[lala2007]

I really want to make the best out of this and the only person that seems to support my reason to pump and not formula feed, well at least try is fob. I want to ask the moms who have done this ,are doing it what are your experiences and also which breast pump and bottles would you recommend? Thank you so much and also any advice you can give me!

[jess sanchez]

i'm getting a simplisse Simplisse Breastfeeding Products pump...last time i pumped with a medela but i want a more natural motion...i feel like most pumps pull and suck too hard for my sensitivity..i guess it depends on each person but i want the most comfortable one

[forest]

I pumped during the day once I went back to work and breastfed when I was home. I pumped about 3 times a day for almost a year. I has the Pump in Style Advanced and was very happy with it. I didn't like the Medela bottles so I would suggest using something else.

[MamaAnna]

I had to pump with my youngest because of my over supply/overactive letdown. If I didn't let the pressure off first it was hard for her to latch on and then it would come out so fast she choked. Not fun! I used...

Walmart.com: The First Years - miPump Single Breast Pump: Feeding

And I really don't recommend it. The shield on it actually took the skin off of my nipples so they're permanently scarred. It didn't feel like they were rubbing or anything, but they were damaged. If I tried it again I'd upgrade to a Lansinoh or Medela pump.

ETA: On the bottle side, most pumps come with their own. I would pump into that and then divide it into storage tubes and Playtex Drop-Ins. For nipples mine prefers the Silicon Natural Latch wide nipples. Preference varies from baby to baby though so yours may do better with something else.

[mshah]

Why on earth would anyone give you a hard time for deciding to breastfeed instead of formula?! Isn't it usually the opposite case?

Well, anyway. I don't have any advice on pumps for you, as this is my first. But I'm breast feeding as well. Wish you the best, and hold strong to what you feel is right for you and your baby...not what everyone else tells you to do!

[TeresaSuperMama]

Originally Posted by mshah

Why on earth would anyone give you a hard time for deciding to breastfeed instead of formula?! Isn't it usually the opposite case?

It depends on who you know. A lot of the older folks are still quite unsupportive and I have friends that still are not all that supportive. The tide has definitely changed, but in real life I see a lot of people that are still not all that breastfeeding friendly.

As far as breast pump advice goes, different pumps work best for different people. I loved the Avent manual pump, but I know a lot of people like Medela pumps and Ameda Purely Yours is another good option.

What honestly I would do if I were you since this is your first time pumping & breastfeeding is to rent a pump from a lactation consultant at first. Electric breast pumps are expensive and it's a lot of money to spend if it doesn't work out for you.

Avent manual pumps are like $40 so you could try that, but if you want electric I would rent one and see if you like it before you buy.

[krystal g]

This is my first time too, but I went ahead and bought a used Medela Pump in Style Advanced off of Craigs list. It's like new (just a little over a year old) and was only $100 as opposed to $280. All I need is some new shields and tubing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I like it...I guess I can resell if I don't.

I'm also going to try the playtex bottles. My friend also gave me a bunch of unopened Avent bottles so I have those as well. All of this is on advice from others moms and I know it may not work for me, but hey, you've got to start somewhere.

[MamaAnna]

Originally Posted by TeresaSuperMama

It depends on who you know. A lot of the older folks are still quite unsupportive and I have friends that still are not all that supportive. The tide has definitely changed, but in real life I see a lot of people that are still not all that breastfeeding friendly.

DH's family only has one person in it that was supportive of my decision to try to BF my youngest. The rest told me I was crazy and that I would be inconveniencing them if I breastfed. At the very least I had to pump because breastfeeding is just wrong and would make it so much harder on them when they visited.

[Shalyn]

I worked full time w/ my fist two so I had to have a good pump if I was giong to pump while at work..........I have the Medela Pump In style and it works awesome. As for bottles, we used Avent w/ the first two but then they came out with all the BPA stuff so I threw them out. I am going to try the Playtex nursers this time w/ the drop in liners for when we bottle feed. We'll see how they work.

[stephie1012]

i pumped for DS for 15 or 16 months. It was VERY hard. I felt like i was pumping all the time. I used the medela pump in style, every 2months i rented an Ameda pump. We used the bottles with the drop ins. Im really hoping not to pump this time at all. I agree with teresa about renting a pump at first.

