Good morning and welcome to a full post on breast pumps 😉 File this under things I thought I would never have so much to say about. First off, I just want to reiterate that FED IS BEST. I firmly believe whatever is best for the mother and baby is wonderful and am not opposed to using formula at all. 

In case you missed it, I asked for opinions on wireless and portable breast pumps on Instagram last week and have never received so many responses in my life. I also had a ton of requests to share the feedback and when I attempted to type it all out in an Instagram Story, it just wouldn’t fit so here we are. 

First, a bit of backstory since so many of you asked why I was exclusively pumping. When I had Zain, I rarely used my pump. Except for a handful of times when I was in Portland for Jess and Neal’s wedding I always nursed Zain on demand. I wasn’t a huge fan of the pump and nursing him seemed to work just fine. 

This time around, I ordered the S2 Spectra that was covered through my insurance and thought I would simply just keep it around in case I needed it. I hadn’t even taken it out of the box or washed it by the time Zahra was born. 

As you might have read in my birth story earlier this week, the Magnesium Sulfate I was given delayed my milk a bit. So, while she latched great in the hospital and nursed like a champ once we got home she refused to latch. We’ve guessed that she was just so hungry by that point that she couldn’t latch and no matter what I tried, we were unsuccessful. 

After a week or so of trying what we could (nipple shield, when she’s sleepy, when she’s waking up, before/after a bottle) I realized pumping and feeding may be the route for us and that’s okay. I did mourn the loss of that experience for us a bit but will also say that having others be able to feed her is wonderful! I struggled a lot with breastfeeding Zain because of the feeling that I was the only one that could help him and he ate a lot. I will keep you all updated on the journey but that’s where we are now and it’s working out okay!

 

As for the breast pumps, here we go:

 

Spectra S1

Spectra makes a pump very similar to mine that is blue and just as powerful but portable since it is wireless. Perks are that it’s rechargeable but still has a big base.

 

Spectra S9 

A small and portable pump that can be carried and hidden fairly easily. It still has tubing but has a more effective suction than most wireless.

 

Elvie

#1 pick for a portable and wireless pump! So many people in the medical field raved about it and said they use it at work. The Elvie holds 1 more ounce on each side than Willow and most people said the suction was strong.

 

Willow

A few loved it and said it had stronger suction than the Elvie but overall most expressed it didn’t fit them and/or it decreased their production.

 

Medela Freestyle

A lot of submissions for this portable option as well! I used a Medela with Zain and wasn’t a huge fan but never tried this out. 

 

Baby Buddha paired with Freemies

A lot of submissions for this as a more affordable alternative to the costly wireless pumps but many said this wouldn’t replace the larger and stronger pumps. 

 

Bella Baby

Another affordable option people were a fan of! 

 

 

I also had a lot of suggestions to follow @bemybreastfriend on Instagram for tips and tricks as well as some great breastfeeding hacks. @extrapetite also has a highlight on her profile comparing the Elvie and Willow in case you are interested!

I hope that covers everything and if you have any other questions just let me know! I haven’t decided which route I am going yet but will certainly report back once I pick something and use it for a while!