Is it the Medela? I need to order one through insurance, and I feel LOST looking at these things! I know nothing, and I'm not a gadget person so really just need advice. Thanks!!
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I think the Freestyle is Medela's "best," but I have the Medela Pump In Style Advance (the one that comes in a backpack) and I love it.... I also got it for free through my insurance.
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I like my Medela PISA, but I've only used one other pump in the hospital and I was too stressed to notice the merits- I think it was the Symphony.
How many times a day will you be pumping? Will you be pumping at work? Will you be commuting with it? When I've seen posts on pumps these questions seem to factor in.
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I did medela Pisa for my first son. It worked. Got a freemie this time around and love the convienience. I feel that it is also gentler but affective.
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@mrscobee: what are ou options for medical suppliers?
I had a medela and it was no where as comfortable as my PJ's Comfort Pump from Limerick Inc. It's not as well known, but is an amazing pump. I think women like the medela because of the convenience of going to BRU or Target to buy extra parts and supplies. This time I'm getting a Hygeia Enjoye from insurance and it can use the same parts as medela, yet is a closed system.
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I used the hospital grade Ameda and Medela pumps and the Medela Freestyle. I think the Freestyle really worked for me because it was portable and I could move around the house (I just stuck the unit in between my boobs in the pumping bra). I have no experience with other pumps.
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I tried the Medela Swing, the Hygeia double pump one, and the Medela PISA. The PISA was my favorite.
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Hygeia Enjoye is my favorite after renting hospital grade Ameda with my first and trying a Medela.
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I used a Ameda Purely Yours with my first and currently the Medela PISA for my second.
I love that the ameda is a closed system where as the medela isn't. I've had issues with the medela with my milk going into the tubes and just the other day I found mold in the tube. That was never a problem with the ameda and wouldn't be because it's a closed system.
But the medela does seem more "powerful".With my first I WOH ft and pumped at least 2x a day during the week. With this second one I was only WOH pt.
If we have a third I would probably try a different pump. But definitely a closed system.
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In the nicu they provided a medela symphony (which is over $1000, so I don't recommend buying it :happy:), and they strongly recommended getting a medela for home.
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i really love the convenience of my medela freestyle. I can literally pump anywhere and also multitask and do other things while pumping. Totally worth gold in my opinion!
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Loved my medela freestyle!! Got it through insurance . Never had any problems with it and it's very portable which was a huge plus for me !! I like that it's separate from its bag so it can just sit in your lap when your pumping.
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Spectra is the best on the market right now. The S1 and S2 are both considered better than Medela (though it's about 50/50 compared to the Symphony). They're both a closed system - S1 has a battery, S2 does not.
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@AmandaB8: what does closed system mean?
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My class instructor said hospital grade ones that you rent has more power and is best to get your supply going. She calls the non-hospital ones the ones you get when you go back to work. She was teaching a class for expecting multiples so supply is an important issue if we want to BF. She recommended getting the hospital grade ones. I have to check with my insurance and see what they will cover.
@Mrs. Goose: closed system... All hospital grade pumps are closed. You simply get new tubes and don't have to worry about contamination from the previous user.
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@Mrs. Goose: a closed system means there's a barrier between the pump and the milk collection. The inside of the pump is sterile, and therefore it's safe to use with multiple babies and/or moms. They're easier to sell when you're done pumping because of this (or you can donate them).
Pisas can mold on the inside - it's super gross!
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@Mrs. Goose: oh, I found a better explanation from this site. I just learned a lot from the site.
http://www.breastpumpcomparisons.com/breast-pump-specs.html
Open systems:
In an open system breast pump the end of the pump tubing is exposed to milk collection so there is a chance that expressed milk will drawn into the pump’s tubing. This can be an inconvenience for many mothers since the tubing will need to be washed, sterilized and air-dried before it can be used again.Unfortunately, small amounts of milk may be drawn into the tubing and go unnoticed. If this should occur, mold can begin to grow in the tubing.
