[starsailor]

Hi my 2c worth! I have an Ameda Purely Yours and I love it. We had numerous difficulties with BF but I really wanted baby to have BM. I have expressed for her since she was a few days old, going on 9 months now!
The pump has never missed a beat, is comfortable to use, easy to clean and when I have needed spare parts (the tiny white duck valves) they were cheap and easy to find. I tore a few of the valves in the early days (exhausted and cleaning wildly w brush and soap in the middle of the night when sleep deprived. ) The valves do not tend to tear with normal use.

[allthiseffortpai...]

I have the Medela swing and it's great.

I used it with DD1 and am planning on using it with this bub.

Initially I would express after every feed and freeze the milk for 'just in case' times (creche, grandparents visit, leave bub with hubby).

Once my milk supply was established, I only pumped once in the mornings and had enough for one feed.

When DD weaned, I ended up throwing out 5L of liquid gold as the milk banks won't take breast milk after your bub is 6 months of age.

Broke my heart!

[Sed]

I used and loved the medela swing. DS was 33 +3, so hindsight would have bought the double, but he still ended up breastfed (took a few months). Depending on why your pumping, would look at the double.

[noi'mnot]

It really depends on what you're using it for. Take a look at this link from the ABA, which gives you an idea of what type you should be using. I would also recommend that you give their retail store a call, Mothers Direct. They sell some of the best quality breast pumps and will be able to give you advice which isn't so much as a sales pitch - more based on evidence and practicality and such - like some other retail outlets.

If you are needing a pump in the early weeks to build and maintain supply, then it might be worth your while hiring a hospital grade pump (medela symphony for eg). But, if it's for when you go back to work and your supply is established, then maybe the medela swing will be enough. It's hard to say, it really depends on your circumstances.

STBG - on your off topic, no I was never taught to hand express by anybody in hospital, despite seeing one of the hospital LCs at least once a week for six weeks post birth and being rehospitalised due to complications and such. I was taught over the phone by an ABA counsellor! It would have been a hell of a lot easier if hand expressing hadn't been passed off as "too hard and not efficient" in those first couple of weeks!

This post has been edited by noi'mnot: 13/12/2012, 07:31 PM

[Chief Pancake Ma...]

I have a medella swing - it works really well for me. I express for comfort and in tthe hope that soon DD will take a bottle if I want to go out.

I had to hand express in hospital and found it very painful and truamatic - using a pump is much easier.

[cira]

I used a Ameda Purely Yours for about 9 months for my first child, expressing multiple times every day. It held up very well. I found that it ate batteries if I wasn't plugging it in but I'm guessing most pumps would. I chose this pump because the milk gets sucked straight into bottles without going through the tubing or through the actual pump. Suction and speed settings were good for me. And double pumping was definitely more efficient even if my breast only expressed one at a time.

[kamlio]

I hired the Medela Symphony from the local chemist. It was great. After a bit (a lot) of practice I could have both going and could get around 1.3litres a day in three sessions of 30-40 minutes each. Since I was expressing exclusively the time saving was totally worth the rental. I used it for four and a half months and the rental cost came to about a third of buying it new. I wouldn't buy one though because they are expensive, you might not want to use it for a long time and if there was a problem you can't just take in back to the pharmacy to have them replace it immediately.

[WaitForIt]

I have the Ameda lactaline. I read the reviews on amazon and although the Medela gets good ratings, some had issues with milk getting in the tubes. The Ameda, the design means that this is impossible. It has a diaphragm between the pump and extraction container section.

[BearBait]

For my first DD in 2010 I used a Medela Pump in Style Advanced for approx 1 year until it wore out. I was back at work so pumped 4x per day for 15-20min per session. It was an excellent, strong pump.

Medela in their wisdom no longer sell the PISA so this year with DD2 & my return to work I forked out serious cash with NursingAngel to buy the Freestyle. Freestyle is small but useless. Suction is weak. While Medela Customer Service fix or replace my Freestyle I needed a pump so I bought an Ameda Purely Yours. Good pump, strong & good clean system.

I consider the PISA the best pump by far. The Ameda Purely Yours/Lactina a close second. Freestyle is underpowered junk. I think I'm doubly annoyed with the Freestyle bc it was so expensive I expected more.

[lucky 2]

If you are expressing a lot and wanting to express optimal volumes then a double electric pump would be ideal.
It is quicker to double pump (I used one for 15 months, using it 2-4 times a day).

My personal favourite if you are full time expressing is the Medela Freestyle but it isn't terribly portable. I like the Medela swing otherwise.

I'm a bit confused stbg, the freestyle is a pretty small personal pump, very easy to transport.
Perhaps you thinking of the Symphony pump which is the big hospital grade one?

Lots of people use a single pump very effectively, if you've never used a double you wouldn't know how much quicker it can be.
I had an Ameda Pump in style and thought it did a great job.
All the best.