Breastfeeding Question, – Pumping Issue?
Posted by Zolly | Under Nutrition Sunday Dec 27, 2009I am going back to work in two months and I am looking for pumping advice. My daughter will be 9 months at that time and I desperately want to continuing to breastfeed.
I have two older children that I breastfed, too. I went back to work only part-time with them so breastfeeding was not an issue. With this economy, I am going to have to work full-time.
My daughter gets some solids now and a cup every so often (really just for practice) Breastmilk is her primary nutrition.
I need to know what pumps are good and also if there are any that fit onto infant sippie cups. At 9 months, I should give her milk in a cup, right?
The baby would stay with dad during the day and I plan on meeting them at lunch so I could breastfeed so she would maybe need two servings of milk through the day.
Any advice or tips would be helpful. Please only pro-breastfeeding mamas. I DO NOT intend to supplement with formula. Thanks for understanding.
If you are working full time I think *any* good pump will be worth the money you spend on it. I had a Medela Pump in Style and it was very good.
I’ve honestly heard a lot of mothers and experts say the Evenflo pumps can be *hideous*. I’m glad the first poster had good results with them… but where I’ve talked with other bfing moms in the past they were nicknamed “Evilflows” and were reported to have caused serious damage to breast tissue.
I went back when my daughter was about the same age and was *terrified* of it hurting our nursing relationship… it really went quite well. I think if you have a work environment that is supportive of your pumping and a ‘daycare’ environment that is supportive of breastfeeding (and what could be better than daddy!) that you will be fine.
ETA: We decided to go with bottles even though she was older. But… My little one had nipple confusion early on and when she got back on the breast she *refused* all bottles. So when we put her in daycare I was actually worried she wouldn’t take one. She took it like a pro! My daycare provider was *great* and followed the tips on ‘kellymom’ for feeding a bottle to a breastfed baby… there is a ‘nack’ to it if you want a smooth transition: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bottl…
I think sippy cup or bottle could work great. I think hubby might like having both options available in case she turns her nose up at one or the other. But keep in mind that either way… she won’t starve from morning to lunch or lunch till quitting time! If she just won’t eat much for daddy… she will make it up when you get home!
Hope it works out great for you both!
I recommend a Medela Swing Electric breast pump. The moms I know that use it say that it is the most comfortable and convenient one they’ve ever used. It takes electricity, if that’s a problem there are also manual ones and ones that take batteries.
I have an evenflo comfort select its pretty good and was less than 70 dollars for the double pump. I have also used a medela and it was awesome but if shes already 9 months you might not want to buy one that expensive. I’ve never had any luck with a manual pump. Good luck I hope going back to work, works out for you!
I had tried few pumps before, manual & battery operate. I like to use AVENT. even it is manual pump, but it fast and less pain. Some more the u no need to change bottle. Buy few more bottles and you can buy the different flow teats for baby to toddle. But the price in malaysia cost you above RM2xx – RM3XX. If you have friends in Singapore, you might get cheaper.
I’m breastfeeding and I have used a few different pumps. I rented a hospital grade Lactina Plus pump. It worked pretty well.
I have used an Evenflo manual pump and hated it.
I liked using the piston from the Lactina as a manual pump. It works very well.
Right now, I am using a Medela Pump in Style Advanced shoulder bag. I watched for coupons from Babies-R-Us and ended up getting it for $200 rather than retail which was closer to $300.
As far as the sippie cup thing, I have never heard of a pump that would work for that, but why not just pump into a regular bottle and put it in the fridge? Just an idea.
Good Luck!
Well I am THE master at expressing! No shes not too old to have a bottle, if you give it in a cup she might not want to drink as much and if you dont want spillage, its very precious so you dont want any wastage. You could try a sippy cup or anything with a hard spout. Try them and see, if not then she can have it in a normal bottle, my daughter still drinks her milk in a bottle when I am at work. My husband has tried putting it in a sippy cup but she wont have a bar of it.
As far as I know there arnt any pumps that fit onto sippy cups or anything, I have the medela swing, and as medela dont have normal feeding bottles, I express into medela bottles and then they get tipped into tommy tippee bottles. The swing is fantastic and I have used it since 3 months, and my daughter is now almost 1. I express two times during the day now. Thats really good that your work place is understanding and you can meet up at lunch, thats fantastic, at least it gives you a chance to see your LO.
Good luck with expressing!
You dont need to wean if you dont want to, you can keep going until your daughter decides to stop, by then you might only need to express once at work, she will have a feed in the morning and one at night