When I was still pregnant and reading all those mommy/maternity blogs with their own lists of must-haves, I found that a lot of mommies recommend having a breast pump even before giving birth. Sometimes, it takes a few days before breastmilk comes out, and the breast pump can be used to stimulate milk production, especially if the mom can't produce enough milk for the baby.
I was actually planning to buy a breast pump after I give birth because I wasn't really sure if I would need it. I work at home (and at that time, I wasn't even sure if I will work when the baby comes out) so I'm always at home, where I can conveniently feed my baby directly from my breast.
But after reading all these recommendations and pieces of advice from fellow moms, I was persuaded to buy a month before my due date. And I chose to buy Spectra M1 Double Electric Breast Pump. It's small and portable, cheaper than most popular brands of breast pumps (like Medela, Avent, etc) and it has quite a lot of rave reviews.
I bought mine from BabyMamaph's booth during the Baby Fair on SMX last December 2014. They're offering 20% discount at the time and I thought that it would be better if I buy there than online because aside from the discount, I could also inspect the product, learn how to assemble it and I could ask questions from the staff manning the booth. So long story short, I bought one - but I didn't use it until after I gave birth on January.
Spectra M1 Double Electrical Breast Pump is a good quality breast pump. It comes with two breast kits (flange, bottle and tube connectors). It also has a backflow protector to prevent moisture from going to the pump, which can cause unsanitary mold growth.
I appreciate that it's small and portable, it's easy to stash inside the baby bag (although I still keep another bag for bottles and the breast pump parts). I brought it during Yani's check-ups with the pedia, so I wouldn't feel engorged during the trip and while waiting for our turn in the hospital. The battery lasts for a little over 2 hours and I could do 2 cycles of pumping on the go. Charging time is also relatively quick.
It has 5 suction levels and 2 operation modes: normal and massage. I have sensitive nipples and they would hurt when I use the breast pump in normal mode. Good thing Spectra M1 Double Electric Breast Pump has a massage mode, otherwise I wouldn't be able to use it because I couldn't tolerate the suction strength of the normal mode.
Massage mode is much gentler on my teats and it promotes letdown which is very helpful because it stimulates your breast to release milk every time you pump. But less milk is expressed during massage mode, so pumping takes more time.
Although Spectra M1 Double Electrical Breast Pump doesn't operate silently and sounds like a snore or a purring cat, I believe the noise is bearable especially when on you're on massage mode. But I wouldn't use it beside a sleeping baby, unless your baby is used to its sound. It also vibrates slightly.
The pumping unit is pretty easy to operate, all the buttons are straightforward. Assembly is quite simple once you figured it out (don't worry the instruction manual illustrates this). I just thought it has too many parts to assemble, would've been easier if there were less. But what I like about it is you can take apart each accessory so that you can clean it thoroughly.
I only had 2 problems with Spectra M1 Double Electric Breast Pump. One is the breastmilk leaking underneath while I pump. I think this is because the flange is too big for me (28mm). I'm not sure if a smaller flange is available locally. If you're getting this breast pump for regular long term use, I would definitely suggest that you get the correct flange size so you won't be troubled with leaks.
My second issue is with some parts getting loose or detaching. The flange can unscrew from the bottle with the slightest turn and I've had a few instances when I almost spilled my precious breastmilk because of this. The tube that connects the flange to the pumping unit also detaches easily and affect the suction strength.
I also noticed that when using as a double breast pump, suction strength is reduced. I usually use it as a single breast pump because my breasts tolerate different suction levels. In massage mode, my left breast can only tolerate up to level 3 and my right breast, only level 1.
And because of the leaking problem, I couldn't use a hands-free bra and I need to hold the flange in a certain angle against my breast - so I only pump one breast at a time. I also need to put a piece of cloth underneath the flange to catch leaks. Otherwise, my bra and whatever top I'm wearing will be soaking wet by the time I finish pumping milk
But overall, Spectra M1 Double Electrical Breast Pump is a decent breast pump and definitely a cheaper but great alternative to other pricier brands. However, my love affair with the breast pump had been short.
Most moms recommend using the breast pump 6 weeks after delivery because that's usually the time when the breastmilk production has stabilized. Of course, this won't apply if you can't produce enough breastmilk days after your baby was born, in which case you need the help of the breast pump to crank up your milk production. But if you already have abundant milk supply and you pump too early, you could overstimulate your breast which would result to more milk. And this is what happened to me.
Because I was excited to use Spectra M1 Double Electric Breast Pump, I pumped prematurely (like 2 weeks after giving birth early) even if I didn't need to - I have milk galore. At first, everything's okay. Then my baby developed breastmilk jaundice and the pedia told me to stop breastfeeding for 3 days so her jaundice will subside. That's when I learned the consequence of having too much breastmilk: the painful breast engorgement.
But I have a breast pump, I thought, so everything should be just fine. Even if I couldn't breastfeed, I could express my breastmilk to relieve engorgement. When I had to pumped exclusively, that's when I realized that this is not something I'd like to do.
Because of the issues I mentioned above, it normally takes an hour or more for me to produce 4 oz of breastmilk. Everytime I pump, I felt like I was being held up inside our bedroom, holding the flange on my breast and watching as my breastmilk slowly fills the feeding bottle.
And I need to pump every 2 hours, or else engorgement will set in which will make everything difficult and painful. I frequently have clogged ducts because I just have too much breasmilk and I couldn't pump fast enough to empty my breast and the breast pump just couldn't empty my breast of milk as efficiently as my baby.
So imagine 1 hour of pumping plus washing and drying of breast pump parts and feeding bottle - then repeating the process after 2 hours. I couldn't get anything done. I feel like I was tied to the breast pump and the activities associated with pumping milk. And for all these troubles, I still get those nasty clogged ducts that further debilitates me and makes my day miserable.
The moment I got a go signal from the pedia that I can resume breastfeeding (I did mix feeding after 3 days because Yani's jaundice still hasn't fully subsided), I free myself from the breast pump and used it only when absolutely necessary.
Weeks turn into months and my Spectra M1 Double Electric Breast Pump stayed inside box. I realized I won't be using it anymore so I decided to sell it. I have no beef with pumping breastmilk, but I found out that it's really not my thing. Maybe if I were a working mom, I'd be singing a different tune. But for SAHM or WAHM, direct breastfeeding is definitely easier, faster and the best way to feed your baby.
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