Breast Pumps - Electric V. Manual

[NoMercy]

I've been using a Tommee Tippee manual breast pump to express and getting anything between 30 and 90mls per time. I only paid £13.50 for it, as it was on offer at half price. Unfortunately my pump isn't working so well as it was to begin with.

I note that there's an electric version priced at over £100 and I wondered how this compared with its manual counterpart and whether its worth splashing out on.

Thanks.

[Islay]

My bestie used the electric one last year as her babe was kept in the nicu for 2 months, she said it was good and 'quick' but made her feel even more like a cow at milking time.

[Mamyalynne]

Have you tried manually? I found it very easy.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/expressing-storing-breast-milk/

[Mamyalynne]

I meant your hands not a pump.

[Buenchico]

Mumsnet to the rescue?

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/1690058-manual-or-electric-breast-pump-Is-it-worth-forking-out-the-extra
and
https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/breast_and_bottle_feeding/2622928-Electric-vs-manual-breast-pumps

[NoMercy]

Mamya, they encouraged me to do that in hospital and it was like trying to draw blood from a stone.

[Buenchico]

https://tinyurl.com/yba7da6u

;-)

[Togo]

Manual.... volunteers abound. (^_*)

[Togo]

Lol@ Buen.

[Mamyalynne]

I know not everyone finds it easy, I could take an eye out a twenty paces and very nearly did on a bus once - the shame.

[NoMercy]

Cheers, Chris, that looks just the job.

[bednobs]

hi, i used a medela swing. It worked out as perfect for me because my hands atr deformed i couldn't work the manual one. You can arrange the electric ones so that you can have both hands free.
I know you didnt ask for advice, but i suppose it depends on what the purpose of expressing is - if you are doing it because your baby is exclusively or manly drinking expressed milk, imho it's worth the money for the saving in time and energy. If it's for the occasional use like you want some frozen so you can get blatted then i'd stick with the manual. i had to express as my daughter was in the nicu for 7 weeks and was tube fed for a while. i couldnt hold her for any length of time in the correct position when she could suck, so she continued to be express fed. In my opinion it really is the worst of both worlds (for the mum at least) you have to spend time expressing an then time feeding, so your world is utterly consumed by it. And although you are bottle feeding, there is none of the benefits of the ease and convenience!

[NoMercy]

Thanks Bednobs. What's your opinion re TT versus Medela?

I've seen a Medela Swing for £85 (down from £137) which has mixed (but mostly very good) reviews.

[bednobs]

i have never tried TT, but was more than happy with medela. That's a good price, but you can also get them 2nd hand on ebay and just get the accessories new. The hospital used medela for the mums who were expressing in the unit.

[NoMercy]

I think I'll go with the Medela Swing then.

Thanks to everyone for their answers, and to Togo for his generous offer ;-)

[bednobs]

ps i meant to say that although you can technically have both hands free, you need some pretty strange underwear arrangements :)