have used a rented Medela Lactina pump for the last 6 months. I have nevered used the other pumps you mentioned, so I can't do a comparison. However, I can say that the rental fee is money well spent. I like this pump because: 1. I can double pump. This means I can fit in a pumping session in about 20 mins. instead of an hour. When I figured out how to do this hands free, it was amazing. I am lucky in that I can shut the door to my office and with the help of an extension cord and my rolling desk chair, scoot between my computer and my phone. It is like the ultimate in multi-tasking. If you don't have a door to your office, I suggest you call your employer now and ask about setting up a private nursing station. Point out that BF babies get sick less often and that translates into less absenteeism for you. 2. It is quiet. I have checked with DH and a very close friend. No one can hear the pump in the office or over the phone. 3. It is not that big. I do take it back and forth each day, but I am lucky to have a parking space right behind my office. When I feel the need to be "discreet", it does fit in my trial bag. (a bonus because the bag has wheels.) 4. It is cost effective. Even at 6 months I still have not reached the cost of purchasing a double electric pump. When I started out my goal was to BF for 3 months and then in one month increments thereafter. I did not want to spend the $$ on a pump when I was not sure how long we would nurse. If I reach the ulimate goal (1 yr.), I will have spent more in rental than in the cost of a new pump, but at that point I figure I will be so excited I just won't care. (At 6 months I was so "pumped", DH and I went out to dinner!)

If you can't get to a LC now, use the ones in the hospital. I also made an appointment with the LC at about 3 weeks to work out some issues we were having. Again, money and time well spent.

Good luck with your delivery and nursing. I read a statistic today that at 6 months, only 27% of moms who work outside the home are nursing. But trust me, if I can do this, so can you!

Lisa
mom to Emily, 09/05/03

[kijip]

The Medela Classic (the biggest rental pump) beats the Medela Pump in Style, the Ameda Purely Yours and the Avent Isis hands down in my opinion. AND I had a baby in the NICU and have used all of these pumps- I own the Isis, PIS and the rented both Lactina and a Classic. I used a friend's Ameda Purely Yours. I tried the Lactina (also a Medela product) but firmly believe that even it does not hold a candle to the Classic. It is faster, more comfortable and more powerful. It is not portable but you could use it first at home to build supply and then take it to your work and leave it there or trade it in and rent the Lactina once your supply is up and running.....The pump in style is not a hospital grade pump regardless of the hype...

[Lynnie]

thanks, both of you ! very encouraging news, and i am motivated to really try to make it work this time, and think a rented one is the way to go!

i managed to bf for close to 8-9 months, but went back to work after 3, and was not able to really pump enough, so the baby got a lot of formula during the day, and i really don't want that to happen this time.

another question, if you don't mind: how many times do you pump a day ?? and do you pump before and after work too ? (i guess so, since you lug it back and forth, which i think would be a show stopper for me - i know myself !) i am thinking i could start with the rental at home, then when i go back to work, bring it and leave it there, and then use a borrowed pis - i think a friend has one- at home if i am able to pump and nurse at home, or just feed the baby at home, and pump at work. but, yes, i think i will definitely make an appointment with a lc !

it would be hard to set up a private nursing station in my office, although my boss has been so incredibly supportive of my difficult pregnancy, i can see him doing anything possible to help and support me, perhaps something can be worked out. last time i snuck into the jury room, but did not always lock the door well enough, and was surprised a couple times, plus, could not get any work done, which i know will stress me out this time since i will have been out for 7 months due to this whole premature labor thing, and will want to really get alot of work done.

anyway, you both really helped me out alot, and thank you, and congrats on both of your successes !! maybe my second baby won't get rsv and bronchiolitis at 5 months, followed by persistent ear infections and asthma !! now, if i could only get dh to support this decision... but that would be another topic and message board ! :-)

[nitaghei]

The Classic is the ultimate! I used it when DS was in NICU. I ended up renting the Lactina, and it was some of the best money I ever spent. I went back to work at 6 weeks. DS had nipple confusion and I pumped exclusively for 8 weeks. I did supplement a little then. But, once DS started nursing, I never needed to supplement. We are still BF'g at 14 months, even though I work full time outside the home. I also have an excess lipase problem, so I ended up tossing my initial stash, and never could build it up. Despite all of this, I have not needed to supplement with formula once we got over the nipple confusion.

