TTMA breastfeeding gear

[packerfan4life]

I FF. We were lucky and had no issues with bottles. We bought Tommy Tippee and DD took them just fine. Dr. Brown bottles are a PITA to clean. So many parts. Avoid them if you can.

I have talked with lactation consultants. They recommend introducing a bottle between 4-6 weeks (by someone other than the Mom) if you need to go back to work and have baby bottle feed. At that age they're still pretty flexible. If you introduce too late baby may refuse the bottle.

[babyzebra]

I have a question for those of you who pumped at work. How many times in your work day did you pump?

The only way that pumping will work for me is if I can pump just 3 times during the work day. I could pump on the way to work (around 7), at lunch time (around 12), and on the way home (around 4:30). Then I would BF or pump at home in the evenings. Do you think this would be enough or not worth the effort if I can't pump more than that at work?

[Flair Underwood]

babyzebra and Andrea...
What sandandsea said. Pump after the first feed in the morning to start your stash. To kick my supply up when I went back to work, I pumped before I went to bed too (or an extra time in the afternoon).

I pumped twice a day at work (never more) and for about 20 minutes each time - always through the second let down. I went back at 10 weeks and this worked well.

Also - ditto on the oatmeal and fenugreek!!

[birdhut]

I exclusively breastfed for 17-18 months. Can't remember exactly when we weaned. I did not pump much because she would never take a bottle. This time I am offering the bottle at least once a day. I think me just grabbing her and feeding her myself was just easier since I am home all day and then one day she just wouldn't take a bottle.

Pillow- don't get the free one that you just pay shipping for. I got one of these coupons from motherhood and it's just too small in my opinion so I never used it. I plan to get a boopy this time.

Pump- this was mentioned before but my insurance will provide a free pump every time you have a baby so I am getting a free one. I'm not sure which brand they will have but she did say medela was a popular one and I'm hoping that's the one. I used one last time it's double electric which I would recommend. If you get a bra for it you can do both at the same time to save time.

Bottles- we tried everything last time and she hated them. One we didn't try was Kiinde. You can buy the adapters and just pump right into the bags for the bottles then twist them into the bottle and use it or store the bags until you're ready. Sounds a lot like the Playtex ones. The nipple looks and feels more real than other bottles. I'm hoping these make a difference. Also target had them on clearance so I got 6 bottles I think and some extra nipples for $20 yesterday I got the attachments for $4 and the bags are 80 for $25 there so I'm going to order those. I'm guessing buying the bags is an extra expense for them so maybe people don't buy them and they were not wanting to sell them at the store any more. We also have Avent bottles to try too.

I saw breast pads and nipple cream were mentioned. For me any brand of pads worked well so whatever is cheapest I will get. The lanolin cream is what I bought. I didn't have to use it too much after a couple weeks.

Edit: find some way to keep track of which boob was last because I wasn't very good a couple times and got mastitis. Also she would only take one side at first so the nurse gave me a nipple cover and that worked really well getting her used to the other side. I was able to not use it after a week.

[Flair Underwood]

Babies who don't have a choice except to take bottles WILL eventually take a bottle (like if they go to daycare, or mom works, or etc, etc, etc...)

Your baby won't starve themselves.. I was worried about this because DD never took a bottle until daycare either. But they have lots of tricks and experience.

I just wanted to add this because it stressed me out and scared me A LOT because a lot of moms told me "my baby just wouldn't take a bottle." If it's bottle or starve - they'll take the bottle!

GL, mamas!!

[manybellsdown]

babyzebra, I averaged three pumps per workday, and it worked just fine. I pumped through 13 months, when DD started refusing bottles (easy enough for bottle weaning!). Like Flair, I went long enough to go through a second letdown. I also started with a pump in the morning before work, which was great for supply and stash, but eventually phased that out because tired.

[frecklesnbrains]

Re: fenugreek. Just FYI the stuff is safe but it can cause a false positive on the test they run on a baby in the newborn period to screen for metabolic diseases (which are very rare but often severe diseases that need to be treated right away). So if you take fenugreek early (like close to birth) and the baby breastfeeds just be sure to tell the pediatrician that you're taking it.

[nymama917]

Background: I nursed with DD from birth until she was 1. I went back to work full time when she was 4 months so I pumped a lot from then until the end but nursed her when I was home because it was just easier. I really enjoyed the experience and am happy to answer any questions.

