ADVICE: Ameda Lactaline Personal Breast Pump

[birnehelene]

Hello,

a friend of mine has recommended the Ameda Lactaline Personal Breast Pump (double breast pump). I was wondering if anyone has experience using this breast pump and what they think of it? I have also heard that the Medela Swing breast pump is good, but I suppose that was is not a double pump. Any views on double vs single pumps (apart from time saving)?

Thank you very much!

[Yak]

I have one and absolutely love it (insofaras you can have positive feelings for a breastpump!). It is quick as you would expect from a double pump but even better, it's really quiet so you don't feel like you are attached to an industrial dairy machine. I express up to 10 oz / 260 ml a day and that takes about 10 mins in the morning & 10 mins at night. I had a madela mini for a short while but never got more than an ounce or two. It has variable settings for speed and strength of suction but I've never felt the need to use them.

They come up on the forum /ebay and you can get new bits for it from most online breast pump sites if you want to reduce the (admittedly considerable) cost.

[hellosailor]

I started with the medela swing and then switched to the ameda lactaline because I wasn't convinced by the medela. For me, the ameda was considerably more effective in yielding milk, but I'm sure others would have found it the other way round! Even though it is a double pump, I've never go the hang of pumping both at once, think I'm too malcoordinated. I think you can get special bras designed to hold the pumps in place though, leaving hands free for book or laptop or whatever, maybe I should have invested in one of those! Also like the fact that as Yak says, you can buy spare parts very cheaply online if you need to replace a bit..

[mrs f]

I'd third it, I was given mine very kindly by a friend and it's amazing, I Didn't know anything at all about pumps but really rate it, it's so quick, I've lend mine to a few friends, including yak & they have all been impressed with how quick it is.... Pumping is such a faff anyway last thing I'd want is for it take ages too. I pump about the same as yak & it takes me 10 mins in the am & 10 mins in the eve. I only ever use it singly but that is fine too...& yes spares are cheap & easy to get which is good when your baby kicks it off the bed!

[birnehelene]

Hi all,

Thanks for ur replies. You have definitely sold the ameda pump to me. So now I can happily go and buy it. Thanks again.

[Elliott]

hi,

looking for advice from anyone whose used the ameda lactaline before. I have an ameda lactaline and tried using it for the first time this weekend. the suction doesnt seem that strong even if i turn it to the strongest setting so ive not been able to express any milk. ive made sure the flange is attached to my boob properly but still nothing. it was a second hand pump i bought from ebay - does this seem like theres something wrong with it or should i just give it more time?

thanks

[mrs f]

Hi, have you checked the valves? they are the little white bits that attach to the section that attaches the boob bit and the bottle? if that has any slits or cuts in them then the suction will be crap, you can get cheap replacements online

http://www.pumps4mums.co.uk/ameda-parts.htm

otherwise check the attachment that goes from the pipe into the machine itself.... basically any air in any bits that lead to the suction cup will cause crap suction.

I hope that helps

[Fuschia]

Try just with thd little tubes ... Put your finger over the end ... Is there suction? You have to run both sides at once, unless one is sealed off by the little stopper at the machine end

[hellosailor]

Yes, make sure if you're using only one tube that the other tube is sealed off where it plugs in.

Otherwise it sounds as if there is a tiny hole in the valve, or the diaphragm or the actual motor of the pump could be dying?

If the fault lies in the valve - assuming you have two, one for each side, the other one should be working? Can you test using the other set to rule that out?

when you are using it is the diaphragm (the transparent rubber cup) really scrunching up tightly or just a tiny bit?

[Yak]

All good advice above - just to add don't expect masses the first time you express, it takes a while for your body to get used to it. Relax your shoulders and take a few deep breaths and give your boobs a bit of a massage before you start.

Also what setting - right hand dial - do you have it on? Might be easiest to start off with the dial half way round (or at least I found I did).

[hellosailor]

good pumping advice Yak! Though I think that birnehelen's instinct that a part of the pump is faulty / perforated is prob right if she is turning it all the way up and not feeling much, it's a pretty strong pump and if working properly, turning it all the way up should be like putting a hoover on your boob! I only realised mine had a perforation when I realised I was turning it up higher and higher with not much effect when previously it had been sucking much harder while the dial was much lower.

[Fuschia]

Happy to have a look at it and attach it to some of the bits from mine, if you like, to see if it's faulty?

Only I am not about till weds

[mothercourage]

Sorry, having read the posts here with interest, am hijacking to ask if anyone has the aforementioned Ameda to sell? A long shot but you never know...

[Elliott]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! The diaphragm / suction cap thing seems to be working as it's scrunching up and expanding ok...I think. The second tube bit has been sealed off, but i havent yet tested the second set so I will do that and see if it's a problem with the first set if there is a tear/hole somewhere.

I've turned both the cycle and suction dial to the max and can barely feel anything, but i tried again and managed to get one drop. Progress but a very long way to go!!!

Fuschia - thatd be amazing if you could take a look at it. I'll PM you. Maybe I'm just doing something wrong and just need someone who knows how to work it to spot my mistake.

thanks everyone

x

[hellosailor]

If you can barely feel anything, it's definitely not working. It could be the motor if the other parts are proved to be ok.

The diaphragm is supposed to scrunch up a lot, very tightly, when it's not working properly it just scrunches up a little bit.

Fuschia should be able to help if you show her, good luck!

[Elliott]

I really hope its not the motor otherwise it'd be a mission to get fixed I would have thought being second hand. fingers crossed!

[hellosailor]

If the ebay ad said it was working properly, which presumably it did or you wouldn't have bought it, you should definitely contact the seller if you find, which it seems likely from what you say that you will, that it has a broken component. Hope you get it sorted!