A tale of three breast pumps

I'm kinda reminiscing on those times when i yield ounces and ounces of breast milk after a pump! Now, after 18 months of breastfeeding, i'm lucky to get 3 oz per pump. So give this mama some time to contemplate on her old breastfeeding buddy - the breast pump! Without the pump, i think i would not have lasted to nurse this long!

I had two breast pumps before i found that one true pump for me.

First was the First Years single manual pump.  

Hubby and i got this out of necessity, really! We bought it for around P1300 (i'm not sure about the exact price anymore). It was a good single manual breast pump for beginners. Yup beginners, because hubby bought it for me got it right after i gave birth.  I could imagine him looking for a breast pump in the baby section, asking the sales lady for a demo. Hehehe. He got this pump the next day after i gave birth.

My baby can't latch after birth and he was stuck in the NICU for one week. So we really really needed a pump, just to facilitate breast milk production.

[caption id="attachment_2537" align="aligncenter" width="242"] This pump was my breastfriend in my first weeks of breastfeeding.[/caption]

I was actually very masipag  to pump back then, i religiously pumped every 3 hours.  If i remember correctly, i got around 6 ounces per session using this manual pump. I was really pleased with my pumping output back then.

But my hand hurt after all those squeeze and release motion, i felt my fingers were about to fall off. Also, i wrecked the valve within 2 weeks! It was my own fault actually, because i brushed the insides of the valve. This was a no-no pala, since the pump should be kept "vacuum". When i brushed the insides of valve, the sides cracked, hence the "vacuum" was disturbed!

So we had to get extra spare parts right way.  Luckily, the department store also sells spare parts for this kind of pump!

So to the rescue naman si husband. We had an emergency trip to the mall to get a cheap electric pump.

Next was the Precious Moments single electric pump.

We got it for around P1700. Cheap diba? But so was the quality!  It was a single electric pump but you still have to squeeze and release to control the sucking motion. You have to learn the ropes to work with this pump. Kahit electric sya, you still have to press the release button when you need the pump to let go of your nipple. Ayyy.. it really sounds painful.After using this for two weeks , my  nipple bled. Thankfully, after several days, it healed.

[caption id="attachment_2538" align="aligncenter" width="292"] This was the cheapest single electric breast pump in the mall.[/caption]

I think i did not have the knack to learn how the squeeze-release system for this pump works.  Actually, there's really a technique to breast pumping. Minsan, kahit naman hindi high-end na pump, it still works, moms just have to learn to get a hang of it.

Last was Medela Pump in Style Advanced double electric breast pump. 

When my nipple bled, that's when i really decided i need a good breast pump. This is precisely the reason why i recommend splurging on a pump!

We spent about P 13,000 for the Medela Pump in Style pump! Hubby bought it right after we got my maternity allowance check from SSS. He got this from an online seller  on EBAy. It was really expensive but i tell you, it was worth every centavo! So pikit mata na lang nung binili namin.

[caption id="attachment_2539" align="aligncenter" width="235"] We got the one with backpack. In hindsight, i should have gotten a shoulder bag type, para bagay naman sa kahit anong outfit![/caption]

What i love about this Medela pump is the 2-Phase Expression technology - wherein there's fast sucking motion  in the first two minutes. Then next na ung long sucking motions - ito na daw ung let down stage. According to Medela, this 2-phase expression mimics how direct nursing works. On first minutes, baby sucks to stimulate the breast flow. Then later, baby sucks longer and deeper to get more milk.

This technology is not present in other double electric pumps.  What you can do with other pumps is adjust the intensity or speed of suction, depending on your own let down. Well, who knew that longer and deeper suctions let out more milk than faster suctions!

Sana magamit ko pa ito for the next baby para todo sulit na!

Just some important notes:

Hand expressing is vital.

•  I can not underestimate this skill, especially during those days when you accidentally left behind some itty-bitty parts like the valves or membrane. On page 9 of this booklet from Unicef, there are tips on how to express breast milk by hand.

Direct nursing  is better than breast pumping.

• I still find breast pumping mechanical and such a job! Direct nursing is still the best way to feed baby. You can cuddle and hug the little bunch while you're at it. Plus, the baby's sucking empties the breasts more than any other pump.

Also worth reading:

• Get more milk from every pump


• Breastfeeding essentials and tipid alternatives