Since before Taylor was born I knew that, if I could, I wanted to breastfeed. With the help and support of Medela we’ve been doing great. Taylor is now 14 weeks old and exclusively breastfed, I always look at him in wonderment when he feeds at the sheer joy I feel knowing he has grown, developed and thrived solely through me.
I’ve been using the Medela Swing Electric and Harmony Manual breastpump to start stock-piling my milk, I’m due to continue my driving lessons so I need to prepare for spending time away from Tails. I’m yet to leave him for any amount of time, so it’s going to be hard, but I’ll be safe in the knowledge that he has enough Milk to see him through!
Medela Swing
The Medela Swing is a 2-Phase Electric Breastpump, this mimics the two phases babies are known to nurse in. The stimulation phase, where they suckle fast and light to stimulate milk flow, and the feeding (expression phase when pumping) phase where they suck slower and deeper to get the maximum amount of milk most effectively.
Costing approx £135 depending on the retailer, it comes with everything from breast pads to Purelan 100 lanolin cream in the box! The Swing is really easy to navigate, it can be used whilst plugged in at the mains or using 4 AA batteries, it’s light and portable so you can use it anywhere. You also have control over the vacuum levels so it’s comfortable for you to use. I usually prop the bottle or bag on a pillow and try balance it, investing in an Easy Expression Bustier might be a good idea then you can truly go hand’s free!
I’ve found the Medela Swing to be extremely effective when expressing and get an average of 3 ounces each time I pump, it’s also very comfortable to use, I usually express in the morning from one side whilst feeding from the other. I find my pumping to be most effective when done this way and it also means Taylor is settled at the same time.
I’d consider using a double pump when returning to work and would be pumping more regularly but for my current needs the Swing is perfect.
I’ve used the Swing to start collecting a supply ready for when I’ll be leaving Taylor a few times a week, I’m now confident that he will always have plenty available to him whilst I’m not there which is one less thing to worry about. It’s simple to use, easy to clean and I really love it!
Medela Harmony Manual Pump
The Harmony is a good pump to have if you’re only going to use it on the odd occasion, I find I get tired of pumping quickly and it becomes less effective. However, since Taylor dropped his night feeds around 3 weeks old I was waking up engorged and very uncomfortable, when this happens Taylor can’t latch properly then everyone is grumpy at 5am! I’ve been using the Harmony during the night to prevent this from happening as it’s silent and perfect to relieve the pressure if Taylor won’t dream feed.
Overall I do prefer to use the electric breastpump as it’s more effective and works best for me, some women may find they express more with a manual than an electric or vise versa, this can vary for everyone.
Check back next week for my must-have breastfeeding accessories including why we love Calma, also if you’re embarking on your own breastfeeding journey check out the Medela Facebook page for their great brestfeeeding Cafè events online and off-line.
For more on our breastfeeding experience so far see our previous posts ‘Hopes, Fears and Expectations of Breastfeeding‘ and ‘Nursing a Newborn – The Early Days‘
If you have any questions regarding feeding or the pumps mentioned in this post just ask in the comments below and I’ll help in any way that I can 😀
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