Thank you, Catherine, for your statement:

<<I do not believe pump co. claims that the lighter pumps are
as effective as the heavier, I have seen too many women have difficulty with the
lighter pumps which resolved when they traded it in for the original Classic or
Lact-e.>>

I wonder how many of us agree with that statement?  I certainly do, and I think
the pump companies' insistence that there is no difference compromises the
breastfeeding relationship in some instances.  I have read and reread the study
comparing the amount of milk pumped with a Lactina vs. a Classic, and I do not
understand how the conclusions reached in that study are so different from my
experience.  The main HMO insurer of my hospital clients has contracts with
medical equipment suppliers who have believed the sales reps line that the
"Classic is inappropriate for home use" and only carry Lactinas.  I have had at
least four mothers of NICU babies in the last couple months switch to a big pump
and pay out-of-pocket because they found they got more milk faster when using
the big pump at the hospital than the Lactina at home.  I wonder how many
mothers just assume they can't pump enough and look no further?  In the past
I've also found engorged breasts that can be emptied with a big pump but not a
Lactina and severely damaged nipples that heal much faster with a big pump than
a Lactina.

I think the Lactina is a wonderful pump and has some very definite advantages
over the larger pumps for most working mothers.  I think it works well for
*some* mothers in difficult situations, but not all, and resent the company's
insistence that if the pumps do not work equally well for a mother that it is
"psychological."  I have no experience with the new Ameda-Egnell pump, but have
heard the same concerns expressed from consultants who rent that brand.

Anyone else have the same concerns?

Becky Krumwiede, RN, IBCLC
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]