While pumping sucks, it's necessary for most moms. Good news is, if you live in the US it has become (slightly) more affordable.
There's tons of info out there on how to order a breast pump through your insurance (thanks Obama!). You can do this once per kid (per year). You can call the number on the back of your card to find out compatible websites to order one, but here's a short list:
Aeroflow
EdgePark
Yummy Mommy
Pumping Essentials
You can go to those sites, choose your insurance and then choose a pump. You may want to check multiple sites, since not all offer the same options. They will also let you add on options and pay for them. You should check accessory prices against amazon and other sites, I didn't actually find the extras to be a good deal. Apparently some insurance will cover these extras, so it's worth checking multiple sites with your insurance. I ended up using edgepark, but I did not know as much about this or see much difference between them with my insurance.
These sites will then contact your doctor and get the "prescription" and ship a breastpump to you (plus one basic set of accessories) at no cost to you. Most insurances will actually allow the retailers to ship within a couple days. United Healthcare only allowed for me do this one month before due date. I was able to put all my info into the site and then call then 30 days before due date. I'm very happy I got it early since I ended up being induced and needing to pump after every feeding.
Most folks find that the Spectra S2 (s2 = no battery, folks opt to upgrade to the s1 for varying amounts of money, my insurance was ~$60 and I didn't think it was worth it) does the best job in terms of commercially available pumps. I've tried the spectra, the medela freestyle and the medela symphony at the hospital. Some insurances will actually cover the cost of the rental of a hospital grade pump (such as the medela symphony). I'm not sure I could tell much difference between it and the spectra, but I was not an exclusive pumper, so I may not have seen a difference in output.
Spectra is what is called a "closed system" pump which means your milk never moves through the tubing or machine. This is useful because you can reuse the pump years later or give it to someone else to use. This is not the case with the medela freestyle or some other medela pumps.
There's tons of info out there on how to order a breast pump through your insurance (thanks Obama!). You can do this once per kid (per year). You can call the number on the back of your card to find out compatible websites to order one, but here's a short list:
Aeroflow
EdgePark
Yummy Mommy
Pumping Essentials
You can go to those sites, choose your insurance and then choose a pump. You may want to check multiple sites, since not all offer the same options. They will also let you add on options and pay for them. You should check accessory prices against amazon and other sites, I didn't actually find the extras to be a good deal. Apparently some insurance will cover these extras, so it's worth checking multiple sites with your insurance. I ended up using edgepark, but I did not know as much about this or see much difference between them with my insurance.
These sites will then contact your doctor and get the "prescription" and ship a breastpump to you (plus one basic set of accessories) at no cost to you. Most insurances will actually allow the retailers to ship within a couple days. United Healthcare only allowed for me do this one month before due date. I was able to put all my info into the site and then call then 30 days before due date. I'm very happy I got it early since I ended up being induced and needing to pump after every feeding.
Most folks find that the Spectra S2 (s2 = no battery, folks opt to upgrade to the s1 for varying amounts of money, my insurance was ~$60 and I didn't think it was worth it) does the best job in terms of commercially available pumps. I've tried the spectra, the medela freestyle and the medela symphony at the hospital. Some insurances will actually cover the cost of the rental of a hospital grade pump (such as the medela symphony). I'm not sure I could tell much difference between it and the spectra, but I was not an exclusive pumper, so I may not have seen a difference in output.
Spectra is what is called a "closed system" pump which means your milk never moves through the tubing or machine. This is useful because you can reuse the pump years later or give it to someone else to use. This is not the case with the medela freestyle or some other medela pumps.
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