Breastfeeding pillow: Do I need one at all? Should I get the boppy, or my brest friend? They are pretty expensive, I don't want to buy and then never use one. (I'm small-chested, if that makes a difference.)

Pump: What is the best on the market? What is perfectly fine? What is crap?
I used the Medela PISA. My insurance would have covered a pump but basically all the research I did lead me to this one and it wasn't an option. So I just used gift cards and bought it. I loved it. I also loved that you could buy the spare parts anywhere. Which leads me to buy extras of everything. I mean wait to make sure pumping works for you but if you're going to go to work and pump I would have at least 2 sets of everything that needs to be washed. Like I didn't need 2 tubes but all the other stuff yes. I always pumped into the medela bottles and later froze the milk so I had a lot of the smaller Medela bottles for pumping not feeding.

Bottles: Should I bother buying beforehand? It seems everyone says babies are picky about bottles.
Definitely have something beforehand but I wouldn't buy a bunch until you know what baby likes. We liked Tommee Tippee because there aren't a million parts to them and DD didn't seem to mind them so that's what we used. We also had a Born Free that she liked the same as Tommee. I didn't even mess with Dr. Brown (even though I heard great things) because there were so many parts. I mean if nothing else worked I would have tried it but it was last on my list.

Other things I am too newb to even ask about? Cremes etc? I am a private person so I do want a cover, at least until I get more comfortable with BF and used to the idea of NIP.
I had the cover that looks like an apron but has the little piece so the neck stays out of your way and you can see baby. Loved it. Worked great for us. A friend of mine just had a baby and tried the scarf that is supposed to be a cover and said she was showing her whole chest most of the time so I would say that's a no go. I also used Aden and Anais blankets as a cover too because they are big and thin and stayed on better than a small receiving blanket. I didn't cover her if I was nursing at home, but I will say to practice with it before you go out. It's a little tricky so it's nice to practice where you won't mind a slip up if you're more of a private person and slipping up in public worries you. Also, my experience is that if the child is used to nursing with a cover they will do better with it in public. We never had any major freak outs because she was used to having her head covered....might not always be the case, but it was successful for us.

I used lanolin a little bit but not a ton. Once I got used to it I never really had problems.

Nursing bras - I used more sports bra type bras in the beginning because I was a leaky facet and had some oversupply so those were most comfortable. Then I graduated to regular looking bras with no underwire. Those were comfortable and I used them until she was like 8 months old. Once she started eating real food and my supply decreased a bit then I added underwire nursing bras to the mix and didn't have an issue. I always wore underwire before nursing but honestly my boobs were always so full that they were perky enough on their own and I didn't feel like I needed it. Now when supply came down it was a whole new story and needed all the push-up help I could get

I also wore sleeping bras for a long time because I was so leaky. They are really comfy and basically just a think tshirt material that allows you to keep breastpads in place overnight. I still woke up covered in milk sometimes, but it helped a lot.

I used disposable breast pads (I think Lansinoh) because they were the thinnest. I wore them for a really long time in public because I was terrified of leaking. I liked the disposables because they seemed to soak up the milk better. Way later on I switched to the washable ones. I made the switch when I started noticing that the disposables weren't really wet at the end of the day. Then I wore the washable as a precaution.

I liked the Lansinoh bags for freezing as well as Babies R Us brand. I always froze the milk flat and those seemed to do the best for me. I will say you will have an occasional leak but overall I felt those did best.

Someone else mentioned the microwave steam bags....agreed on those. They were great. I did use my dishwasher a lot, but early on I still used the steam bags and later if I had to wash a set in a hurry I would just steam them up and be on my way. They work for the bottles and even pacifiers which was also helpful.

Edit to add:  I forgot the pillow.  I used a Boppy.  It was fine.  When she was brand new I felt like sometimes she would slide between the pillow and me and I had to readjust a lot.  She was really tiny though (5lbs 8oz when we came home from the hospital) so that might have been the problem.  I used a My Breast Friend at a lactation class and it was pretty cool.  Not sure I'd be willing to buy one when I already have a Boppy though.  If I was in bed I often just put 2 pillow around me sort of to make a U shape and that worked fine too.

[nymama917]

babyzebra,andrea
For those asking about pumping at work....

I usually fed her in the morning and then pumped afterwards. I even pumped 1 side and fed her the other sometimes depending how rushed I was.

