I was totally that pregnant mom-to-be who was staring at the list of breast pumps to choose from with absolutely no idea what to choose. It can be overwhelming! You are just staring at a bunch of devices that are apparently going to milk you like a cow. How do you choose? Which breast pump is best?
First I’d find out which pumps your insurance covers. There are a lot of websites where you just enter your insurance provider and they show you what options you have. I used Ashland Breast Pumps and had a good experience. Some other good sites are Edgepark Breast Pumps and Aeroflow Breastpumps. These websites will generally also directly ask your doctor’s office for a breast pump prescription. You can also directly call your insurance provider to ask which pumps are covered.
Both of my breast pumps are typically covered by insurance. I have the Lansinoh Signature Pro and the Ameda Mya Joy. They are double electric breast pumps that can be portable using battery power.
Lansinoh Signature Pro – Best Pump For Work
I actually had two of these. I was lucky enough to have insurance that provided me with two pumps for my first baby. I decided to just get two Lansinoh pumps because I planned to leave one at work and one at home, and I thought it would be nice to just have to learn how to use one pump. For the most part, I was right, and I ended up being quite happy with them. One of my pumps is actually the Lansinoh Smartpump, which is the same model as my Signature Pro it just has compatibility with its app. I never used the app, but I’m sure some people could find it helpful.
The Signature Pro was the first electric pump I ever used, and it was great for a first-time mom. It automatically does two minutes of stimulation before switching to expression. I found the automatic suction levels to work just fine, and I rarely adjusted them.
The flanges are very comfortable and the parts are easy to take apart and clean. My favorite part about this pump is its bottles. My baby was a picky bottle baby and the Lansinoh bottles were the ones she would actually take. It was so convenient to not have to transfer the milk from pump bottles to feeding bottles. I would just pump, stick the milk in the bottles in the fridge, and if we needed the milk later, we would just add a nipple. You can also pump directly into their storage bags, which are also quite awesome. This is still the pump I use daily at work.
My only real complaint about the Lansinoh Signature Pro is that its batteries run out quickly when you are using it without the power cord. It needs six AA batteries too. The suction isn’t quite as strong when it is on battery power, so keep in mind that you will likely have to turn it up. This hasn’t been too much of an issue for me since I mainly use it plugged in while I’m at my desk at work.
The Lansinoh Signature Pro is also a bit loud for a breast pump, but I never ran into any trouble with it. I never tried to pump while the baby was sleeping nearby and at work, I pump in my office. There is now a Lansinoh Smartpump 2.0, which I have not tried, but is supposed to be quieter.
Ameda Mya Joy – Best Pump For Home
I was recently gifted the Ameda Mya Joy to try, and I really liked it as well. First off, it is so small! It can fit in the palm of my hand. It has a clip on the back so that it can be easily attached to your pants while you pump. This is incredibly nice if you are using it while trying to get ready or you need to be able to move from room to room while you are pumping.
It is also very quiet. I have been pumping with it and my husband who was just sitting across the room didn’t even notice that the pump was going.
The parts are high-quality and easy to take apart and clean. It only requires four AA batteries, and I’ve noticed the batteries last a long time. I mainly use this pump on battery power and have not had any issues. I use this as my main home pump now because it’s just so convenient to use.
I talk about both of these pumps in my YouTube video here:
