Breast pumps

A&A'smommy wrote: So I was wondering what are the best ones, and what do I need?? I don't want to start pumping right away but I want her to be able to take a bottle so I can still work.. I know I need some nursing bra's, pads, cream (what is the best kind btw?) and storage bags.. am I leaving anything out?? I'm trying to go ahead and get what I can before May

PrairieMom replied: I love my medela PIS. you will probably need a extra set of horns, (is that what they are called? ) I had 3 sets with mine so I could always make sure that things were clean.

amynicole21 replied: If you are going back to work, a double electric is a must. The Pump In Style is my favorite, though it's a bit pricey. If you aren't going to need to pump every single day, an Avent Isis is really good.

Any lanolin cream is good - you'll probably get a ton of samples from the hospital though.

Mommy2Isabella replied: I had to pump exclusively for the first week almost. I have a PIS Advanced, IT IS WONDERFUL. Like Tara said I would recommend you get an extra set of breast shields, they aren't that expensive, like 15 bucks!!

A&A'smommy replied:
well technically I'm not going to work but I will want to be able to continue photographing weddings or whatever anyone wants and I need to be able to be away from her for 6-8 hours at a time. I will look into the Avent.. my hospital only sells the Medela but I wanted to know what else is good.

Sam & Abby's Mom replied: I rented a Medela Symphony after Abby was born. It's an electric, double pump. I had used that kind in the hospital and loved it.

lovemy2 replied: I used a PIS and like Tara said - I had an extra set of everything - that way in the middle of the nite when I had to pump (I ended up pumping for two months and bottle feeding -) I didn't have to worry about cleaning everything so they were ready for the am pumping session - it was a real pain and I wish I had been able to actually breastfeed Dylan - but that is another story

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: I have the PIS Advanced as well and LOVE it! I had a single electric Medela with Wil and it certainly did not do as good a job as the double PIS. I also tried out the Avent non-electric and it did NADA for me, I couldn't get anything out. I've heard they are good for some people though.

I would get at least four bras - I was constantly washing them.
breastpads are a must if you are a leaker - I was!
any lanolin cream is fine - you get samples in the hospital and a little goes a long way.
maybe a nursing book - I can't remember the name of the one I had, it's the one that's most popular. It was really helpful, I thought.
storage bags - I liked the ones that worked like a ziplock bag. I had the ones with the clips, but they were harder to use since they can leak.
a carrying bag for your pump if it doesn't come with one. And an extra battery pack if you don't have somewhere to plug in. The PIS comes with one.
extra horns - and make sure you get the right size. Thank god for Karen's advice, because I had no idea that I was using too small of a horn. They sell them at Target or BRU.
bottles with storage tops. Labels too if you are like me and forget when I put the milk in the refrigerator last. Helps DH too so that he can feed the baby and know if the milk is fresh.

wcs40110 replied: medela PIS no doubt! I tried some others and acually won it in a contest and ill never go back

A&A'smommy replied: Thanks for the advice I'm SOO excited and nervous about breastfeeding!!!!

bawoodsmall replied: Medela Advanced PIS also here. I would also suggest you get some of the little bottles you can pump into. I think they came with the pump and you can buy more. I got so frustrated with the bags. I would always spill and freak out. Plenty of good nursing bras and pads like Rae said. I was also a leaker at first with Aiden.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: The only pump I've used is the Avent Isis, and I like it just fine, but I only pumped a little bit. It might not be enough for when you have to go back to work.

Nursing pads - I've tried lots of them and the best ones are Lansinoh. Just the regular ones not the Ultra Soft ones - the regular ones are cheaper and work great. And if you can find it, I LOVE Palmer's cocoa butter formula nursing cream. It isn't sticky and messy, and it is really soothing and works great on cracks. And it smells good. I've seen it online but the only place I've ever found it in a store was at Motherhood. You might look at your Target or Drugstore though because they sell Palmer's stretch mark cream so there's a chance they'd have the nursing cream too. Our Walgreens has palmer's bottom butter, but not the nursing cream.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Yes, I agree with Sara, the Lansinoh (sp?) nursing pads were the best I thought. Plus they typically come with a few of their storage bags or wipes. I got them at Walmart, huge box for like $7.

moped replied: I have the PIS - love it!

emiliosmom replied: I loved my PIS too!

Of course my son never took a bottle