I would pump at work around 10 and 3 and then nurse her at home. Later when I felt like my supply was a little low I would pump right before bed for a few extra ounces.

I did work a ton of hours right when I went back to work. If I stayed at work until late, then I would pump another time in the evening. It all depends on your supply but I was always fine pumping only twice at work (for a normal 9-6 day).

[shan]

Jan 20, 2016 5:37:32 GMT -5 babyzebra said:

I have a question for those of you who pumped at work. How many times in your work day did you pump?

The only way that pumping will work for me is if I can pump just 3 times during the work day. I could pump on the way to work (around 7), at lunch time (around 12), and on the way home (around 4:30). Then I would BF or pump at home in the evenings. Do you think this would be enough or not worth the effort if I can't pump more than that at work?

I think you need to pump approx how many times your baby gets a bottle while you're away. That way you're matching your supply with their needs and you'll be able to keep up with the milk needs for the following day.

[athn64]

I really loved nursing tanks for home and sleep.

I used reusable pads, as I found them more comfortable than the disposable ones. They were Lasinoh brand.

I just got the pump my insurance supplied. It worked fine.

DD took bottles fine. We used Avent brand. We supplements when she was a newborn, so I think that was a major factor.

Covers are only so good as the baby under them. It was fine when she was tiny, but eventually she wanted to see everything and the cover was more a nuisance than anything.

We love our boppy. DD preferred a football hold to nurse, so it was much more comfortable to have something to place her on in that position. We were also able to use it for tummy time and helping sit her up.

[shan]

Jan 20, 2016 7:55:37 GMT -5 Flair Underwood said:

Babies who don't have a choice except to take bottles WILL eventually take a bottle (like if they go to daycare, or mom works, or etc, etc, etc...)

Your baby won't starve themselves.. I was worried about this because DD never took a bottle until daycare either. But they have lots of tricks and experience.

I just wanted to add this because it stressed me out and scared me A LOT because a lot of moms told me "my baby just wouldn't take a bottle." If it's bottle or starve - they'll take the bottle!

GL, mamas!!

Well, yes... They won't starve themselves. but my baby wouldn't take a bottle. Instead she "reversed cycled" and didn't eat at all with the nanny - but nursed all afternoon and all night with me. It was awful. She would just wait for me and then all I could do was nurse for hours on end to fill her little belly up. Her hunger cues were backwards.

In the end, it took months to turn things around and she never took more than one bottle a day with the nanny - and never more than 2-3 oz.

Bottle refusal is real.

[jjh1119]

Jan 20, 2016 9:35:38 GMT -5 shan said:

Jan 20, 2016 7:55:37 GMT -5 Flair Underwood said:

Babies who don't have a choice except to take bottles WILL eventually take a bottle (like if they go to daycare, or mom works, or etc, etc, etc...)

Your baby won't starve themselves.. I was worried about this because DD never took a bottle until daycare either. But they have lots of tricks and experience.

I just wanted to add this because it stressed me out and scared me A LOT because a lot of moms told me "my baby just wouldn't take a bottle." If it's bottle or starve - they'll take the bottle!

GL, mamas!!

Well, yes... They won't starve themselves. but my baby wouldn't take a bottle. Instead she "reversed cycled" and didn't eat at all with the nanny - but nursed all afternoon and all night with me. It was awful. She would just wait for me and then all I could do was nurse for hours on end to fill her little belly up. Her hunger cues were backwards.

In the end, it took months to turn things around and she never took more than one bottle a day with the nanny - and never more than 2-3 oz.

Bottle refusal is real.

I agree with this. It's definitely real, BUT you can always try a sippy cup or straw cup (if they are a bit older- say 6 months) they may never take a bottle but there IS hope that baby will eat when you aren't there. 

There are a few girls on my BMB (our babies are all 14months) whose babies never took bottles. They all made it work, though it was a struggle.

[Flair Underwood]

Good points shan and jjh1119!

[sandandsea]

Jan 20, 2016 5:37:32 GMT -5 babyzebra said:

I have a question for those of you who pumped at work. How many times in your work day did you pump?

The only way that pumping will work for me is if I can pump just 3 times during the work day. I could pump on the way to work (around 7), at lunch time (around 12), and on the way home (around 4:30). Then I would BF or pump at home in the evenings. Do you think this would be enough or not worth the effort if I can't pump more than that at work?

