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I need advice on good breast pumps. Our bubs is going to have to spend 4-6 weeks in hospital after birth and I would still like to provide her with breast milk if at all possible. Hence I'm going to need to invest in a good breast pump that is easy and comfortable enough to use all the time. Any advice?
Hi Sezza, sorry to hear your little one with be staying in hospt. Mine was in for nearly four months. I expressed full time for him for 12 months as he was unable to suck feed and was tube fed.
The hospital will have good pumps available for you to use in the wards/NICU/SCBU. They will also have ones you can hire (ours was about $20 month) and take home. IF you are only going to be needing one for a few weeks/months I would recommend hiring a good Medela from the hospt. If you think you want buy one I would recommend waiting until you have had some experience of expressing and how it works best for you and then buy one.
There will be lactation consultants in the hospt that will be able to help you with working out a good one for you once your supply is in and you have the hang of it. Find out about this now and if there aren't any ones available get yourself a good LC now. I went to the hospt and had a session with their LC just on expressing before my bubs was born as we new he would have trouble.
Honestly there are so many different ones out there! I hired an electric Medela for about six months then bought a manual Avent Isis. I actually found that my boobs didnt like the electric after a while and other mums in hospt were recommending the Avent so I tried it and it worked much better for me. It didnt take any longer and the supply was better - I could control the suction and speed more and therefore got more milk out.
HTH. ;)
Rachel
Thanks for the advice, I hadn't even thought of hiring a breast pump, will definitely look into that.
Anything else you think I need to help me, bubs and DH through the weeks in hospital?
We are all organised to bring a baby home, but I feel very unprepared for the long stay in hospital and the trip to melbourne.
Well I could write a book - hang on I just launched one about just that!! Ask Wendy at Cardiology for the "No such thing as a Silly Question" book. That will help. If she hasnt got any left let me know as I have one spare one at home.
There is lots to think about with having a bub straight into NICU as you will, waiting for then to get big enough (usually they want them to be around 2.5kg) for surgery, then heading over there and getting through that. Then actually bringing them home! Oh the joy and worry of that day!
Wendy from WCH Cardiology (amazing woman and very skilled), Cathy (mum of heart kid and been to Melb a couple of times and lovely) or Kylie from HeartKids (family support worker for HeartKids, has a heart kid but hasnt been to melb for surgery but has been to see what its like) and going to see someone at Womens Social work at WCH (not Paediatric Social work - believe me!) will all help inform you and DH. I am also up for a phone call or two or a catch up for coffee in WCH before/after the birth - if you want to.
Let me know how you get on or if there are any specific qus you have.
Rachel
Sezza, it's great that you are preparing in advance. As well as a good pump, you will probably need some additional help, as it can be more difficult to establish bfing in that situation. I recommend that you join the ABA before the baby is born. The 24 hour help line on 1800 mum2mum will be able to give you some great advice on establishing bfing with a hospitalised baby. You don't have to be a member to call, but as a member you are also entitled to a 50% discount on pump hire, and you will get as much ongoing information and support from a breastfeeding counsellor as you need, included. It's certainly worth considering.
I wish you all the best hun.