Breast Pump Question

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Rent or buy? Did you rent or buy your breast pump? If so from where and what did it cost? Do you recommend renting or buying? What brand did you buy or rent?

I talked with my ob/gyn and she recommended renting and then buying if I really liked it.

[MonkeyMama]

Bought mine off Ebay for approximately $200.

I think renting one and then buying one if you will stick with it, is probably the smartest way to go. No sense in buying one if you can't even nurse, or choose not to, etc. But, if you use one for a long time, buying is the way to go.

(& to tell the truth, I LOVED my pump. It enabled me to work and nurse my kids for a long time. Love love loved it, but I have come across few women who liked it at all. Most hated it. You'd probably be better off renting, from that angle. I know a lot of women who planned to nurse longer, but couldn't stand to pump).

[LivingAlmostLarge]

What brand MM, and was it safe to buy used? They have all these stupid manfacturer don't buy used signs up. I wonder if it's a hoax?

[MonkeyMama]

I personally would not buy a used pump.

I am sure the risks are immeasurably small. But we are talking breast milk and infants. No thanks.

That being said, I don't think I really heard anything bad about buying a used pump. Only the motor, etc. is used. You would have to replace all the parts. I sold mine to a friend. I wouldn't buy one from a stranger.

I don't think it's a hoax. It's just EXTREME caution.

Mine was the Medela PIS. Was the best at the time. That was 2002-2003. Mine was new, but best prices were Ebay at the time. Which is probably what swayed me to buy one - got a good deal.

I'd search the online baby forums to get a current recommendation. Might be something better out there? PIS was good for working. You don't need near as much for occasional/at-home pumping.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

How did you know it was new from ebay?

[graceful]

I bought mine new in 1999 for around $249. Unfortunately, my milk never really came in.

I "lent" it to my SIL who then passed it to my other SIL. And then back and forth. Between the 2 of them, they had 9 kids after me. When I had my second child, I again didn't breast feed beyond the first few weeks. So, it never came back to me.

But that initial $249 purchase was a good deal for my SILs who didn't have to pay a dime and had it for use for 9 babies, the last one just last month.

Edited to add: It was a Medela pump I bought at a big box store.

[zakity]

Oh man... I loved my double sided pump. It was a life saver. Are you planning on working and pumping or is it just for extra pumping? If it is for working and pumping, yep, go for a nice one. If it is for extra pumping, rent.

[wincrasher]

Mooooo!

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Wincrasher, it seems as if you want your sensibilities to be taken into consideration when people are deciding how they will feed their babies. You do it in a way that makes you seem nervous, what with your one-word, nearly non-committal joke. Yet it is only nearly non-committal. You have committed yourself to a position of saying a breastfeeding woman is cow-like, haven't you? We all understand that to imply someone is a cow is an insult.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Graceful, do big box stores still sell breast pumps? Sounds like a fanastic deal for your SIL! Well consider it a birthing gift that kept giving.

Pumping and working, but only after the first few months probably.

[fruitbowlk]

I rented mine for 16 months. I rented the Medela. If renting is going to cost you more than it would to buy it then buy the pump but if renting is cheaper then buying. And also keep in mind if you are going to have more kids that will be breastfeed. I forgot how much I rented mine for.

[fruitbowlk]

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

What brand MM, and was it safe to buy used? They have all these stupid manfacturer don't buy used signs up. I wonder if it's a hoax?

You are only renting the pump. The tubs and bottles you have to buy they are not for rent. If you can go to a rental place and ask them to show you everything and how it work and you will get a better understanding of everything.

[MonkeyMama]

The MEdelas are at Babies R Us. Not sure I have seen them anywhere else. But maybe - I don't shop much!

[MonkeyMama]

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

How did you know it was new from ebay?

Came in a new box and everything - the seller sold thousands of them. They were certainly new. Got a tip from a friend about the seller though.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

MM what seller are they still on ebay?

[MonkeyMama]

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

MM what seller are they still on ebay?

sorry - no idea!!! I bought mine in 2002 or 2003!

[MonkeyMama]

Actually, looks like they retail about $280.

If you search ebay, for NEW, a bunch of "buy it now" listings will pop up in the $220 range. I perused a few sellers who look like they just sold everything under the sun. They must get them wholesale. So it looks like ebay is still the way to go to get a decent discount on a new pump.

I think that purchase is the reason I got an ebay account in the first place!

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Very cool.

[mom-from-missouri]

I bought a $35 dollar one from Evenflow at Walmart. Used it for 5 years with no problems, several times a day on work days. It came corded, but would also take batteries for while in the car, but I never used the batteries. It still works--and is still in my closet--"just in case".

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Did you mostly breastfeed mom? And only pump occasionally or did you pump all the time?

Is it worth renting the hospital grade for a few months then deciding on a pump?