I pumped 3 times /day at work.  I didn't feel comfortable pumping while driving and didn't want to risk a distracted driving ticket/accident/and I'm in traffic all the way, so I pumped before i left home (DS wasn't usually awake before I left), pumped around 10:30, 1, and 4.  After 8 months, I was able to cut back to twice a day.  I was able to pump in my office and keep working through so it was pretty easy.  And, I think any pumping and BM you can give your LO is worth it and supplementing with formula is absolutely fine if you can't pump enough!

[cattuccino]

I ended up exclusively pumping for 5 months with DD, using the Medela Freestyle.

I have mixed feelings with the pump itself, and I needed different flange sizes and it was a learning curve - but it worked well for the most part. I loved the portability of it and not needing to be near an outlet.

I second all recommendations for a hands free pumping bra (though disclaimer, may still not make pumping hands free, but does allow available hands to massage and help express more if needed).

I recommend spare parts for whichever pump you get - and if working or out, bringing a ziplock and just do a quick rinse or store in a cooler with the milk so it's not an issue if you need to pump more than once in the day and don't have the ability to clean thoroughly.

We used medela bottles, dr Browns and avent. DD took all bottles no problem, we found dr brown helped best with a gassy period, and when she was older the avent for her to hold as well as convenience and cleaning.

I didn't find my nursing pillow comfortable and may get a new one this go - I just had a toys r us brand one.

I needed a nipple shield for awhile with trying to get DD to nurse - they're GREAT when everyone is still learning but proved to be a huge pain in the butt, and didn't help with latching for us (though did help with some discomfort when really chapped).

The gel pads for soothing - ammmazing, I used medela, lansinoh, and avent ones I think.

Nursing bras and tanks a definite must - especially for summer babies.

I'm considering getting a different pump this time but not sure I can justify the cost.

My neighbour sent me this which has a lot of good information on different aspects of different pumps which is what has me considering:

m.babygearlab.com/Breast-Pump-Reviews

[microworm]

Still BFing my 20 month old but have about zero supply at this point. I returned to work at 12 weeks and pumped successfully until 15 months.

Breastfeeding pillow: I still use my Boppy. I have always had an awkward time positioning DS when not using a Boppy, but that's maybe because I relied on it so much. It definitely makes things easier. I would suggest bringing it to the hospital if you do plan on using one.

Pump: I used Ameda Purely Yours until the motor started going at just over a year old and I was losing suction on one side. It sucks Ameda would have replaced it within the first year. I would say that it was heavily used and worked great for a year. It is a solid pump. This time I may try a Medela, but maybe not since I have all the Ameda parts. I will say that spare Medela and Ameda parts are easily found at stores (Target, Babies R Us) so you don't have to order stuff online and wait.

Bottles: Mine took to the ones we bought no problem. We used Avent. We introduced within the first 2 weeks. He had no issues with "nipple confusion."

Creams: I used Lansinoh Lanolin. Kept those nips lubed at all times.

Freezer bags: I think I've used Lansinoh, Medela, and Target brand and have experienced leaking when thawing. So I would just thaw in a Ziploc bag or bowl to catch anything that leaked. You only need to have milk spill all over your fridge once to never trust those bags again!

Pumping at work: I would feed DS at 6:30. He typically would only eat from one breast because he STTN early so I was really full in the morning and would need to pump right when I got into work, 7:30 or 8. I probably could have built up a bigger stash if I had pumped on the other breast while he ate but I just didn't want to have to deal with the pump at home. I would then pump two more times, 3 hours apart. Also, to save time I would only wash my pump parts after the last pump of the day. Otherwise I would just rinse them off and put them in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate. Never had contamination problems.

Other: I lived (and still do) in nursing tanks while on maternity leave. I have the ones from Target, Gillian something?

[regal]

The beautiful thing about bfing is that is nothing you NEED. There are somethings that are nice to have, but ultimately it's about how much you really want those things.

I have a pillow, the Jolly Jumper one. I tried some of the other ones but they were just too structured for me and I couldn't get comfortable.

For pumps, I had a hand one that I used for bit and got an electric one when I went back to work. When pumping for a very young baby there are some risks. #1 they may prefer the bottle and go on nursing strikes, sometimes women end up weaning early because of this. #2 you still need to pump every time they get a bottle to keep your supply up, especially when they are very young. So if your DH takes a night feeding, you'll be up pumping and now no one is getting sleep. There are plenty of ways your DH can bond with the baby. My DH ended up doing most diaper changes and baths and that was their special time together.

