pumping questions

[TwoBees]

For those who pump regularly, which larger-volume storage bags/bottles do you prefer and why? Also, which at-home pump would you recommend?

Right now I am pumping into smaller volume containers with a hospital-grade pump for my NICU preemie, but I will eventually transition to a retail pump and need larger containers.

Thanks!

[truly scrumptious]

I used the Medela Symphony (hospital grade) at first at home - and tha lactation consultant suggested I keep it for as long as practical, because it was so powerful and so quick. I used the regular Medela bottles for pumping and the Lansinoh storage bags - I preferred to store in smaller quantitities (4 oz or less) because that way I could defrost small amounts without wasting any milk, and for larger amounts I would just defrost multiple bags.

Once I went back to work, I got the Medela Freestyle, which I LOVED. It is so small and lightweight, and definitely powerful - tho not as much as the hospital grade Medela (At one time, DS couldn't nurse because of breathing issues, and I got a hospital grade Ameda, which was horrible - my Freestyle did a better job of keeping my supply up than the Ameda did!)

The Freestyle was small enough to fit into a large purse, so I wasn't carrying around an extra bag for it, and the rechargeable battery and hands free settings were great! I would definitely recommend it if you're planning to pump long-term and will not want to sit around for long periods of time tethered to an outlet.

[DebbieJ]

Be careful with the Lansinoh bags--my sister had problems with them leaking upon defrost.

[truly scrumptious]

Be careful with the Lansinoh bags--my sister had problems with them leaking upon defrost.

I heard about that, but I never had a problem. I must have used 200 - 250 bags and I only remember one leak. But I would always put them in a bowl to defrost *just in case*

[TwoBees]

Once I went back to work, I got the Medela Freestyle, which I LOVED. It is so small and lightweight, and definitely powerful - tho not as much as the hospital grade Medela (At one time, DS couldn't nurse because of breathing issues, and I got a hospital grade Ameda, which was horrible - my Freestyle did a better job of keeping my supply up than the Ameda did!)

The Freestyle was small enough to fit into a large purse, so I wasn't carrying around an extra bag for it, and the rechargeable battery and hands free settings were great! I would definitely recommend it if you're planning to pump long-term and will not want to sit around for long periods of time tethered to an outlet.

Right now I am using the Medela Lactina, because that is what my insurance will cover in full while my DD is in the NICU. Do you recommend the Freestyle over the Pump-in-Style for when I go back to work? Is it worth the extra $100 or so?

Thanks again.

[truly scrumptious]

Right now I am using the Medela Lactina, because that is what my insurance will cover in full while my DD is in the NICU. Do you recommend the Freestyle over the Pump-in-Style for when I go back to work? Is it worth the extra $100 or so?

Thanks again.

Full disclosure: My insurance covered both the hospital grade and the Freestyle because DS was a premie (but never in the NICU) and couldn't nurse for the first week or so. Do you have a lactation consultant at the hospital who you can talk to? The one at my hospital told me how to go about "exchanging" my hospital rental for a purchased one, which I did when he was 4 months old (and nursing just fine.) The medical supply company shipped me the Freestyle, and picked up the hospital rental - super convenient - and I didn't spend a penny.
If your DD is in the NICU, there is a possibility that you may be pumping for a while to keep your supply up so you can bottle-feed her your milk until she can breastfeed, so you may have a good case for having your insurance cover the purchase of a personal pump. At the most, your OB may have to write you a prescription for a breast-pump and then your insurance should cover it. If you don't have a lactation consultant, try talking to your OB or to the medical supply company who supplies your Lactina.
I can't speak for whether everyone would think that an extra $100 is worth it for the Freestyle, but I do know that if I were in the market for a new pump today, and had to choose between the Pump-in-style (tho I have never tried it) and the Freestyle, I would pay the extra $100 for the Freestyle (tried and true.) There have been some other discussions on this board about pumps and a lot of moms are very happy with their Pump-in-styles. Do a search if you have a chance.
Good luck! Hope your DD is back home with you and thriving soon!

[jerigirl]

I heard about that, but I never had a problem. I must have used 200 - 250 bags and I only remember one leak. But I would always put them in a bowl to defrost *just in case*
:yeahthat: Never had a problem.

[Momof3Labs]

I pump exclusively for the twins, and have an oversupply, so that works out to a ridiculous quantity of milk per day. I rented a Symphony when I got nervous about my old PIS (though it was performing admirably). I pump into 9oz Gerber bottles which I store in the fridge to use for near-term feeding. When I freeze my excess, I use Gerber storage bags. I used the Gerbers with both boys and had very few problems with them leaking or breaking.

Before I needed the Gerber bottles, the Medela 5oz bottles that come with the PIS served me well (and I still use them as back-up).

If I were buying a pump now, I'd seriously look at the Freestyle for the mobile pumping capabilities.

[doodlesmama]

I used countless Lansinoh bags and never had a single leak. However, I stopped using them about a year ago. My SIL who is pumping now has had a few bags that have leaked, so idk if it's a new batch that was faulty or if they changed something.

[TwoBees]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! :hug:

Truly---I will speak to the LC about the Freestyle. They have been really helpful so far. Thanks for the rec!

[catsnkid]

As far as bags, I only use them for freezing. I was using medela bags and just switched to Lanisoh. They are cheaper and I am finding them easier to use. I'm probably just being paranoid but the Gerber bags didn't expresslly say BPA free on the package, so I skipped them.

