I am a stay at home mom to my daughter (2) and I am 4 months pregnant about to be 5 months.
I wasn’t able to breastfeed my first daughter because I did not have the right supplies, was to embarrassed to ask for help, and I was 17 and finishing my last few months of high school. But I really want to breastfeed this baby! I am so excited, and better prepared financially. I was really excited with my daughter but me and her dad were havin some issues due to my family. But, we are happier than ever now we moved as soon as I graduated high school and haven’t looked back since. I wish we would have moved before I had my daughter but we can only move forward.
Since I am a stay at home mom is there a point to using a breast pump? What did you do? And what was easiest? What was the best brand of breast pump? Keep in mind I am a stay at home mom so only one income coming in, so I need some what inexpensive but one that works hopefully one that runs off battery or an electric one? Unless you had a good experience with a manual one.
Thank you!
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
I’m a stay at home mom. My health insurance paid for my medela double electric pump. I swear by it… I had a single electric when she was first born and a manual pump… Neither was worth the money. You can find them used on Craigslist and all, you would just buy parts that touch your milk at that point.
I pump for occasions when I won’t be with her or I want to go out or if we will be in public where I would rather not nurse. (Like parties where there is a lot going on and she would be too distracted to keep a good latch.)
Really, its rare that you would NEED to pump, but its always good to have a few bottles in the freezer just in case. At one point I had over 100oz., but it depleted. I want to get it back up some because I plan on starting to wean at 12mos (she’s 10mos now) and I would like to have a good stock so she can continue on breastmilk for some time.
Also, if you qualify for wic, they let you rent a pump for very cheap.
Pumping is harder on your breasts and can bring up problems like nipple confusion, so be careful. I use nil bottles, which are awesome. I hope all of this info helps. Good luck.
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
If you aren’t working or in school, it is NOT necessary! If you want to pump to have some mommy time, then a manual is all that is necessary…. Ameda has a manual for $30, I work part-time and this pump adequately meets baby’s needs (typically part-time work/school a single electric is recommended!)
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
i think its a good idea to have one even a manual one on hand..you are stay at home..but that doesn’t mean you won’t need some time away here and there..so you can pump once in a while and even freeze it so you have it when you need it, also if you aren’t comfortable breastfeeding in public, many people aren’t it will be handy..and with a pump..daddy can take over some feeds too especially at night when you just want to sleep
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
One of the greatest things about breastfeeding is that it is free. Don’t waste your money on a pump you don’t need one. If for some reason that you need to have expressed milk then you can learn how to hand express. You can hand express into a Tupperware cup and he can then ‘drink’ it from the cup. Breastfeeding has been around since the beginning of life. I can bet there wasn’t any pumps during the cave man years.
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
I’m a stay at home mum to nine kids and I have never used a pump, even with my twins. Your body is designed to produce the right amount of milk for the baby, so if you produce too much and you don’t use it, your body will naturally start producing less until you hit the right level. If you use a pump, you will regularly overproduce but your body won’t notice because you’re always removing all the milk, so it will continue to overproduce, using that as a normal level.
Overproduction of milk is painful, so the temptation is to remove the pain instantly by draining all the milk with the pump. However, whilst this will bring short term relief, in the long run, it will just make things worse.
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
I would do both. Put her on the boob in the am when she wakes up, you pump during the day, and when its time to go to sleep put her on the boob again. That way if you decide to work or have a sitter she wont be so use to the boob but at the samw time her having it in the am & when she goes to sleep you could still have that special bond.
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
There is really no need for a breast pump if you are a stay at home mom. I work so I had to pump for bottles for my son at daycare, but I never gave him a bottle at home. Of course, if you are going to do that, be ready to be the only one that can put him down for a nap or bed since you are the only one that can feed him.
If you do want to be able to pump bottles so that dad can feed him or so you can have a break or if you need to pump so get your supply up, get a double electric pump. I used the Medela Pump In Style. It took 15-20 minutes, and I could get 10-15 ounces in that time (but I was a big producer; don’t be surprised if you can only get a few ounces per session). I pumped starting at 3 weeks to start building up a freezer supply, then three times a day for the rest of the first year after I went to work. I had no problems with that pump and would totally recommend it. It has batteries in case you are in the car or out somewhere, but it also has a plug. It’s a little expensive, but it’s worth it.
Good luck.
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
If you’re a SaHM then you shouldn’t really NEED an electric breast pump, maybe a manual one though. However if you plan on eventually going to work, I honestly would suggest renting a hospital grade pump instead of buying your own. I couldn’t BF because I have inverted nipples and all I had was a manual breast pump. After 2 weeks of sheer frustration and a very hungry baby I had to go to formula. I wish though that I’d rented one from the hospital and pumped exclusively… honestly would’ve been much cheaper than buying formula.
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
If you will be home with your baby most of the time, you don’t ‘need’ a breastpump. Whether you choose to use one is up to you. For the occassional evening out, you should be able to hand-express the rare bottle. Or an inexpensive manual pump may serve your needs.
(I breastfed for 14 months and never owned a pump. I hand-expressed for a few bottles, but baby never really liked them, so I just focused on not being away from her for more than a couple of hours until she was old enough to drink from a cup.)
If you’re in the U.S. and your income is low enough to qualify you for WIC, they will also probably provide you with a pump.
EDIT: Just wanted to address Andrea’s post — the fact that she pumped every morning probably contributed to her oversupply — and led to the very problems she complained about. Far better to deal with a couple of mornings of discomfort and let your supply adjust to baby’s needs.
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
Congratulations on your new baby! I’m glad that this time you have even more to be excited about.
As a stay at home mom, you do not need a breastpump or bottles. If you want to express milk occasionally you can learn manual expression or invest in small manual pump (Medela makes a good one). If you get full, you can just pick the baby up to nurse. I suspect that Andrea A needed to use her pump so often because she had an over supply due to too much pumping!
You can begin attending La Leche League meetings now (your daughter is invited, too) to learn more about breastfeeding and manual expression.
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
I like to just breastfeed rather than pump. Eventually you might want to though, either to add it to food (when he/she starts eating solids after 6 months) or if you ever want a night out or want the dad to help with feedings. Breastfeeding is great because it makes it so much easier to put them to bed or naps. I use an electric Medela pump, but honestly, if you won’t be using it much, just get a manual hand pump! I almost with I had one because i only need a little milk to add to oatmeal, etc. With electric t’s a pain plugging it all in, washing all the parts, etc.
September 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
Both