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We currently own an Avent Isis Manual pump. However we are expecting twins and want to give BF our best shot.
With this in mind what is your recommendation and experience with breast pumps?
We are looking at unpgrading to an electric pump. With double pump capacity.
So far we have had recommendations of
Medula
Aventi
Ameda
Ideas and suggestions most welcome :) Thanks.
Hi
I have an electric Avent single pump that I had with DD. I am planning on B/Fing these boys and I have organised a lactation consultant to help me with establishing tandem feeding. She seemed to think that the single pump would be fine to use to long as I pumped for the same amount of time on both sides.
I used an avent hand pump for occasional expressing with my twins (just for some EBM for the freezer). When I needed actual large volumes of milk (ie when one of my twins was in NICU) I borrowed the single electric pump from the hospital and made sure I expressed for the same time on both sides. A double one would have been helpful in this situation, but I would hire rather than buy one in that instance.
TBH though I only needed to express when my son was apart from me, and the rest of the time it was just like with a single baby in that I expressed a little bit regularly to build up my frozen supply.
WRT tandem feeding, it is really hard. Some people get it straight away, but if you find it is not working then don't be afraid to feed them individually. With the time it takes to attach 2 babies for a tandem feed and keep them in place, it is honestly just as fast to feed them one at a time. I tried tandem feeding for over a week but my babies were not putting on weight (and one was losing weight). Switched to single feeding and everything improved, I was able to feed them for almost 2 years.
I've got the Medela Swing pump - it's great but it is only a single. When the girls were in the SC nursery we used the pumps they had available which were doubles - again the Medela brand. They were brilliant.
Like Traveller said, I guess it depends on how much you are going to pump. I was doing it multiple times a day when the girls were in the Special Care nursery, using their pump at the hospital and then my own pump overnight to try and establish my supply and have enough milk for the girls at night when I wasn't there. Now I am using my pump once at night - I pump before going to bed and DH gives them that in a bottle at their late evening feed so I can get some sleep before the 2am-ish feed. It does take time to single pump though - I do 5 mins one side, 5 mins the other then repeat. I do think a double would be handy due to time and also I tend to leak milk out of the non pumping side :rolleyes:, but I couldn't justify the expense of a double machine when I already had one.
I guess in answer to your question - I recommend Medela :). Good luck with everything!
Hi,
There are a few issues to take into consideration when you are having twins. When you have healthy, full term twins, then a breastpump can be just obsolete. When you are feeding twins there is little time or energy for pumping. However, twins are more likely to be born premature, and this brings it's own set of issues. If your twins are born early, then you are best to use a hospital grad rental pump - these can be rented from the Australian Breastfeeding Association. The support ABA offers is invaluable.
If your pump is for occasional feeds one of the less expensive electrics ie a medela swing might be adequate. (But it wouldn't be for expressing for prem twins who are unable to feed at the breast) I would stick with a medela or possibly Ameda brand. But I would consider just holding tight for the moment and assessing your needs when your babies are born.
I had twins that where 4 weeks prem. I hired one from my local chemist from memory I think I paid $60 a month. I had to buy the attachments separately which I think was around $100.
Barb has some great advice for you. If you end up buying your own, I have loved my Medela Freestyle. It can fit in your hand and is portable, so if you have to walk somewhere while pumping (ie to an unsettled baby, not around the block LOL!), it makes this possible. It also makes expressing away from home easier. It's basically the next level down from hospital grade (although there is a big difference) - it's the top level of "home use" ones.
I hired a Lactina for a month (in retrospect would have gotten the Symphony, even though it's a bit dearer), and then switched to the Freestyle. As Barb said, in those early days you'd be wanting a hospital grade one (Lactina or Symphony).
definatley a double pump is worth the money, but i would hire rather then buy unless you still have more children to come in your family after your twins.
If you need to pump regularly and want to hire a pump a highly recommend the medela symphony. The only problem with this one is that it isn't portable. I'm pretty much an exclusive expresser and use the medela symphony at home but also need to have one for when I'm out and about so I use the medela swing for occasional expressing when I'm away from the pump at home. It can be battery operated and I find the suction to be really adequate. The downside is that it is a single pump, but that's okay for me for the occasional pump away from home.
I hope you can get BF established! It took me a little while to work out how to occupy and feed one baby whilst on the breast pump. It's very possible but definitely not as easy as if we could BF but I guess it's the next best thing.
Wishing you the best of luck!!!