HELP needed with Breast Pumps

[Caithi]

Hi:wave:

I will hopefully be breast feeding, and for most of the time it will be straight from the breast however on the rare occasion when we go out without bub, I have a migrane ( which are a monthly thing for me) or I have to leave him/her with Nan and Grandpa I would obviously like to express.:thumbsup:

What is the best electric brest pump and what type of bottles / teets etc as I have heard that if you use an everyday one , and your baby loves the breast, that sometimes they wont take a bottle.

Are there any recommended brands for these too?:fingerscrossed:

[Pinky McKay]

Hi:wave:

I will hopefully be breast feeding, and for most of the time it will be straight from the breast however on the rare occasion when we go out without bub, I have a migrane ( which are a monthly thing for me) or I have to leave him/her with Nan and Grandpa I would obviously like to express.:thumbsup:

What is the best electric brest pump and what type of bottles / teets etc as I have heard that if you use an everyday one , and your baby loves the breast, that sometimes they wont take a bottle.

Are there any recommended brands for these too?:fingerscrossed:

Hi Caithi,

Congratulations on thinking ahead considering possible scenarios before you have your baby. As you mention your migraines are monthly, you may be pleasantly surprised and find you dont have any while you are breastfeeding -at least in the early months when breastfeeding hormones usually supress menstrual cycles.

Rather than buy a pump yet, why not wait and see - get the nurses to teach you how to hand express while you are in hospital- this is a useful skill whether you plan to leave your baby or not. For instance, if your breasts become uncomfortably full it will be easier to simply hand express a little than go through the drama of washing and sterilising equipment. After all, once you get through the learning stage, breastfeeding can be very simple, so why make it complicated by using equipment that isnt necessary.

If you do plan to get a pump later, seeing you wont use it often, a hand operated pump will probably be all you will need. I would recommend going to a learning to breastfeed talk at your local breastfeeding association and if you live near enough ( Melbourne or Sydney), visit a Mother's Direct store and ask the experienced women there to show you some pumps and explain the benefits of various models. If by any chance you need to express for a sick baby or are returning to work, an electric pump would be better to maintain your supply and these can be bought ( there is quite a variation in costs) or hired.

Regarding bottle teats - try one with a longer, firmer nipple but it's best not to use any teats (dummy or bottle) for the first six weeks as your baby is learning to breastfeed, so as not to confuse your baby's sucking.

Breast and bottle require a different sucking action whatever teats you choose so some babies will find it more difficult to drink from a bottle but this is far easier to get around than creating breastfeeding problems by introducing a bottle too early.

Best wishes,
Pinky

[Caithi]

:hugs: Thanks for the info!

Its the migrane thing thats going to kill me... I still get them, usually once every three to four weeks but some weeks they just last and last - say three days on and four days off - and without drugs its pretty full on.:banghead:

Ill def try the pump then, I was just a little worried about that as sometimes I cant even stand up so not sure how the hand is going to work :laughing: but I am assuming its an easy to use one.:fingerscrossed: