A customer recently asked me this question, which I thought
might be useful for others.
"I'm looking at returning to work once baby is 3 months old
for about 3-4 days a week, I just wondering what breast pump you
would recommend for that. Also would you recommend buying or
hiring which do you think is better. "
The type of breast pump that you need really depends on how often
you plan to use it each day. If you are going to be working about
3-4 days per week when your baby is around 3 months old, then you'd
probably be looking at using the breast pump about 3 times per
day.
We recommend an
electric breast pump, the
manual pumps are really only designed to be used about once per
week, like if you are going out for a night.
In terms of the electric pumps, either the
Avent Electric, or the
Medela Swing will be suitable.
Bare in mind the Medela
Mini Electric, and the
Mini Electric double, are very noisy. This is quite an
important thing to consider, especially if you are using it at
work. We've made some demo videos on our website so
that you can hear the noise they make. Both of those models of
breast pumps are designed to be used about once or twice per day,
any more often than that and the motor wont be able to handle
it.
So we recommend the Swing or the Avent Electric for you. These are
both very quiet pumps, and yet very quick and efficient at working.
(which is also another thing to consider, cos you'll be needing to
express in your work breaks).
The difference between the Swing and the Avent Electric: The swing
has a two phase method so that it quickly stimulates milk let down,
and then you push a button and it goes into a longer slower motion,
just like how a baby sucks.
The Avent Electric, you start pumping manually at a rate that
suits you, and when its comfortable and milk is coming out, you
push a button and the pump continues pumping at this speed for you.
This pump also has the option to be able to used as a manual pump
(which the Swing doesn't).
This customer also asked about
hiring breast pumps. We recommend only hiring a pump if
you really need to (eg, premature or sick baby or another reason
where full-time pumping is necessary). Mothers that need to
hire the Symphony Breast Pump do so because they have either been
advised by midwife or lactation consultant, they may have been
using one already in hospital, prem baby and feeding difficulties
perhaps. It can often work out more economical to purchase a breast
pump rather than hiring anyway.
We have been asked a lot of questions about breast pumps, you
might find other useful information in the articles listed here