Mmmm.... Mama juice for the baby....
Written: Jul 07 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tiny pump, big results!
Cons: Not heavy-duty
The Bottom Line: The best of both worlds: breastfeeding and working too
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| amy99rm's Full Review: Avent Isis Back To Work Breast Pump Set 410 |
Like all breastfeeding moms, we struggle with going back to work. Well, all moms hate going back to work, but breastfeeding ones especially because we are the only source of food for our babies! And you know that if you don't see your child all day, your breasts will feel like bowling balls before you get home (sorry to be so crude, but it's true!). Which is why we turn to the breast pump. It's so handy when you have to be away.
There are all kinds of breast pumps out there. Do NOT choose one because it looks cute or is so small (which is why I chose this one but I got lucky). Choose a pump based on your needs; will you use it everyday? Will you use it once in awhile? How long do you want to pump for? How much are you willing to concentrate on pumping? These questions will help you find your perfect pump.
I breastfed for 4 months, which I've found is longer than most moms that go back to work. I went back when my son was 7 weeks old and I used this pump everyday (Monday thru Friday), twice a day, for about 10 weeks. When I stopped the pump was slightly cracked and I know it couldn't take much more of the demands I put on it. I kept it for use if I had another baby (if it isn't broken, I'm gonna keep using it!) or if I had a friend who was desperate or something. I wouldn't suggest passing on a used pump. It just seems icky to me...
The pump functioned very well for what I needed it for. It took about 10 minutes to get 5 or 6 ounces (3 or so oz. on one side). You begin to pump and it takes a few minutes to "let down" (ie your milk start to flow). Pumping itself isn't too painful because Avent has this nice plastic cushion, which also helps massage the breast for faster let down. Once the milk starts to flow you hold down the pump until it stops. You don't have to keep pumping and pumping 100 times a minute. A lot of people don't know that so keep it in mind. Then you just keep going until you can't get anymore. Sometimes I found that if I moved the pump to different positions you can get more milk after you think it's stopped. Be creative!
The pump is SOOOO easy to clean! You can take it apart completely, piece by piece. I would run it under hot water in my office kitchen after each use, then take it home and run it through the dishwasher every night.
This is also a great thing about the pump: It comes with a great black cooler for transporting the milk home. The cooler is pretty discrete. No one knew what I was carrying! So no funny questions or anything like with those big cases those electric pumps come with. There is a little pocket on the front that I used to store milk storage bags and a sharpie for labeling. There's also a mesh pocket inside that I used to keep the bags of milk in place so they wouldn't accidentally bust open on the way home.
This kit came with a couple 4 ounce bottles and a couple 8 ounce bottles, which is a perfect starter kit. We use only Avent stuff now that I'm not breastfeeding. It was the first brand that we tried and baby just loved it. He didn't turn away from it at all, which is what I was afraid of... It also came with a couple replacement parts, which was great because mine started to brake a little b/c of all the use!
Overall this was a great pump for me. Easy to clean, compact enough to carry to and from the office everyday. I wouldn't recommend it for heavy use, but it worked for me!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
amy99rm
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Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 0 members
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