breast pump being used for 3rd time -- any way to assess its effectivness/strength?

[indigosky]

I own a breast pump I purchased used four years ago. It was used by the original owner, then by me for DD1 (it got a lot of use from me), and soon I plan to begin pumping for DD2 (born very recently).

The pump still seems to work fine. My question is, do pumps lose their effectiveness/efficiency/strength over time? Given how time-consuming pumping is, I want to be sure I'm using a pump that's doing a great job. If there's a chance it's not as good as it was when it was new (or not as good as a new pump would be), is there a way to assess or evaluate this?

[azzeps]

Well, I guess you could time yourself and see how many ounces you can get in 10 minutes, although that will vary, depending on what you've got available at the moment, right?  I'm not sure what you'd then compare that to.  Hmm.  Maybe you could rent a hospital pump and see if it does a better job.  It seems with pumps, either they suck or they don't, you know?  I mean, as far as the double electric ones are concerned.  I feel like I'm talking about a vacuum, you know, like a Dyson... it never loses suction!!! I'm sorry.  I don't really have an answer for you.  Do you have any friends who have newer pumps that would let you try theirs out?  It is a lot to invest in a new one if you don't really need it, so I can see why you'd want to make an assessment of the one you have first.

[Mama2ChicknLil]

I'm convinced the hype about pumps bein sinlge use (for one baby) is crap...a ploy by Medela and Ameda to keep us spendin money!! Maybe I'm jaded, but if the pump is 'emptying' the breasts effectively, and you dont have any issues with plugged ducts, then I wouldn't worry about it. No it porbably wont be as strong or fancy as a new one, but if you're able to remove enough milk and dont have any problems with production, I would just keep using it and save the money in case it does eventually conk out!!

Congrats on your baby!

[akind1]

ITA with the above. My pump is on its third baby (one before I got it, DS and now DD) and it seems to pump as good as it ever did. Maybe a newer one would be quieter, more lightweight or in a cuter bag. But if what you have seems to do the job in the time allotted, why mess with it.

FWIW: I inspected my Medela PISA and still have no clue how milk could get into the pump itself. (the main reason they say not to use it for more than one babe/mother) IF it's possible, seems pretty slim chance that it could.

[Megan73]

Have you ever changed the membranes? That's a cheap fix that can make a big difference to how your pump performs.

[aeterna]

I took my pump to the lactation center at the hospital and they checked it to make sure it was still in good working order. They have a suction tester that will tell you what (psi? I guess?) the pump is reaching (and the owner's manual will tell you what it SHOULD be reaching).

I did get milk into the lines once, so I imagine if you didn't clean it when that happened, it could potentially work its way into the pump motor. Otherwise, replace the bits that get wear and tear (like the valves) & you will probably be just fine. =)