I am seeking advice on finding a pump for a full time working mother. I am due with my first child in March and as much as I hate to am going to need to return to work after maternity leave. Also, I would welcome any advice anyone may have regarding this issue & returning to work.
Thank you all for your time!
From what I have read so far, I agree with the two moms, Medella is great. My only other suggestion is to drink PLENTY of water to help your milk supply...
Congratulations and GOOD LUCK!!!
I love my Medela Pump in Style- I am actually on my last week of using it and am looking to sell it. It is a double pump(meaning you pump both sides at once, or can be used as a single if need be) Its in a low key attractive carry case(looks like a large briefcase) and has ice packs, bottles, and all the pump parts. You can check the styles out on the Medela site and also you can go talk to the ladies at Mommy and Me Breastfeeding store at Shawnee Mission Med Center, they are super helpful with any questions you have(they are all LC's and know a ton!) That is my fav place for nursing bras too, the Bravado are great! I pump 2x/day at work, my friend pumped 3x/day -- I pump a full 10 min and read a magazine or just relax so my milk flows better while I am doing it! It easy to do after a few tries but I would suggest you get started pumping by at least 5 weeks Post Partum to get your supply in the right place before getting back to work- you'll hear lots of differing opinions but I found that getting both my boys on the bottle by 3 weeks at least a couple times a day(with pumped milk or formula-I did both and had to supplement with my first from day one anyway)made the transition much easier, neither have/had a problem going from breast to bottle when needed. Pumping a few minutes a day from 4 weeks on also allowed me to start a freezer stash so that I wasn't as stressed about milk supply when I went back--( I went back at 3 weeks with my first and 1 week with my second--parttime). Let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to share my experiences(I am a very laid back mom and very laid back about my nursing!)
I used a Medela Pump In Style for three years and it was fabulous! I didn't go to work, so I have no advice there. I do want to send you my kudos for working & pumping, though. I understand it isn't the easiest thing to do and I commend you!!
K.,
I also used a Medela Pump-in-Style. It is a double pump electric with a battery pack, ice packs and a storage case. I bought it in 2004 just before my daughter was born and had great success with it. The Medela pumps are expensive, but they are the best thing outside of renting a hospital grade pump. I started pumping the second week of my maternity leave and had enough breast milk in the deep freeze to take to daycare for about the first six months. My maternity leave was ten weeks long because of my C-section. After that we supplemented the fresh breast milk with formula. I pumped twice a day and was able to fill 4 four ounce storage units everyday (approx. 16 oz). Don't bother with single pumps or hand pumps they take to long in a work setting.
The trick is to find a quiet place where you can lock the door and relax. I used the weight room changing booth at my office. It had a full length lockable door. My sister-in-law used a conference room in her engineering office. Public bathrooms are not a good location. Talk to your Human Resources manager, companies usually have plans for helping new mothers who what to breastfeed, but have to return to work.
Breast pumps can be difficult to get used to. One of my cousins had problems using one, because the funnels were to small for her breast size. Work with your lactation consultant at the hospital if you run into difficulties.
If you are going to pump at work be sure to use liners in your bra. You will leak on occation. The liners saved me more than once when I got stuck in a meeting and REALLY needed to pump. Take extras to work and for the first couple of weeks take an extra shirt just in case you need to make a quick change.
Good Luck,
J.
P.S. If any one is interested in buying my pump I would be willing to part with it for $100. It cost me $350 new from Babies R Us two years ago.
You may want to try renting one at the hospital at first. I almost bought a pump, but decided to rent one at first and then was unable to produce enough milk for my son. I was only out one months rental cost instead of the price of buying the pump. Once you get going and know that breastfeeding is going to work for you and your baby, you will also know what features you like or don't like, and can make a better informed decision on the purchase.
