I've
been exclusively pumping for almost 3 months already - and I can pretty tell
that it’s more difficult than the real act of breast feeding. Washing and sterilizing
of bottles and saving milk stash for my baby can be very tiresome. I also need
to make sure to pump on the dot so my milk won’t dry up; and since my daughter
doesn’t want to latch anymore on my breasts, I ought to save milk every now and
then.
Being
an exclusively “pumper”, I’ve tried a couple of breast pumps already. I wanted
to have the breastpump that works best for me. Something that has a strong
suction but is not painful to the breasts. So far, I’ve tried a total of 5 breast
pumps already and the best pumps for me are my Spectra Dew 300 and Cimilre M1. Let
me share the pros and cons for the breast pumps I have tried ever since I started pumping.
Premium 2 in 1 Mimi Flo
breast pump - this pumped had helped me increase my milk supply. Contrary to
what others would suggest, I have started pumping as early as 2 weeks post-partum.
My nipples had bled due to poor latching, and due to the traumatic pain and
jumping and shouting while my baby sucks my nipples, I decided to pump right
away.
Pros:
·
It
has an adaptor that can be attached on the breast shield to hold wide and
narrow neck bottles
·
Easy
to use. Has its own silicon massager.
Cons:
·
3-5
pump parts to wash
·
The
part that holds the spring can easily be removed. There was a time when the
cover keeps on getting removed while I was pumping.
·
Breast
flange is kind of small; I’m used to with 28mm flanges
·
No
available spare parts.
Precious
Moments Electric Breast pump - this is probably the worst pump I’ve tried so
far. Sorry mommies who are a big fan of this pump, but this pump never really
worked for me. Aside from the painful suction, there’s a release button that
you need to press every now and then. Using an electric breast pump should
lessen the pumping “work load” but having to press the release button every now
and then is just useless most especially if you’re using an electric breast
pump. I only used this pump for less than 5 minutes, and wasted 1,500 plus for
this useless pump. (can you just imagine how much I hate this pump? LOL) DISCLAIMER: Some mommies claim that they can extract 4-5oz
using this; perhaps my breasts are not just compatible with this pump.
Pros:
·
Small
and really Portable
·
Can
use double A batteries
·
It
has an adaptor that can be attached on the breast shield to hold wide and
narrow neck bottles
·
Easy
to use. Has its own silicon massager
Cons:
·
I
tested this pump during wee hours and oh boy, the pump motor was really loud.
·
Painful
suction (based on my experience)
After my
experience with Precious moments, I already became hesitant to try out other
electric breast pumps thinking that “all” e-pumps have painful suction. Good
thing Mi’Ann of babymama.ph recommended me to get Spectra Dew 300. I am so
happy that I purchased this pump and it really helped increase my breast milk
supply. With Spectra Dew, I was able to produce more than what my baby can
consume in a day, and I was able to save lots of milk stash for Milly before I return
to work. Mind you, up until now, the milk stashes I’ve saved for her were left
untouched and I’m still able to share my breast milk to other babies who need
precious milk.
Pros:
·
Very
quiet machine.
·
Very
comfortable
·
Closed
system - meaning milk won’t come inside the pump.
·
Less
pump parts to wash
·
Durable
Cons:
·
Machine
is quite big; hence not portable
Since
Spectra Dew is not portable; and I know that I need to pump milk at work, that’s
where my husband and I decided to invest in buying Medela Swing. What I love
about Medela swing is its small and yet can extract efficient milk too. But even
if the medela swing is one of the top breast pumps out there, for some reasons,
it is unable to empty my breast. I can feel lumps on my breasts after pumping. I
don’t know if there’s a problem with the pump parts, but when I checked the
membrane, it looks like a part of it got torn.
Pros:
·
Portable
Cons:
·
Many
pump parts to wash. Also, you really have to be careful when removing the
membrane. Also the yellow valve is SO HARD to remove.
·
Expensive
LOL
·
If
you didn’t buy your pump from Medela House, they wouldn’t fix it even if it’s
still under warranty.
·
No
built in rechargeable batteries and you need 4 pieces heavy duty of double a
batteries.
After using my Medela swing for a more than a month, I came
across baby mama’s website again and saw Cimilre M1. I’ve read a lot of good
reviews and I knew right there and then that I need to replace my Medela Swing.
So far, I am loving M1’s performance and I am satisfied with the output. This
pump can empty my breasts in 10 to 15 minutes.
Pros:
·
Portable;
lightweight
·
Quiet
motor
·
Has
a built in rechargeable battery
·
Strong
suction - I am only using level 1 suction and I am able to express a lot of
milk.
·
It
has a massage function that enables
faster let-down
·
Less
pump parts to wash
·
Closed
system
·
Length
is smaller than a smart phone
·
Very
cute design.
·
Battery
indicator
Cons:
·
Sorry,
but I’m just loving my M1’s performance and I couldn’t think of any cons yet. J
If you’re
trying to save milk stash and would like to increase your milk supply, believe
me, you can never go wrong with Spectra. Aside from its durability and high-end
performance, the price is way more affordable than other expensive electric
breast pumps.
