So yesterday I spent about two hours sitting in front of my computer researching Baby Monitors and Brest Pumps. And guess what? I’m still just as confused as before. I really don’t want to spend a ton (like under $200 dollars per item) so I was trying to find what was the best non-expensive item. For Baby Monitors I want a video monitor. I read all the review on like 5 different sites and I just can’t decide on which one. I know they all have their pro’s and con’s and i’m not willing to pay mucho dollars so now I just have to decide which one seems to be the best.
As for Breast Pumps, I know I want an electric but I don’t know if I should only look at double ones or if single is okay. Since I won’t be working and I will be around Hudson a lot I figure I won’t be pumping a lot but I really don’t know what it is going to be like.
That’s why I am reaching out to you. I trust my blog friends more than random people’s reviews so …..Please Help!
Have you found some less expensive Monitors or pumps that you love (or a least do the job)? What have you learned that you wish you knew before? What are your recommendations?
Thanks my sanity depends on this!
Well since I am still pregnant, I can't give a great opinion but I will tell you what we're using! We are getting an angelcare monitor-it's not a video monitor but it has a motion sensor, which i think is even better. So if the baby stops breathing, it will sound an alarm and you can go check on your baby. that gives me more peace of mind than being able to see my baby (just my personal thought, but like I said, since I haven't used it, I don't know.) You can buy one online at target for around $100 or a more basic one at wal mart for around $60. As for a breast pump, you should see if your insurance covers one. I didn't know before I bought one that they can write you a prescription at the hospital before you leave for a breast pump (our hospital has a lactation 'shop') and some insurances cover it. That is how a ton of my friends got GOOD pumps for totally free--I had no idea!
ReplyDeleteI stay at home with my baby but a double breast pump, in my opinion, is the only way to go. You want both sides pumped/stimulated as often as possible, for best milk production, so you wouldn't want to just pump one side (unless you had a particular reason to.) And even though pumps are fast, it still should take 6-10 minutes to drain one side so you'd be talking about 20 minutes (25-30 including prep and cleaning) to do a single pump session! That would be really hard, I think, considering for a baby's average 3 hours, the first 30 minutes are spent eating, the second is playing, and then the third is getting them down for a nap, leaving you only a short hour and a half. I have a medela double and it is perfect!
ReplyDeleteI have the Medela Pump In Style Advanced On The Go Breast Pump and I love it. The one I have is old... it used to belong to my aunt but it still worked perfectly. I may get a new one for my next baby, though. :) I pumped SO much milk when I was breastfeeding, that I ended up eventually having to get rid of some of it. I LOVED that pump. I often bought a manual pump for when we traveled, so that I wouldn't have to tote a HUGE pump through airport security. The manual pump that I bought was a Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump and I also loved that one. I love both of my pumps!
ReplyDeleteAbout the baby monitor.... I can't be much help when it comes to video monitors. We have a sound monitor that I love. We had a video monitor that someone had given us, but I stopped using it when we started picking up someone else's baby. It was really sort of scary for me. We have the "Graco Secure Coverage Digital Baby Monitor with 2 Parent Units" baby monitor. :)
GOOD LUCK with whatever you chose. :)
I'll let you know what I think of my baby monitor and breast pump once I get to use them ;)
ReplyDeleteTarget runs pretty good sales on baby stuff all the time, so I got the breast pump for around $120. It's the Lanisoh Affinity Double Breast Pump. I got the manual Lanisoh pump as a shower gift too...I figured it wouldn't be a bad thing to have both, just in case.
As for the baby monitor, I have the Summer Infant Day & Night Video Monitor...it was a shower gift too and I know it was under $100 at Babies R Us (they give 20% off coupons all the time too). The only thing I'm thinking might have been nice with that is to have a handheld monitor too, but someone gave us their regular sound-only monitor to have as a backup too.
I know you said you want an electric breast pump, but I'd still say get a manual one too. I had an electric pump and a manual, and for the first three months I just used the manual pump. I found I could pump alot faster with it, and it worked really well for me! I like Medela for breast pumps, they really are the best. When I went back to work I started to use the electric one because I had more problems with let-down after going back to work and it was better for that - and it also allows me to pump with just one hand, so I can read or whatever with the other. i have the Medela Swing breast pump and it has worked well for us - the only times I wish I had a double pump is when I'm more limited on time because of a short lunch or something, but if you aren't going to be working a single would probably work fine. I think mine cost around $150 - I didn't want to pay the $250 dollars for the Medela Pump In Style.
ReplyDeleteAs for the baby monitor, we got the Summer Infant Slim and Secure video monitor (SLIM and Secure, not Sleek and Secure), and I love it! It's so small and easy to carry around the house, and you have the option of adding more cameras with it later, which is nice. There were some reviews complaining about it freezing up and stuff, and every now and then the screen will freeze, but it's super-obvious when it does, and it doesn't happen often. I was almost scared into not getting it, but we did anyway and haven't had any problems with it! I think alot of times the reviews on those consumer websites are just written by crabby people who want to complain - I used to read the reviews, but they were always negative except on the most expensive items, and I got the less expensive ones anyway and we're been just fine, so don't let them scare you.
I will say that at times Derek and I thought it would be nice to have a motion-sensing monitor though, the kind that detect if your baby stops breathing - just because we worry about that stuff. But I'd still want that AND my video monitor, because it's so nice to look at the screen and see what Wyatt is doing!
P.S. I know someone mentioned about picking up someone else's baby with their video monitor - I wanted to note that the Slim and Secure monitor we have is on a closed frequency, so it can't be picked up by someone else! I thought that was important.
ReplyDeletePumps...definitely go with Madela. And if you're not working and obey plan to pump o relieve engorgement or make up a bottle here and there, I say a single is totally fine. It really doesn't take that long to pump. And I find that both myself and other women have one breast that produces more than the other (usually your left). So sometimes at night or in the morning that side will feel full, and I'll pump just that one side and nurse her on the less producing side (to stimulate that one more). Anyway. Basically, as a stay at home mom, you should be fine with a single.
ReplyDeleteMonitors...im a big fan of the AngelCare!
I definitely recommend double breast pump! You will love it when you do use it because then you get double :) and Medela is an expensive brand but I wish I would have splurged and gotten it because it is AMAZING. i would also recommend the angel care monitor. We had probs with my daughter breathing at night and if we would have had that, we would have known much sooner. They also have a Snuzza monitor, I like this one because it goes on the child not the bed, so it doesnt matter where little Hudson would sleep, he would always be monitored. hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteI had to pump for a very long time and I used a Medela Instyle that I found on craigs list...usually $200, I got it for $50! Definitely check out getting a used one! you can get a great deal! Medela seems to be really good for long term usage...like 6 months straight! As far as monitors go, I had a nice graco one for Noah and I think when we get pregnant again, i'm going to look into getting a video on...the pros to a video one are that they will save you trips into the room just to find out that you didn't need to go in there...like, if the baby is fussing just to fuss, you dont' need to go in but you do because you don't know that the baby is fussing just to fuss and then when you find out that thats all it was, its too late and now you have to rock the baby back to sleep...ya know? haha, i definitely want a camera for our second =)
ReplyDeleteoh, and I had a double pump but I never used both at the same time because I'm not that talented =P
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the video monitor, I wish I had one though...
ReplyDeleteAs far a pumps good, get a double. Even though you probably won't pump that much, it will take you twice as long with a single and trust me your time will be VERY precious once he comes. I have a Medela pump in style and I liked it as much as you could like a breast pump. :) Good luck, I know it can be VERY overwhelming.