Definitely rent the Lactina or some other hospital grade pump. The rental is still way less than what you would spend on formula if you had to supplement. What I did was pump during the day, typically 3 times, at the times he would have nursed otherwise. The Lactina isn't that bulky, and I would just leave it in my office during the week, and just take the horns and bottles back and forth. It did help that I have parking right across the street from my office. BTW - it fits into a LE Little Tripper.I nursed DS when we were home.

I would encourage you to at least partially co-sleep - for a few hours at night. It is more restful for you, plus the night nursing is a great way to maintain and build up supply.

I do know at least one other mom who tried to use a PIS for exclusive pumping, and it couldn't keep up, and her supply suffered.

Sorry this is so disjointed, but I HTH. If I could BF this long, any one can!

Nita
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a cocker and a PWD

[stillplayswithbarbies]

> If you
>don't have a door to your office, I suggest you call your
>employer now and ask about setting up a private nursing
>station.

In some states your employer is required by law to provide a private place to pump that is not a bathroom. Connecticut is one such state.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[Lynnie]

not disjointed at all --- or at least no more so than my posts, so i at least could follow it perfectly ! thank you so much for the advice. i am hoping babyboy#2 will hold off on his arrival a bit longer (am at 33 weeks today) so that he won't have to stay in the NICU, and hopefully we will get off to a good start with the bf-ing.

still trying to figure out the scheduling (even though he isn't even born, although not from his lack of trying, and i won't be back at work until the end of august) - did you pump 3 times at work ? or i guess like you said, the key is to pump when i would nurse, so at 4 months, assuming he will be nursing every 3-4 hours, i guess i would nurse him once in the am, around 6 or so, then pump at 10 at work, at 2 at work, and then nurse when i get home. and not eat lunch, since i will be spending all my free time pumping !!

and, never thought of factoring in the cost of formula - great argument to make to the husband !! even with the powder, it gets pricey !

true co-sleeping isn't going to happen in my house, but i do have a co-sleeper that we used a couple weeks last time, and afterwards, i just got up and nursed throughout the night, although my mom and/or husband did help out with one nighttime feeding per night after about 2-3 weeks, so i could sleep for more than just a couple hours at a time. luckily there was no nipple confusion, but i am sure it didn't help my supply any. however, the sanity of the mother can be just as important as feeding the baby breast milk, at least it was for us ! and hopefully, having a good pump to use in conjunction with nursing in the beginning will help any supply problems, and of course there are always those herbs my pediatrician recommended.


lastly, i think i will have to start searching for a LE little tripper on ebay - thanks !!

[Jacksonvol]

This is my aspriational pumping/feeding schedule: 5:00 a.m. pump before DD wakes (this doesn't always happen), 6:30 a.m. nurse DD, 10:00 a.m. pump for 20 mins., 12:00 p.m. pump for 20 mins, 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. pump for 20 mins., 5:30 p.m. nurse DD, 7:30 p.m. nurse DD, 10:00 p.m. pump for @ 30 mins. for the next days bottles.

