Choosing a Breast Pump

I’ve never breastfed before, but I’ve been around breastfeeding my whole life. I’m very fortunate to have a highly educated, extremely experienced (with over 38 years in the industry) Lactation Consultant and early childhood educator for a Mom (she really is the best at her job).  So, for all my years I’ve grown up around conversations about cracked nipples, let down, engorgement, happy feeling when you feed etc. Now it’s going to be my turn and I’m filled with questions. The biggest, what pump do I get?

My first memory of a breast pump was when I was about 5 or 6, and we were visiting the nursery (back when babies were in the nursery’s at the hospital), and a mother was pumping in a room alone. She was pumping from a big table sized electric breast pump. I remember saying to my mother (in all innocence), “wow mom, that’s just like a dairy cow on a farm”.
Thank goodness I only said that to her. After that, the next ones were demo’s that she would have in her office to show mothers how to use them, not to use the actual demo’s of course, just show the moms how the machine works. I remember specifically a hand pumping one and I remember thinking, “I’d rather an electric someday.”

Well now, that someday is very close.

I looked at handfuls of pumps, from different companies, but I fell in love with the Ameda products. I really loved the funtions of the ‘Purely Yours’ Breast Pump. I love that the company seems to be putting the mothers comfort along side with baby’s safety first. The Airlock Protection™ barrier means that it’s going to keep the air from the pump contaminating my milk. I also like that there is a custom control for suction and speed, which means that I’ll have a whole lot of control for my specific flow and comfort. There are also custom flanges you can get, and some other neat accessories that I’d love to try out sometime like the milk bags.

I’ve ordered the Ameda Purely Yours™ Breast Pump, and I’ve got 10.5 more weeks to wait till I get to use it. I’ll keep you posted on how I actually come to love it.