avent breast pump (Avent Isis Breast Pump)

Member Name: emuk00

Product:	Avent Isis Breast Pump
Date:	31/10/09 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to use, affordable, allowed daddy to do some feeds, upped my milk supply

Disadvantages: can be time consuming

Avent Isis Breast Pump

With my first daughter I planned to breastfeed her, but didn't really research breast pumps, as they all say breastfeeding is the natural thing to do, so I assumed it would be easy...as you do.

Then my problems started in the hospital of incorrect attachment, resulting in cracked nipples. As we left the hospital I asked mum to buy me a breast pump from mothercare, so I could express some milk and let my nipples heal a little. I didn't really know much about breast pumps, I just told her to buy one that was 'reasonably' priced.
She came home with the Avent Isis Breast Pump - which is a manual pump.

A breast pump has also allowed my husband to feed both daughters when I have expressed milk off so he doesn't feel left out ( I am successfully breastfeeding my 2nd daughter this time around).
The pump has also helped to up my supply, especially in the early days when I had a very jaundiced and sleepy baby who wouldn't feed long.

This particular pump is a manual pump, although the electric pump is also available (more on this later).

There were a lot of pieces that came with the pump, but the instructions are easy to follow, and I soon had the pump put together and ready to use.

The pump is very easy to use, and you can control the rate of pumping with it being a manual pump. You can also control the intensity of the suction by how far in you press the handle, the further you go in, the stronger it is. The pump is also a quiet pump, keeping it discreet if you do need to pump away from home.

The pump has been designed to mimic a baby's suckling of the breast, although it isn't as effective as a baby getting milk from the breast it certainly does work.

As you depress the handle, it create a suction on your breast drawing the nipple back and forth as you pump (baby's sucking) the milk then flows down the funnel area into a smaller area with a valve which then allows the milk to filter through to the sterilised bottle which is attached to the pump. You then unattach the bottle and wither add the teat or the lid to store in the fridge.

To wash the bottle you simply take it apart as you put it together, wash it in warm soapy water and then sterilise it, you can do it with boiling water or a steriliser but I would recommend the avent microwave steriliser as it has been purposely made to accommodate avent bottles and the pump.

The pump cost approx £20-25, and is available from places like Boots, Mothercare, and online stores.

The pump comes with 2 4oz bottles and extras which allow you to take the pump on the move and keep everything sterile, although I personally wouldn't pump anywhere but the comfort of my own home, as quiet as it is.

I felt that the pump wasn't working as effective as it should, but it turned out it was the way I was pumping, and the fact that you can never get enough expressed milk as baby would get from you, which does make you panic that baby doesn't get much milk from you, but I have been reassured.

My friend lent me the electric version of the pump, well the motor which replaces the manual part of the handle, as all other pieces are the same, and apparently with the electric pump you get the bits to make it a manual too.

Again the electric pump was easy to set up, she didn't have the instructions to give me, but I soon found a pdf online, and was up and running in no time. It wasn't as noisy as I thought it would been either.

You basically turn it on with the press of a button, manually pump to the speed you want, then hold the button in, and it will pump for you at the speed you set, simples. You then press the button to turn off.

I found I was getting a little bit more milk using the electric as you seem to get bored of pumping yourself with the manual.

The electric is available for a price of approx £85, which I would say is worth the money.

I really have been impressed with both pumps and feel they are both justified for the amount they cost, and I wouldn't be without it now.

Summary: worth the money if you want to give baby the best start