10 Things to Consider When Deciding on a Breast Pump:

1. Does your health insurance cover breast pumps? Most health insurance plans cover the total cost of at least one type of breast pump. Find out which pumps are covered by your health insurance plan and the process of obtaining one. Some companies have certain stipulations on how far along in your pregnancy you have to be before they will send out the pump while others make you wait until after the baby is born to send one out. Definitely make sure that you know the process for your health insurer and also if they will need to contact your doctor to confirm your pregnancy/due date as part of their process.
2. Cost.  I think free is great but I also realize that the free option may not necessarily meet the needs of the mum. So, some mums still have to consider the cost and budget for a breast pump. The cost of breast pumps ranges from $free.99 (see #1) to several hundred U.S. dollars depending on the type, brand, model. It’s also good to mention here that some hospitals have breast pump rental programs where a new mum can rent a high cost hospital grade pump for a more manageable rate. I actually found out about the hospital rentals while I was in the hospital after having my now toddler. If you read the story of how I kick-started my breastfeeding journey, you’ll see that we had a few challenges and how the breast pump really helped. I would have had my own personal pump but the one provider that I chose through my health insurance only shipped the breast pump after they received word that the baby had been safely delivered. Talk about one more thing to remember to do after pushing out a baby…Crazy! But, I did it!
3. Manual or Not. There are manual breast pumps that gives the mum full control over pumping. Some mums prefer this and swear by it, some mums like to have it on standby, and the rest just put up their hands as in a hard stop, not for me. If you are not sure which category of mum you will fall in, I suggest YouTube videos of mums actually using a manual breast pump and listening to their reviews and advice on the topic.
4. Single or Double–Breast Pump. Some pumps give mums the option of pumping only one breast at a time or both. Think about which one will work best for you and your lifestyle and factor that into your decision. I personally went with a double-breast pump because…#5, see below.
5. Pumping Time. Time is such an important thing to consider when researching your breast pumps. As a breastfeeding mum, time is something that you will definitely treasure so definitely consider if, when, and how a breast pump can save you time while still giving you the maximum milk extraction. Some breast pumps even come with a timer so you can see how long you’ve been pumping, because believe me, sometimes, It Will Feel Like Forever!
6. Battery Operated or Electric Breast Pump. I think this one speaks on the flexibility and mobility of where you can pump. Also keep in mind, that they are some pumps that offer both options.
7. Size, Shape and Weight. Size, shape and weight are also important to consider especially if you will be traveling with the pump. Consider how easy it would be to slip it into your diaper bag or does it come with its own carrying bag. And how much does it weigh, because mums already travel with a lot of stuff anyway…lol. You may not want something that weights more than it needs to.
8. Noise Level. Noise level is so important. For one, you will be using it a lot, at all hours of the day and night and trust me when I say, that you will not want a loud and obnoxious sounding breast pump especially during those times that you are low on sleep (which is let’s face it, most of the time). Could you imagine being low on sleep and having a machine screaming at you…NO, NO, NO…lol. You want something that is on the quiet side yet still effective.
9. Hospital Grade Breast Pumps or Not.   This is a big one because as you can imagine, keeping the breast pump free of bacteria, mold, dirt and other contaminants is very important. Hospital-grade breast pumps are designed to reduce the back-flow of breast milk into the pumping tubes that are more difficult to clean and are typically the pieces that may become contaminated the easiest and fastest. So cleaning is very important and the less pieces to worry about potentially contaminating and cleaning, the better.
10. The Number of Pump Parts, Assembly and Ease of Use. When thinking about how often a breastfeeding mum has to pump, having a pump that is easy to assemble, easy to use and with as few parts as possible is the magic formula. Consider a pump that you will feel comfortable fumbling with in the daytime, night time, or complete darkness because anything can happen with little ones and it may just come to that…lol. Anything to keep the little one/s asleep.