Carolina Baby- Which Pump?

Which Pump is best?

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Confused at this point? Well who wouldn't be.
Please let us help you by showing you the main concerns when purchasing a breastpump. Let us start by what we know. We will tell you about each Medela Breastpump and the price. We answer your questions about renting or buying a breastpump, since it is such a large expense. Then we tell you where you can find all the Medela products you need.

I am sure you have seen breastpumps in the Grocery Stores and Wal-Mart. Almost everywhere you look! Those pumps cost about $70.00 to $90.00 or more. You cannot return them if they don't work; and they don't work.
People call, because they are discouraged. They explain that pumps they buy from the store have made them sore. Women want to breastfeed so badly that some, continue to use a breastpump that has made them sore. Then they begin to get dry, cracked and bleed. Several have called to say that he and his wife purchased three pumps before calling Carolina Baby.

Callers want to know what makes Medela so special?

Medela is the best pump made and others are still trying to copy them. The reason?
Medela has Autocycling - which makes the pump work just like your baby would and therefore causes you no pain. The pump actually hesitates in-between cycles (the cycle being suck and release) and that is what your baby does. You won't feel the hesitation but you will know that Medela pumps work so much better than all the rest.
Read on for further information on which pump to use For Home, For Work, For Travel, To Rent or to Purchase

Please check out our Products and Pricelist page to check our current prices.
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If You Plan On Staying Home…

Consider using the Mini Electric. It is good for short trips and at home use. You can store milk in the deep freeze for over a year (the temperature of the freezer is important). The Mini Electric can be a manual pump, battery operated or can be plugged into the wall with an adapter. It only pumps one side at a time and takes longer than a double pump. The MiniElectric is loud compared to other Medela pumps but that is because it is not encased as the other models are. This may make a difference to you, if you take your pump in to work.

Second in price and Choice: The DoubleEase which costs less than the Pump-In-Style is operated by battery or by house current and it is a double pump (meaning it pumps both sides at the same time). It has a purse like case similar to the Pump-In-Style. It can be mobile like the Mini-Electric and Pump-In-Style, but when you are ready to use The DoubleEase, the motor must be pulled out of the case and then connected to the tubing. so this is a good pump for home use and some mobility.
Third Choice for staying home: Would be the Pump-In-Style. Most first time parents choose this one first because they know they will use it for other children and it is so mobile. This purse like pump has storage compartments and a cooling compartment. The pump is contained inside the purse at all times (see picture). It is very mobile and uses house current or a vehicle lighter adapter in the car. Vehicle lighter adapter's are sold separately as well as PowerPak's (like a battery pack) when power supply is hard to find. Everything you need to pump and to cool bottles for 8-12 hrs. are contained in the Pump-In-Style.
Now you have two more styles in the Pump-In-Style - the backpack or the briefcase. These are mentioned in greater detail on the Products page.

It needs to be explained that whether you are using a Mini-Electric or a Classic Pump (Cadillac of Pumps) they all contain the same pump inside. They are of the same strength and all have auto-cycling (autocycling makes the pump work like a baby does, with a pause in the suction). So paying $70.00 or $1700.00 doesn't matter, the pump motor is the same, they just have better and different features for more expensive Medela pumps.
Read further down this page for information about purchasing Lactina's and Classic Pumps.

If You Plan On Working…

Please do yourself a favor and do not use the Mini-Electric for work.
The Mini Electric can be used, but it is not suggested because it is difficult to use in the short amount of time that work places sometimes provide. New Mothers most often take up to 15- 20 minutes per breast.

The Pump In Style is the best choice for home or work because it is a double pump, taking less time to pump, and it has a cooling compartment holding 4 bottles for storage (can be in cooling compartment sometimes up to 12 hours). The Pump In Style is seated into a black purse (two new styles are a backpack or a briefcase) that also has room for the adapters and the breast shields and tubing. The purse is guaranteed for 90 days, the pump itself is guaranteed for a year.
The two other styles of the Pump-In-Style called the Traveler and the Companion.

The Traveler is designed like a backpack for a no hands carry and more room in the bag. Removable motor can remain at work during the week if needed. Cooler carrier also removes to make storage easy and discreet.

The Companion: Two micro fiber bags - a main bag for pumping needs and a companion bag for business essentials. Removable motor allows you to leave it and makes more room inside the bag for personal items. Cooler carrier also removes from the main bag and makes for easy transport.
The Lactina is used in hospitals. It is encased in a large blue durable plastic. It is great to rent for short or long term and can be purchased. Medela will maintain and update these if you purchase one while under warranty. These are really nice if you want to spend the money!
The Classicis also used in hospitals for premature babies or special needs cases. You can see the pumping mechanism working through the clear plastic cover. It's softer pull helps mothers with cracked and sore nipples caused by other pumps or improper latch on problems. This is too heavy for being mobile. Once you lift it you will see why. It does the trick for special needs moms and babies.