Again, that is my aspirational schedule. Sometimes, I miss a session. Somedays, I miss all day. I do the best I can and the key for me was getting over the guilt for supplementing with formula occaisionally. Good luck, Lisa

[Lynnie]

thanks lisa - something like this is exactly what i needed. although i think aspirational is truly the key word, at least for me anyway!! i think i will print it out and save it as a guideline, it might just work...

thanks again

[Lynnie]

no door... heck, i am lucky to have walls - was in the hallway last time, lovely place to work, let me tell you...yes, i went to law school to work in a hallway... but things have changed, and our office is obviously too small, although we will be moving in a bit when a new facility is built.

i am in fla, and i am not sure about the law on this issue, but since, as i said, my boss has been so incredibly wonderful and supportive throughout the pregnancy, so i don't want to pull the "you need to do this for me" card, (even if that is the case) since i am sure he will try to accomodate me, and there is a nurses/doctor's office for employees 20 yards away from mine, and the nurses let me nap there when i was having bad morning sickness, so i could set up there. problem is, its a pain to have to leave my desk, and not be able to get any work done...

i think i will talk to him before i go back and see if something temporary can be worked out in my little office/cubbyhole, though, good idea, thanks

[Jacksonvol]

Where are you in FL? I clerked in Orlando one summer and was a runner with a firm for about 9 months before law school. Loved the winters, hated the summers and could not stand to be so far away from Neyland Statium.

Anyway, I also remind my employer that I use my "down" time to read case law, legislative updates, etc. He is a great guy, and having grown up on a farm with cows, understands the need to pump at regular intervals. He was much more sympathetic than DH when I had mastitis.

You could also hang a dark shower curtain across your cube door and hang up a sign.

In my office (in an agricultural county with lots of dairy farmers), I let my assistant know that I am "going to the barn." I will also block out "Emily" time on my calender to make sure nothing gets set at those times.

[wagner36]

Lynnie,
I bought a Medela Pump in Style to use at work. I'm also an attorney, returned to work at 12 weeks (DS is now 9.5 months). I used the PIS for about 4 months and lugged it back and forth every day. Then, I forgot it at my parents around the holidays, so I was forced to rent a Medela Lactina. Forgetting the pump 600 miles away was the best mistake I ever made. I LOVE my Lactina. It works so much better - my output is up and I pump less frequently at work. I still use my PIS if I need to at home, but it is so nice not to lug it back and forth.

Unless I was noticing a supply dip, I never pumped at home. If I noticed a dip or if the freezer stash got low, then I would add a night pump for a few weeks.

My work schedule is somewhat unpredictable, and I work a lot of late nights. In the beginning, I made sure that I pumped every 3 to 4 hours at work (as the LC's suggested), and that really helped regulate my supply. It was 3 or 4 times a day, though, and really time-consuming - especially because it was time directly away from Charlie. It's not like I left at the same time, but just took pump breaks. Now, though, I only pump every 5 or 6 hours, and it is wonderful.

So, whatever you do, just make sure you get your supply regulated first - it makes it so much easier to keep it up for the long haul!!

[Lynnie]

I'm in miami, so although its probably even hotter than orlando in the summer, at least we have the ocean/bay breeze. ha, sometimes, anyway. i've been here about 7 years, didn't plan to stay, but you know how things can work out.

you gave me some great ideas - thanks! i probably could get a portable screen or curtain or something to put in front of my little area - i do have 3 walls and the open wall is only about 8-10 feet, so it shouldn't be that hard to do. and, great point about being able to at least read during that time. if my office won't work, if i can get a decent place set up, i could still read the caselaw updates, review some of my cases, etc, and it wouldn't be wasted time. and, besides, my boss can't be any more anti bf than my husband is !

thanks !

[Lynnie]

thanks ! i really hope i can do a better job pumping this time, and your advice will really help i think. it seems that everyone who used a rented hospital grade machine loved it because it made it easier - anything that will make it easier for me is what i am going to try ! (watch this baby continue to be as ...shall we say spirited, independent thinking, and strong willed as he has been in the womb, and refuse to latch on forever or hate breastmilk or something once he is born...)

[nitaghei]

Good luck! And if you problems (hopefully you won't), come back here. There are a lot of moms here who had a rough start with BF'g and succeeded eventually, and we are all here to help any way we can. I know that without the support and encouragement I received from the wonderful moms on this board, I would never have made the last effort, that, thanks to my mom's help along with the LC, finally saved our BF'g relationship.

Nita
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a cocker and a PWD