[TwoBees]

In what ways is Freestyle not compatible with the accessories for the other Medela pumps? Is the bottom part of the flange a different size?

Also, those who have the PIS, do you find this easy enough to carry around?

Thanks

[catsnkid]

I have a backpack PIS. It's alright but if I commuted via train I might want something smaller.

[babychi]

I have the shoulder bag PISA and plan to carry it to work everyday when I go back...I think it is extremely portable.

[aimee_l]

I have the Freestyle and love it. But be advised that you cannot pump directly into storage bags with the Freestyle. Not too much of a problem for me--I just dump the milk from little into bags. Just wanted to let you know bc I did not realized this when buying Freestyle.

[wendibird22]

I have the PISA in the backpack. I liked it because when I was pumping I was toting that to/from work along with a computer bag and didn't want to have to sling two shoulder bags. I also think the backpack looks less like a pump. I pumped directly into the Medela bottles and if I needed to freeze then transfered to either the Medela or the Lansinoh bags. I pumped 3x's a day for 14mos and that PISA worked beautifully. Planning to dust it off and use it when DD2 arrives.

The Freestyle wasn't out when DD was born or else I may have considered it just because of its size.

ETA: Once I got on a regular pumping routine and felt sure that I wouldn't need to pump at home on week nights, I just left my pump at work M-F and only transported the cooler bag to/from. That made life so much easier. I'd only bring it home on the weekends, and probably didn't need to do that, but I didn't want to get stuck w/out it and need to pump.

[diegosmom]

I have bf both of my children and had a very active supply. I averaged 8-10 ounces per sessions. Yes, you read that correctly my husband used to call me La Lechera (translated: milkmaid or dairymaid) . I own both the PISA and the Freestyle. I pumped into the bottels for both machines and then poured the milk into the Medela bags. It's much easier and then you can fill each bag to the max (5 oz). You can use the medela bottles or Dr. Brown's will screw directly into both machines. I tried Lansinoh bags several times and had problems with them leaking when I thawed them. Regarding the pumps, both are good pumps here's my opinion on both for what its worth.

Freestlye has great portability and mobility. A huge plus if you have to pump alot. Can make a difference if you are trying to get out of the house for work. I bought this pump when I had baby no. 2 and used it mostly when I was home or away on vacation. One quirk I found was that at times the suction was not great. I have several sets of parts and found that one set of rubber values did not sit as well (even thought they are snapped between two plactic pieces) and if I got the wrong set the suction just didn't work right. All the other sets worked fine.

PISA (my first pump) very durable. I used it exclusively with baby No.1 and at work with baby no. 2 because the freestyle wasn't around back then. The suction is great but you are tied to the machine when pumping. Since I have a private office, this wasn't a big deal with baby no. 2. I locked my door, hooked myself up and did my work. Since I had two pumps, I left the machine at work and only took the parts home, making it the most portable. When I had baby No. 1, I hated lugging the thing back and forth from work.

I realize buying two pumps is a bit much so you may want to weigh what features are most important to you. Regardless of which pump you get you should consider getting several sets of parts (horns, extenders, etc) and that will save you from always washing parts. Prices of pumps are much better online and I found addalittlelove.com has really good prices and the differenc between PISA and Freestyle is not as much as in BRU. They can't post prices online but if you call or email, they will give them to you and they ship out right away.

Good Luck pumping.

[trales]

Don't store in large quantities, think 3 - 5oz per bag. You have more options. If you always store is 6-8oz servings and the baby only takes 3oz, you are throwing out the rest. You can always defrost 2 bags.

I used hundreds of Lansinoh bags and never had a leak. I rented a pump for awhile and then used the Ameda.

[BayGirl2]

In what ways is Freestyle not compatible with the accessories for the other Medela pumps? Is the bottom part of the flange a different size?

The entire horn/flange piece is a different shape on the Freestyle, so none of the parts are compatible with the PIS at all. That's not a problem if you don't already have a PIS, there are plenty of places to get replacement parts for the Freestyle now.



I have several sets of parts and found that one set of rubber values did not sit as well (even thought they are snapped between two plactic pieces) and if I got the wrong set the suction just didn't work right. All the other sets worked fine.

PPrices of pumps are much better online and I found addalittlelove.com has really good prices and the differenc between PISA and Freestyle is not as much as in BRU. They can't post prices online but if you call or email, they will give them to you and they ship out right away.

Good Luck pumping.

I occasionally have problems with the flange sitting wrong and losing suction. If I unsnap and resnap things it usually fixes the problem right away, its a minor thing.

I also bought from addalittlelove.com and the price was very reasonable. I commute on the bus and I really can't imagine carrying a PIS every day. As it is, my freestyle + laptop is a lot to deal with.

[Lmans77]

For those who pump regularly, which larger-volume storage bags/bottles do you prefer and why? Also, which at-home pump would you recommend?

Right now I am pumping into smaller volume containers with a hospital-grade pump for my NICU preemie, but I will eventually transition to a retail pump and need larger containers.

Thanks!


You can store quite a bit in a Lansinoh bag. I've never had problems with leaks.

For baby #2, in addition to storing in Lansinoh bags, I am also going to freeze in 1 oz cubes in an ice tray and transfer the frozen cubes into freezer bags.

My only experience with pumps has been with a PISA which I used at work FT, and it worked great.