To review - The best Stay At Home Pump is the Mini- Electric or the
DoubleEase.
The Best Pump for Working is any one of the Pump-In-Styles.

The reason to rent....and what that requires.... All Medela pumps come with parts that should not be shared with anyone. A "kit" or pumping kit is the name for the breast shields, bottles and tubing that are attached to the pumps. When you purchase a pump such as a Pump-In-Style the "kit" is included. For rental pumps this is an extra purchase. Some hospitals may supply these kits for you to keep. If you have purchased a kit previously then you only have the cost of the rental pump monthly.

Reason to rent - not sure about breastfeeding enough to purchase
                               Or if you just planned on short-term use.
                               Great for bringing up milk production.
                               Great for adoptive mothers to bring in milk.

There are two different types of Lactina's (rental pumps).

The difference between the Lactina Plus and the Lactina Select is this:
On the Lactina Select, you may determine how quickly you want to pump by the speed control dial. Suction power can be adjusted and there are options of how it can be hooked up.
All Lactina's can be powered by house current, battery Pak or vehicle lighter adapter. The Lactina Plus only has one speed, but the suction power can be set as you like.

     You may also rent the Classic Pump by Medela tm which is a heavy pump that is mobile but does well to stay in one place. It has a soft pull for Mothers with problems such as cracking or bleeding. Much like the Lactina it is in a hard blue case and you can see the pump mechanism as it is working. This is mostly used for special needs and is great for Mothers trying to bring milk production on for adoptive children.
Medela is Quality -   The great thing about the Pump-In-Style is its 1 year warranty on the pump and 90 days on the purse. I have seen Medela ship another Pump-In-Style out by Federal Express Overnight to make sure a replacement pump was there for the Mother when her pump failed under warranty. Only once has this happened in our 6 years, but Carolina Baby never forgot. Medela stood behind their product. This is one of the reasons Carolina Baby will not sell other breast pumps. Others cannot match the quality and customer satisfaction Medela offers every customer.
     For more information or a brochure please email us. We can put you in touch with people who can help if we cannot assist you. Please see our links page.

Best Pump Chart

For Pictures of the pumps go to the Products page or click on the name of the pump to order.

Mini Electric	$85.00 sale 72.00
Mini Electric-without nice packaging or manual piece	$75.00 sale $62.00
DoubleEase	$153.00 sale
Pump-In-Style Basic - without tubing breastshields valves and membrane	$252.00 sale $200.00
Pump-In-Style ( original) with all you need to get started.	$262.00 sale $219.90
Traveler (Backpack Pump-In-Style)	$269.00
Companion (Briefcase Pump-In-Style)	$269.00
Renting a Lactina for 6 months can run as high as...or higher depending on the area. you are from.	$315.00
Lactina Select for purchase (3 year warranty)	Please check pricelist page.
Classic Breastpump	Please check pricelist page

Last Thoughts

For Work use, most women prefer the Pump-In-Style.
For Home use, most prefer the Mini Electric.
For Rentals, The Classic is a wonderful hospital grade that you can rent or purchase.
Each pump has been discussed so you can judge for yourself. Which one best suits you? Medela breast pumps truly are the best. No other pump can compare in the way of an electric breast pump.

If a pump is made by a company that makes Baby Formula beware. It was probably made solely to
discourage breast feeding. Some pumps don't work well
on purpose.

Last thoughts - on Renting versus Purchasing?

First let's determine if you should rent or purchase a pump.
    If you answer yes to either or both of these next questions, you
    should not rent a breastpump.
    Is this is your first child (and you plan for more)?
    Do you plan to breastfeed longer than 6 months?
        Yes? Then you should purchase a breastpump.
        No?   Then maybe you would like to rent a breastpump?

    Even if you answered yes to both of the questions above, you may
    prefer, rent for a few months to see how you and your baby
    will do; before purchasing a pump.

    Some parents purchase a breastpump to use for this child,
    and store it away for the next child. Medela pumps store well. They last
    forever. Sometimes new attachements are needed or wanted and that is
    where Carolina Baby can help. We do sell just what you need to make
    your breastpump complete. You don't have to purchase a whole package
    we sell everything separately too. Please check our Products Page and our
    Pricelist Page. Have Questions? Contact Us, we like questions.

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