I use a Pump In Style Advance at work and am happy with it. I also have a Medela hand pump for use at home or when I just need one side pumped. I am quite happy with that as well but it does take me longer since I am a slow pumper.

For BM travel, we use two different coolers. I take empty bottles in a cooler each day to work, refrigerate BM at work, and then put everything back in the cooler before coming home. I don't even use an ice pack since its less than a 5 minute drive to my house.

DS has a cooler that goes with him to daycare that has a Medela freezer pack in it (so four rounded spots for bottles to settle into. Works perfect as he takes 4 bottles a day and has a side area in the cooler for solids once he starts them.

Make your system simple - any cooler and freezer packs will do as long as they keep everything cool. We love DS's cooler because it has a long strap so I can throw it over my shoulder when we are carrying everything to the car in the morning.

 

Bump. Anyone else?

 

Since you are having twins I think you probably should go with a hospital grade pump. They have stronger motors that provide better suction and more efficient pumping then the regular off the shelf type pumps. They are pretty expensive though. I bought mine (Medela Lactiva) used off of ebay for about half the price of new. Hospital grade pumps are meant to be used by multiple moms so there is not a danger of the pump being contaminated as long as you buy your own new pumping kit to go with it. My Lactiva has a port that you can attach it to the car cigarette lighter or use a battery pack.

I have 2 freeze packs and a cooler to transport the pumped milk back home. Fortunatly there is an employee refidge/freezer at work... I put the bags in the freezer and they are usually frozen solid by the time I go home.

Congrats on your new little ones

 

This is my first, but I'll give my experience. I have the Ameda purely yours and I like it. I bought the package that does not come with the bag etc for about $150. It came with 2 bottles and I use Dr Brown bottles when I need more. We aren't using them for DS - we ended up with Breastflow, so this way they aren't just sitting there. I have plenty of totes already sitting around my house as well as several cooler type totes (and freezer packs) so I thought it silly to buy more of those. I am also buying a second set of all the parts to keep at work since it's not unusual for me to forget something. Recently I left the cord at work (sigh) but had plenty of batteries at home so I was fine.

I do the same as kanga1622 "For BM travel, we use two different coolers. I take empty bottles in a cooler each day to work, refrigerate BM at work, and then put everything back in the cooler before coming home." DS takes another cooler to daycare with his milk for the day in it. At our provider's request we give two pre-filled bottles and the rest of the milk for the day is in a Lansinoh milk bag.

 

I'm on baby #3 here. I have 3 pumps: a medela pump in style (it's at least 6 years old now), an avent hand pump and a medela hosptial grade pump. Honestly, all 3 work fine. For convenience and travel, the PIS beats the hospital grade pump any day. There is no noticeable difference between the two as far as suction goes. And since I'm working with a 6 year old pump on baby #3, I'd say they hold up well too! That's the one I take to the office. At home I'm happiest with my avent hand pump.

Conventional wisdom does not always apply

 

I have the Ameda Purely Yours and get along well with it. When I was looking within the last year, the Ameda and the Medela were about equally recommended, so whichever one you can get a better deal on is the one I would recommend.

I have two of the Amedas. I bought one from Ameda, complete with warranty, and the second I bought from ebay from someone who used it a handful of times and then stopped nursing altogether - that one cost me about half price. I just sanitized everything when it arrived. So now I have an "at work" pump and an "at home" pump.

 

I really like my ameda a lot.

 

I have used my medela PISA for 2 babies. DS was pumping while I was at work, and to empty the other side if he did not feed from both sides (I am a moo cow). DD had a feeding tube place at 4 months when she could no longer feed orally (anoxic brain injury), I have been exclusively pumping for 14 months now with no problems.

 

I am happy with my Medela pump in style, but if I had the choice between that and the Symphony, I'd use the Symphony because it's quieter and I find its suction smoother and more comfortable because it's more adjustable.

 

I have a medela pump in style advance, which I am content with. But I stay at home, so I barely used it. I can't say how it'd do for supply for long periods. I've used 2 different hospital grade pumps, one for each preemie. I much much much prefered the Symphony over the lactina. I thought the lactina was just awful. The Symphony (though apparently expensive) is awesome. It's like the holy grail of breast pumps IMO. I had a great supply with this pump, especially considering I wasn't able to put my DD to the breast at all until she was almost 3 months old. I definitely recommend that first if it's in the budgest, and the PIS if it's not.

 

Thanks everyone! I don't think a hospital grade pump is in the budget. The cheapest I'm seeing the Symphony is $1200 used, on ebay. I don't think that will work for us. I can get a pump in style or the ameda purely yours for $200-300 new (and $100-200 used) which suddenly looks very reasonable!! Thanks for the recommendations, and the storage & transport tips! I think she does have access to a fridge at least, I'll have to ask her. HR is apparently also finding her an empty office to pump in, so that will be ideal!

 

Avent duo...love it!

 

I have an Ameda PY that I used for a year. I really wanted to like it, but it *barely* works after a year of pretty hard core pumping. I had to pump once just this past weekend and it was a nightmare. I should probably just throw it out. I think I will go for the PIS next time around. Medela also makes the Lactina and symphony that are hospital grade and you can do rentals, or see if your insurance will cover a pump.