[Trish36]

Originally Posted by mshah

Why on earth would anyone give you a hard time for deciding to breastfeed instead of formula?! Isn't it usually the opposite case?

My mom was never one for struggling and would constantly tell me to go to formula with my youngest. She was the only baby I actually bf for more than 2 weeks. I loved it and stuck to it for as long as possible. I used the Medela electric pump. LOVE IT!! the only reason why I pumped was that I had too much milk and I needed to get rid of some before Isabelle could latch on and then get rid of some afterwards, cause she never emptied me out. If you set your mind that you are going ot bf, you will succeed. don't be afraid to ask for help from a lactation consultant. It's so important to get a good latch otherwise you will end up in a lot of pain and give up. It's great that the FOB is supporting you. Don't listen to anyone else, do what feels right to you. But don't feel bad if you do switch to formula. It's not a competition. Do what's right for you and the baby. I know someone who was told to try and try and try and she went through so much stress and in the end they found out that she had no milk come in and the poor baby was starving. So you'll always find people who will tell you one way or another, but it's important that YOU feel comfortable with it. Sorry, that's my .

[lala2007]

Thank you so much ladies! You are all so supportive and I love it. I thought I would get more support to from family members. Just like Teresa said it is mostly the older generation. My mother is the main one who says I shouldn't do it and I would get frustrated etc. Well I am sure everyone gets frustrated once in a while but that is no reason to give up. I am so happy I posted my question instead of staying quiet about it. My family treats me wanting to breastfeed like it is the end of the world.

I will rent first so I can figure out which is best for me and I know I might be going through a series of different brands of bottles to see what the baby likes. Thank you so much.

[amhk]

I pumped for 7 months after DD refused the breast due to thrush and I could not get her back. If you are going to solely pump, you absolutely have to get a really good double electric breast pump, because you are going to use it a lot and you need something reliable that is meant for exclusively pumping. I think renting one for a little while is a really good idea if you want to be sure of finding one you like, but if you don't want to do that, just do some research and you will be able to find a good pump. I had the pump in style and it worked great. If you have a large milk supply, you will need lots of extra bottles or those playtex plastic things to store all of your milk.
Also, just a word of encouragement- in some ways pumping is easier than BF, but in some ways it is harder... It doesn't hurt as much as BF, which is a plus, but pumping is time consuming and you have to do it very often, (just like breast feeding) in the beginning to establish your milk supply. Just prepare yourself for the challenge ahead of time so you are not blindsided. I got so sick of feeling attached to the pump, that I finally quit when DD was 7 months. I really wish DD would have stuck with BF because it would have been much easier to just feed her wherever we were at instead of having to get home (or to the car) at a certain time in order to pump.
OH, and there are a some websites/communities online to support Exclusively Pumping Moms... you should check those out for a lot of really good information.

[lala2007]

Originally Posted by amhk

I pumped for 7 months after DD refused the breast due to thrush and I could not get her back. If you are going to solely pump, you absolutely have to get a really good double electric breast pump, because you are going to use it a lot and you need something reliable that is meant for exclusively pumping. I think renting one for a little while is a really good idea if you want to be sure of finding one you like, but if you don't want to do that, just do some research and you will be able to find a good pump. I had the pump in style and it worked great. If you have a large milk supply, you will need lots of extra bottles or those playtex plastic things to store all of your milk.
Also, just a word of encouragement- in some ways pumping is easier than BF, but in some ways it is harder... It doesn't hurt as much as BF, which is a plus, but pumping is time consuming and you have to do it very often, (just like breast feeding) in the beginning to establish your milk supply. Just prepare yourself for the challenge ahead of time so you are not blindsided. I got so sick of feeling attached to the pump, that I finally quit when DD was 7 months. I really wish DD would have stuck with BF because it would have been much easier to just feed her wherever we were at instead of having to get home (or to the car) at a certain time in order to pump.
OH, and there are a some websites/communities online to support Exclusively Pumping Moms... you should check those out for a lot of really good information.

Thank you so much! I will check out the communities tat support pumping and also do more research on different pumps because I do plan to just pump.