Decided on PY--What spare parts do I need?

[cilantromapuche]

I know that BRU has spare Medela parts but I live in the boondocks and don't know where to get Ameda parts, so I want to order them when I get the pump.
What will I need to keep on hand?

Christine

mama to A and E

[secchick]

4 months and I haven't had to change anything yet, but I got a spare set of white valves and an extra silicone diaphragm part. (My LC said that one of hers once got poked by something in the sink and it would suck to have to wait several days to be able to double pump while you waited for a new one).

[wencit]

This is purely (haha) up to you, but I bought a spare set of breast flanges and silicone diaphragm inserts. The lady at the lactation center told me to use only dry pump parts because if anything was still wet when I used it, water could back up into the tubing and eventually grow mold. I'm not sure if she was saying that just to make a sale, but it made sense to me (and wasn't very expensive). It's turned out to be pretty convenient because sometimes I want to pump in the early morning and again later in the day. If I was lazy in the morning and didn't wash the flanges, I had an extra set on hand for later use. Also, I plan to eventually go back to work, and I wanted to have extra flanges for my multiple pumping sessions. However, I've heard working women say they get by with just 1 set of flanges. I'll have to figure it out when I go back to work in a few months.

My PY set came with extra white valves, so I didn't have to buy any. I also ordered some additional bottles to pump in (those wide mouth bottles don't fit), but some of the ladies here pump directly into their feeding bottles. I haven't tried that and don't know how to do it, so maybe they can chime in.

[ett]

Definitely get more of the white valves. They'll wear out! I pumped for a year and went through 3 to 4 sets of them.

[cilantromapuche]

How do you know when they wear out?

Christine

mama to A (7/03)and a girl (6/06)

[Katia]

If you find that you're getting less when you pump, or it's taking longer, worn-out valves may be the culprit. They don't look any different when they get worn out, things just don't work as well.

Katia
DS 2003

[cilantromapuche]

Still trying to get ducks in a row and figure it out. I couldn't find the info anywhere.

Christine

mama to A (7/03)and a girl (6/06)

[Momof3Labs]

You use two valves at a time. I think that my PY came with four extra valves.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

when the milk starts to bubble back up through the white valves when the pump is sucking, then you know for sure they are worn out.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

she was just making a sale. :) Nothing can back up into the tubes of the PY, that is the biggest selling point of this pump. But it was helpful to leave a set of horns at work so I only had to take the motor back and forth.

For pumping more than once a day, just put the horns etc. into the fridge with the milk and use it again later without washing. Wash once at the end of the day. That's what I did at work and it made it so much easier.

[Sopamanda]

I also found the extra set of horns very handy. They're a pain to wash, it's great to just grab a clean set when you're in a hurry. I borrowed them from a friend-also have 2 extra diaphrams and white valves, so they're complete. I only ruined one or two valves in the early days washing them.

Amanda