I've been eying the Freestyle, but I don't work 12 hour days with twins!

 

I have used:
Avent hand pump - useless to me - would probably be good if you had oversupply, but for a slow pumper like me this was terrible.
Lansinoh electric - weak motor, poor fit. Do not recommend at all.
Medela Symphony - AWESOME. Rented that for a month. Heavy, but so quiet and comfortable.
Medela Pump-in-Style. Not as awesome as the Symphony, but a really good pump. Fantastic customer service.

Medela really is the way to go. They have different sized phlanges, and that makes a huge difference. I saw an LC, and when I swiched from the standard size to the small, I was more comfortable and productive. If you are standard size, they also have a soft phlange (I tried and liked it, wish they made it in small). I like the suck action on them too - they have a let-down button that takes you from a quick suck to the long pull, just like a nursling.

ETA - new is better than used, because unless you are going with a hospital grade, the motors on these are not meant to hold up for long term use. If you are thinking about a used pump, see if the suction can be tested beforehand.

 

With twins on the way, I'd suggest looking into a pump rental.
The hospital grade pumps are recommended for people trying to get milk in (preemies in NICU, adoptive breastfeeding). I think it applies to both of you, as you're trying to increase milk, and she will be nursing for two, and pumping for two after just a short time on leave.
With that in mind, I'd suggest working it to make sure you can get your health insurance to pay for the pump rental. Then I'd rent a symphony, and plan to get a pump in style later. The parts are interchangeable.
I'd also recommend a large cooler or desk sized refridgerator. It's so much easier to drop the sheilds and such into the fridge or cooler and not wash them the whole day. Makes pumping so much faster. On that end, I'd suggest a hands free pumping bra and also one of them crazy nursing cover thingies, not to cover the babies' heads, but to cover the pump during desk pumping. And car pumping.

 

okay here's my 2 cents, i have probable IGT-insuficient glandular tissue, and with ds i used both the avent isis manual and a hospital grade medela symphony and in all honesty they pumped equally as well (ie,got about the same amount), although the symphony of course quicker, was easier, electric, double sided etc. But for this baby I plan to go with the Ameda Purely Yours, for one main reason, it is well known, and well rated and from what i've read, the milk does not back up into the tubes like the medela does, so that eliminates some cleaning, also the price for the pump alone seems reasonable.

 

See if your sister's OB will write a script for a pump. Sounds funny, but I know some people have had all of most of the purchase price covered by insurance when it was doctor ordered. I have a PISA and love it. You can use batteries or a car adapter if you can't find an outlet. I used batteries for almost 6 months, and it worked fine, but does take 12! AA batteries. I used rechargeable ones. Also, do an online search for best prices. Medela won't let people advertise reduced prices or sale prices, so you will get the best price from sites that say "request price" instead of having it listed. I got mine over $100 cheeper by shopping around. Good luck!

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunarlady See if your sister's OB will write a script for a pump. Sounds funny, but I know some people have had all of most of the purchase price covered by insurance when it was doctor ordered. I have a PISA and love it. You can use batteries or a car adapter if you can't find an outlet. I used batteries for almost 6 months, and it worked fine, but does take 12! AA batteries. I used rechargeable ones. Also, do an online search for best prices. Medela won't let people advertise reduced prices or sale prices, so you will get the best price from sites that say "request price" instead of having it listed. I got mine over $100 cheeper by shopping around. Good luck!

I just came to suggest this, I had even forgot to check with my insurance company, and from what i've read, breast pumps are considered durable medical equiptment, and i just read over my benefits and they cover 50%, I will double check with them on the phone, sometimes there has to be a certain medical condition etc. But now I may end up with a medela for cheaper than the Ameda i was planning on purchasing. So definitely worth it to check into it. Insurance may also cover a hospital grade pump rental as well, especially with twins.

 

I have a Pump in Style and a Medela Swing (which is a one sided electric).

I use the PIS when I'm away from baby and he's taking a bottle and the swing when I'm home with the baby and only need to pump one side (b/c I'm about to feed on the other).

No complaints from me on either pump.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGirls Also, I'll be working to bring my own supply back up to useful levels (I have a 2.5yo nursling, but my supply has dipped she nurses less, of course), so we may purchase a second pump for me to use part time at home to keep supply up on days we're both home, etc. I'd be looking for something less expensive for home use, we really can't afford two $200 pumps!

Hey there you.

I recognized you from the pregnant with multiples chat and when I saw your post was wondering if you guys were going to try to get your milk supply up as well for the new babies.

Hopefully your twins will not come early but if they do and they have to spend some time in the NICU definitely look into seeing if your insurance will cover a pump while they are in there. Also if you dont qualify for medicaid yourself but your kids do then the hospital can bill the pump on your new babies medicaid and I KNOW they cover it until they come home from the NICU.

Also dont know about your financial situation but if you qualify for WIC they can/will sometimes give out loaner pumps to moms (especially moms of twins) for pretty much as long as you need it.