I would have preferred reusable pads, but kept getting thrush so I ended up with disposable ones.

No creams worked for me except APNO which is a multi-purpose prescription.

I used underwire bras without any issues, I know they can cause clogged ducts for some women though. Try it out and take it slow.

[txmommy14]

Jan 20, 2016 8:23:54 GMT -5 frecklesnbrains said:

Re: fenugreek. Just FYI the stuff is safe but it can cause a false positive on the test they run on a baby in the newborn period to screen for metabolic diseases (which are very rare but often severe diseases that need to be treated right away). So if you take fenugreek early (like close to birth) and the baby breastfeeds just be sure to tell the pediatrician that you're taking it.

They did that screen in the hospital and I can't imagine anybody would be taking fenugreek before their milk came in, but that is good information in case anyone was taking something that had it in it. We got a false positive, and what we had to go through for two months until we knew for sure was excruciating.

[frecklesnbrains]

Jan 20, 2016 23:11:07 GMT -5 txmommy14 said:

Jan 20, 2016 8:23:54 GMT -5 frecklesnbrains said:

Re: fenugreek. Just FYI the stuff is safe but it can cause a false positive on the test they run on a baby in the newborn period to screen for metabolic diseases (which are very rare but often severe diseases that need to be treated right away). So if you take fenugreek early (like close to birth) and the baby breastfeeds just be sure to tell the pediatrician that you're taking it.

They did that screen in the hospital and I can't imagine anybody would be taking fenugreek before their milk came in, but that is good information in case anyone was taking something that had it in it. We got a false positive, and what we had to go through for two months until we knew for sure was excruciating.

I'm sorry you got a false positive. Part of what I do for work is walk families through that process. It's always so hard! Glad it was nothing in the end in your case though.

But anyway, I've definitely met some mothers who start fenugreek at or even before birth, to try to promote the initial let-down. Who knows if that's effective or not, but it is the time when it can trigger that false positive (the test is done on the baby at about 2 days of life, usually right before discharge if you have a vaginal delivery).

[nitecheese]

Jan 20, 2016 9:35:38 GMT -5 shan said:

Jan 20, 2016 7:55:37 GMT -5 Flair Underwood said:

Babies who don't have a choice except to take bottles WILL eventually take a bottle (like if they go to daycare, or mom works, or etc, etc, etc...)

Your baby won't starve themselves.. I was worried about this because DD never took a bottle until daycare either. But they have lots of tricks and experience.

I just wanted to add this because it stressed me out and scared me A LOT because a lot of moms told me "my baby just wouldn't take a bottle." If it's bottle or starve - they'll take the bottle!

GL, mamas!!

Well, yes... They won't starve themselves. but my baby wouldn't take a bottle. Instead she "reversed cycled" and didn't eat at all with the nanny - but nursed all afternoon and all night with me. It was awful. She would just wait for me and then all I could do was nurse for hours on end to fill her little belly up. Her hunger cues were backwards.

MY DS reverse cycled too because my output from pumping was crap. Once I went back to work, it was utter hell. He was feeding 6-8 times a night. After being totally berated by my LC, despite doing everything in my power to increase my supply, we started supplementing. DS started sleeping. I stopped feeling like a subhuman. It was full of win.

That being said, follow cues, find an LC you like if you need help - however don't feel like you're beholden to EBF.  If the baby eats, you're doing your job!

*steps off memory lane soapbox*

As for pumps - I had the Medela PISA. It was ok. Some of my issues were probably just with responding to the pump and the frigid pumping conditions at work.

Pillow - I had a Bobby and this other...thing? It was firm and shaped kind of like a kidney bean. It was great when DS was tiny, but as he got bigger it was difficult to fit him on to and let him latch. 

Pads - I thought the Lansinoh pads were super itchy. I hated them a switched to thick surgical gauze. I never leaked all that much. 

Bottles - At first, DS took the Medela. When he stepped up his feeding we switched to the Playtex AirVent (or VentFlow, something like that?)  He loved them, and I did too. A few more parts to clean, but a lot less gas! I though the Avent bottles were leaky POS. 

[soultrane]

Jan 21, 2016 8:54:24 GMT -5 nitecheese said:

That being said, follow cues, find an LC you like if you need help - however don't feel like you're beholden to EBF.  If the baby eats, you're doing your job!