Closed systems:
Closed system breast pumps have a diaphragm in between the collection bottle and pump tubing that creates a barrier, which prevents expressed milk from leaking into the tubing and prevents outside air from contaminating the expressed milk.These barriers make closed system pumps more hygienic since expressed milk is not exposed to the pump tubing or motor at anytime. Additionally, the pump tubing never needs to be cleaned or sterilized.
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@AmandaB8: ewww! Mold! My sister suggested the PISA and another one. I'll stay away from the PISA if there is a chance of mold.
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@Torchwood: did insurance cover rental fees since your LO was in the nicu?
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@AmandaB8: @bluestriped bee: good to know. Thanks!
I wish our insurance covered a pump. That seems to be more of an American thing.
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@bluestriped bee: They cover either rental or a pump. We got the pump, but I'm not sure it was the best call. The hospital rental would have been bulkier, but better quality.
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@bluestriped bee: all open system pumps can mold not just the Pisa.
I've had the Pisa and the ameda and the Pisa wins hands down I've never ever gotten milk in the tubes and I pumped for a year with my first and am pumping for my second now. Also my insurance covered either a rental of a hospital grade or the purchase of a Pisa but my dr wouldn't write a prescription for the hospital grade bc she did not think it was necessary so I got another Pisa. I much prefer the one I got with the bag but this one works well too
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I EPed with the PISA and it worked great. Never an issue with milk in the tubes or anything
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@jetsa: oh, I know open systems can mold. I just don't know which ones of the retail ones are open and closed. For now, I'm more concerned about the rental unit ones because I'll use them first. I'm definitely leaning towards a closed system if my insurance covers all of it or some of it. But when I buy one for pumping at work, I'll need to figure out if insurance will cover both a rental and a retail one.
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I intended on getting the PISA but due to a pumping "emergency," I got the only one that the medical supply had-- the Ameda Purely Yours. I actually really like it because it is a closed tubing system, came with a nice bag, cooler and can be operated by wall outlet, batteries or car adapter. Some say it is kind of loud but it doesn't bother me.
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@Mrs. Goose: it is an American thing due to the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) requiring them to be covered. However, there was no specification of what type has to be covered and while some insurance companies offer a double electric pump for free or a rental of a hospital pump for free, other insurance companies may only offer a single electric or single manual pump.
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@bluestriped bee: Two of the pumps that I was considering through my insurance are closed system; Hygeia Enjoye/Q and Spectra. Those actually both call themselves "hospital grade" due to being a closed system, but I don't think there is a standard for that term or any regulation of its use in regards to breast pumps. I know the Ameda is as well, but I've seen more negative reviews than positive for that pump.
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@ChelseaRose: Oh, good to know. Are those the ones you rent or buy? If you rented it, how long they they allow you to rent it for?
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@bluestriped bee: Those are ones that my insurance company will send me to keep. The Hygeia is highly recommended by LLL.
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@ChelseaRose: oh, nice!
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Spectra gets a tooonnn of love in a bf-ing group I'm in on FB. So that's what I want for my next kid! For this one, I have the Medela PISA and I like it just fine too. I also have an Ameda but I don't like it as much.
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Love the freestyle! It is so light and portable. I just clip the pump to my hands free pumping bra and can pump while doing any number of things. I got the PISA with my first and used it to pump for nearly a year. I decided to pay to upgrade the pump with my second pregnancy and get the freestyle. Now I keep the PISA at work since I am stuck at my desk while pumping anyways and use the freestyle at home.
Never had a problem with milk getting in the tubing. A good friend had the Ameda and it was pretty much shot by the end of a year with her first.
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@snowjewelz: I strongly considered the spectra, but the only one offered by my insurance has a wall if only and doesn't have the option to use a battery pack or car adapter, which I definitely need for my line of work (frequent field work and driving). For someone who knows that they will always have access to an outlet, then I'm sure it's a great option.
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@ChelseaRose: I hope by my next LO they will come up with something, haha! I enjoyed having the option to pump with car adapter/battery pack too, for the handful of times that I've had to!
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