hi girls,

just after some advice? I hate the idea of both but which is better?
apart from price are there any other advs and disadvs to each?


thanks

100% electric!!

Had manual - hated it! This time I am deffo going to get an electric one, possibly Madela swing.. Haven't really decided yet

Agree, electric is the way forward. far easier than manual.

I bought a second-hand Medela Mini electric. Obvoously still need to steralise each time, whether new or used.

At the end of the day I didnt see it any different to using the electric breast pump in hospital - which has its share of different users!!

I had hand pump with my son and electric with my daughter and for comfort the manual pump was better as if you had sore breasts you can change the speed at which you do it, i found it quite painful with electric and made my nipples bleed (sorry if TMI!). But for speed the electric is best and the hand pump does make your wrist ache. . . . hope this helps

I used both electric and manual with both children and to tell you the truth I decided to go with a manual this third time around..to me is more comfortable and I don't get tired as a pump...and my nipples feel fine...unlike with electric...which the only pro I found was that it fills the bottle quicker...but with the manual I was able to get more milk out.

Good question... Im also a first time mom and was thinking of going manual just because its alot cheaper..... still think on getting manual

I researched all the breast pumps a few weeks back and have decided on the Medela Swing also. It seemed to have more happy customers and easier to use than every other one out there..

I have tried several manuals, could never get them to work. This time i decided to splash out on a medela swing, was really impressed when i got it.
I put it on and i thought it was gonna start squirting out there and then.

I left it in my room and a few days later i found it out, when i asked the kids, amusingly my 11 yr old son said he had decided to have a go...to see if he could get milk out of his boobs.

I've bought the Medela swing, off eBay. It seems to get great reviews.

After exclusively using pumps and trying different ones, I have no intention to ever use a manual again unless I am caught short.

I started off using the hospital pumps, to which the hospital gave me all the attachments.
I then bought a medela mini elctric, although it can be noisy, it does the job.

I was off to visit my gran and i didnt have my pump with me, so i went into boots and bought a Tomme Tippee hand pump. I used it once and after using the electric pump, it make me a bit squemish, doing it manually! So I kinda kow where you are coming from.

Then cleaning it was a nightmare, pulling the parts out and trying to get them back in....never again, its in the back of the cupboard and I wont be using it again.

Apart from not getting hand cramp (ahem.....) I really like using the electric ones, and the fact you get the choice of suction too - I have never had sore nipples using it.

Some say the swing is good too, i wish i had bought it but to be honest it entireley depends on how often you will be using it. if its just a one off thing its not really worth spending loads of money on the latest gadget. Whereas if you're like me and you're going to express all the time, its worth investing.

My friend actually hires a hospital grade one at £40 per month but i feel my medela mini electric works better, and thinking of buying another mini so i can double pump (ha ha )

Also I will add....I put my make up on while expressing with the electric yesterday

AQlso, check what size the pump you buy will fit your bottles etc and think about how you will store the milk. The Tommee Tippee one I had was a wide fit and I didnt have any wide bottles, just the one that came with the pump.

I also tend to buy milk bags from boots and collect it straight into them by just holding the bag on.