Would you buy an Isis for traveling?

[jbowman]

My husband and I are going to NYC for 3 nights/4 days in a couple of weeks and my parents are watching our daughter (she'll be 16 1/2 weeks when we leave). I BF exclusively (Ellie gets EBM two mornings and one evening each week, I use a PIS) and my supply is good--I have about 250 oz. frozen.

I am concerned about lugging the PIS all around NYC. I plan to pump during the trip. Would it be worth it to buy an Isis? Is it effective enoigh that I could use it for all of my pumping for 4 days or will I go crazy? TIA!

[sadie427]

Someone may have more experience with this, but I'm reading your post to mean that you will be totally away from your daughter for 4 days, and need to pump every few hours or so to keep your supply up? If so, I would bring your PIS. I think the Isis would take too long. I had one and for me it was too time consuming to use even once a day, I ended up getting an electric. That said, I bet it would be handy to have the Isis in addition, if that was an option, if you needed to pump away from your hotel. HTH.

[bigsis]

Yes, I would do it if you have to pump while not in the hotel room. I have both the PIS and recently purchased the ISIS. I'm pretty impressed with the ISIS. I pump just as much (4 ozs in less than 10 mins). HTH!

[twinmama]

I rented a hospital grade pump (very similar to the PIS) and I hated it. I got much better results in a shorter amount of time using the Isis, but I was only using it for the occasional supplimental feeding. I have a friend who went back to work when her son was 6 weeks old and she wore out the motors of two electric pumps before she switched to the Isis and she still uses it for son # 2. I would buy it and give it a test run to see if it really would drive you nuts.

--Lisa

[C99]

If you are leaving a 4-month-old for 4 days, you'll need to pump at or around the same rate as you would feed her (I'm assuming it's around every 2-3 hours). If you want to continue to breastfeed, I'd lug the PIS with you to NYC and pump with it rather than the Isis.

[jbowman]

Thank you for all of your responses. I appreciate your opinions. I will take the PIS with me and take the Isis when I'm away from the hotel. I have to attend/present a paper at a conference--originally we were going to take DD, but thought it'd be too much for her!

EDITED TO ADD: Should I be concerned about this trip affecting my supply? I plan to pump often--I get uncomfortable every couple of hours so it will be a necessity. I would hate for something to happen to my supply since I plan to BF for at least a year.

[LoveMyBug]

I have the medela Lactina, which is the pump they rent out from the hospital. I tried my sister's Isis last weekend, and I went out the next day and bought one. OMG it is GREAT!!!! I am an exclusive nursing SAHM but I pump between feeding to build up supply for when I DO have to go away from DS. I usually get a bottle full with the Isis(5oz) where I use to only get MAYBE 3oz with the Lactine. I would DEFINITELY get the Isis.

If you are REALLY worried about your supply, I would recommend pumping every 2 hours. You do NOT have to actually pump every 2 hours, but you need to stimulate. Just excuse yourself to the bathroom and express with your fingers. Then the next time pump. You can keep your supply, even if you don't pump for 20 minutes, as long as you stimulate lots.

How old is your DD? If she is older than say, 6 months, you don't really have to worry about your supply, because she will be able to work it back up if it gets low.

[jbowman]

She'll be about 4 months when we leave (16 1/2 weeks)--I feel guilty leaving, but that's another post I guess! It will be no problem for me to pump every couple of hours. As I said in the original post, I have built up a pretty good freezer stash--I have had no supply issues so far. DD was 7 lbs. 10 oz. at birth and now weighs almost 14 pounds at 14 1/2 weeks.

Thank you!

[kijip]

I would try the Isis. It works for a lot of people and it does not work for some people. My Isis was not as good as the electric pump for me. If you take the Isis with you I would stash the PIS or a Lactina rental in your hotel as a back-up. It would be awful to be stuck with something that does not work out and then have to get a better pump in NYC. My friend who exclusively breastfeeds her 9 month old uses the Isis to get 2 full bottles per day but when she went away for the weekend when her son was 4 months old she rented a Lactina because she did not want to take any chances. Good luck!

[jbowman]

Excellent advice! I will take both--leave the PIS in the hotel and carry the Isis with me! Thank you.