Ameda PY ? - Which elect. breast pump to get?

[cdk]

Hi All

I am leaning towards getting the Ameda Purely Yours pump, though most friends and people I know seem to have the Medela PIS orig. or PIS Adv. --it seems to be the most widely available pump and easy to get parts for. However, it has a hefty price tag and is not a "closed" system so it sounds like there is more to clean out each time. I am leaning toward the Ameda PY.

How many sets of shields and such do you recommend for the Ameda PY and was it hard to find parts for the A PY ?? I have heard that the brand Lansinoh is also made by Ameda and the pumps are exactly the same, (but Lansinoh does not seem to have good customer service from some reviews I saw), however the parts are all the same and are perhaps easier to find...???

Which Ameda PY "set" did you get? Backpack w/ everything, tote style, or just the pump and basic parts--seems like you can get a carry bag and cooler bag with some bottles separately. Does anyone really need or use the car adapter and the manual pump converter, such I get those too? I don't care for the polycarbonate plastic #7 container bottle set that's included. (I'd perfer glass or polypropylene #5, so actually I would get the Medela storage and feeding bottle set, or BornFree bottles separately instead). Will the Ameda pump fit easily on other containers??

FYI, I plan to nurse for at least 6+ months. The first 3 I'll be on maternity leave at home (but want Dad to help w/ feedings, esp. at night), but after that I'll be working, half time from home, half time at the office w/commuting via metro.
I definitely want something that is dual electric, with variable settings, portable and efficient, and will last--*plus easy to clean and maintain*!
The 3 models that sound like good possibilities are, in this order:
Ameda Purely Yours elect. (good price & options)
Medela Pump in Style "Advanced" or original
Avent Isis IQ Duo (but hard to find parts for it??)

Also, what's the best price on Ameda PY and where to buy for a good price?
Did anyone get their health insurance to reimburse for their pump purchase?
At what point should I buy it - best to wait until a lot closer to my due date in mid-Nov., esp. since the warranty is 90-days/1-yr.)...??

Many thanks!!!
Caty
(EDD Nov 20)

[wencit]

Welcome to the boards, Caty! I hope you find this place as fabulous a resource as I did.

I have the PY pump, and it has served me very well, multiple times a day for several months (and I hope to use it in the future if we ever have Baby #2). I don't think you can go wrong with either the PY or the PIS, though. The PY parts are definitely a little harder to find, as they are not carried by Target or BRU like the Medela is. Still, if you go to Ameda's website (http://www.ameda.com/where/locator.aspx) and then type in your location, you can find a list of distributors in your area who carry the PY parts. To me, the small inconvenience was worth the savings in price.

I bought the very basic set, pump only, which was just fine for my needs. I purchased a cheapie soft-sided cooler from Target and a few blue ice packs, and was good to go. I didn't find I ever needed the car adapter since the pump took AA batteries on the very rare occasion I needed to pump in the car. I used the Ameda storage bottles that the kit came with, so I can't speak to the adaptability with other bottles.

I purchased 3 sets of horns so I always had a clean one ready to go. I highly recommend at least 2 if you can swing it. And definitely a bunch of extra white "valves" as these are critical to the operation of the pump. I think I had about 10 extra at any given time, but I was admittedly paranoid about them going out on me.

I purchased my PY from www.breastfeedingexpress.com, but I hear other people have had good experiences with www.hackleyhme.com. And I think I saw a post in this forum about the PY from happymothers.com for $125 shipped (great deal).

My health insurance did not pay for the pump, but of course, YMMV. There have been other moms here who have been successful in doing so, though. I would wait to buy the pump until your third trimester so that the warranty doesn't expire before the baby is born.

HTH, and congratulations on your upcoming baby!

[alexsmommy]

I only have a sec, but the PY got me through pumping exclusively for a preemie for 2 months, then pumping at work for the next 11mo. I'm now using it for DS2 and I'm still very happy.
Alaina
Alex Feb '03
Zachary July '07

[Momof3Labs]

I love both my PY and PIS. They are the same to clean after use, except the PIS has a two-piece valve instead of a single piece valve. The closed system stuff makes no difference in day to day cleaning.