Are Breast Pumps a waste of money?

[Solly86]

Hi all,

I'm thinking about buying a breast pump, did anyone use them or do you think it might be a waste of money? Thanks

[Anjalee]

Ohhh I'd like to hear peoples opinions too. I tried so hard with DD to express by hand but just couldn't do it Really want a pump this time around.

[GrabbyCrabby]

I love my Medela Swing . I've recently heard you can pick them up at Toys R Us, so it might be worth waiting for a sale?

[Tamtam]

I waited til bub was born before getting one. I bought a hospital grade unimom one (google them) and they are excellent. It depends how much you will use it too. I was expressing full time so I needed a hospital grade one. I also used a medela symphony while my bub was in hospital which was also excellent. But expensive. You need a hospital grade one if you are full time expressing for the motor, or it will burn out from overuse.
I also had a manual avent one for when I wasn't able to use the electric ones I had. I even found I could often get more milk with the manual pump than my electric. Incidently you can buy a 'switch kit' for the unimom electric that turns it into a manual pump for when you are out and about.
I would also recommend hiring one if you aren't sure as its a big money outlay if you don't use it. Even local chemists have hire ones too and you get buy your own collection kit so its all clean.
On another topic, if you want a 'closed' system, unimom and the ameda brands are the only totally closed systems from what I researched. But I still found the medela perfect. Even the hospital where my bub was in intensive care used the medela hospital grade one.

[hollychops]

I have the unimom and love it. Can't remember what it's called but it's not the double. Only cost $120 ish. I previously had the medela swing and the unimom is way better.

[jellybeanicecream]

Something else you might like to consider...Our local women's hospital hires them out, which I found great early on. It wasn't overly expensive, they gave brand new attachments for each mum, and they're really efficient and sturdy machines.

[Tamtam]

Agree with missie-mac... On the open closed systems. That's why I bought a unimom one. But I had no choice when bub was in for surgery to use the medela on the ward. That's actually why I bought a manual avent one at the hospital pharmacy so I didn't use the medela at hospital. But at times I didn't have a choice. It was good but not as good as the unimom.
I also wouldn't have pumped if I didn't need to. If I was full time breastfeeding I wouldn't have bothered. I only did for medical reasons.

[JR03]

My mum bought me an electric Avent pump before bub arrived and when I developed cracked nipples on day 3 due to a poor latch, it was a life saver - without it I wouldn't have been able to feed my baby and would have ended up using formula! I pumped full time for about 4-5 days until my nipples healed and now it's great to pump if I'm going to be away from bub at all, e.g. I was able to go out with my mum for a few hours on the weekend and leave bub home with my husband and plenty of expressed milk :-)

[Chew the Mintie]

Spectra are all closed system pumps!

It's a real worry that some hospitals are providing the medela swing to patients, medela are very clear they are single person use only. I can't understand it.

[Tamtam]

Spectra are all closed system pumps!

It's a real worry that some hospitals are providing the medela swing to patients, medela are very clear they are single person use only. I can't understand it.

It wasn't a Medela swing just to clarify. It's was the symphony I think. They provided collection kits, which were only for me and i got a new kit each day. Maybe the hospital grade are closed systems? (sorry somewhat off topic).