 Quoted and bolded because a thousand times yes! There's so much pressure now to EBF and to go for a super long time. Go for as long as you comfortably and realistically can and know that there are many many babies out there across the world who are doing just as well on formula. I know quite a few women who have stressed themselves out so badly due to BFing and it's not worth that added stress, IMO. 

[jjh1119]

Jan 21, 2016 9:17:40 GMT -5 soultrane said:

Jan 21, 2016 8:54:24 GMT -5 nitecheese said:

That being said, follow cues, find an LC you like if you need help - however don't feel like you're beholden to EBF.  If the baby eats, you're doing your job!

 Quoted and bolded because a thousand times yes! There's so much pressure now to EBF and to go for a super long time. Go for as long as you comfortably and realistically can and know that there are many many babies out there across the world who are doing just as well on formula. I know quite a few women who have stressed themselves out so badly due to BFing and it's not worth that added stress, IMO. 

I agree, I had such struggles when my son was born. My supply was low, he lost tons of weight and I just cringe thinking back to the way I felt when I was trying to hard and things were not working out. He was supplementing with formula by 3 weeks old and by 4 months I was all dried up despite pumping every two hours. Powerpumping twice a day and pumping after every feed at night. This time I'm certainly going to try again but most importantly as long as baby eats, I will be happy. It was a dark dark time. (Not to scare anyone but just my experience was not an easy road)

[pbandj714]

Alright, so I called my insurance company this morning, and they cover the pump 100% (no min or max)! Yay! She said that they cover the pump, but not accessories (extra pump parts, pads, etc.) but that if I bought a set that came with that stuff it would still be covered. I can buy it anywhere and submit my receipt for reimbursement. So now I'm looking at this as a way to maximize my coverage. I think I've decided on the PISA.

I'm thinking this would be my best bet:
www.target.com/p/medela-pump-in-style-advanced-breast-pump-tote-and-feeding-starter-kit-bundle/-/A-14271871#prodSlot=medium_1_50

rather than just getting the PISA itself. Does this sound legit? Am I ripping off my insurance company by having them pay for this one that comes with more bottles and nipples? I mean, she did specifically point out that if it was a bundle, they'd pay the whole thing, so...

Thoughts?

[ArgyleEnigma]

^ seems legit to me. I am conscientious about that kind of think and I think it sounds reasonable.

[jjh1119]

Go for it pbandj- you're having twins right? I think all of that will be very useful and very reasonable

[sandandsea]

Jan 21, 2016 11:42:06 GMT -5 pbandj714 said:

Alright, so I called my insurance company this morning, and they cover the pump 100% (no min or max)! Yay! She said that they cover the pump, but not accessories (extra pump parts, pads, etc.) but that if I bought a set that came with that stuff it would still be covered. I can buy it anywhere and submit my receipt for reimbursement. So now I'm looking at this as a way to maximize my coverage. I think I've decided on the PISA.

I'm thinking this would be my best bet:
www.target.com/p/medela-pump-in-style-advanced-breast-pump-tote-and-feeding-starter-kit-bundle/-/A-14271871#prodSlot=medium_1_50

rather than just getting the PISA itself. Does this sound legit? Am I ripping off my insurance company by having them pay for this one that comes with more bottles and nipples? I mean, she did specifically point out that if it was a bundle, they'd pay the whole thing, so...

Thoughts?

Do it, most come in bags and the kits are helpful to make sure you have everything you need in the beginning.

[pbandj714]

Thanks everyone! I think I'll go for it. I just always end up with a guilt complex about things like this.

[sandandsea]

Jan 21, 2016 12:55:12 GMT -5 pbandj714 said:

Thanks everyone! I think I'll go for it. I just always end up with a guilt complex about things like this.

I called my insurance company this morning and found out that I have to order it from a specific supplier and that those suppliers turn the claim in.  I also can only order it 1 month prior to my due date.  It is 100% covered though which will save quite a bit compared to last time when it was all OOP!

Oh, and it seems like only the basic kits are 100% covered.

[microworm]

sandandsea that is how it was for me with #1. I anticipate it to be the same this time.

That's weird. I just checked the medical supply place and they have it all set up that you can order the ones covered by your insurance online and it says the Medela is not covered by mine anymore. I guess I'll get the Ameda again. It worked well for me so not a big deal.