Which is the Best Manual Breast Pump?

Take the Stress Out of Expressing Milk with the Advent Comfort

Even if you take to breastfeeding like a duck to water, and have no problems feeding your new little one, expressing milk can still be a struggle. That's why it is important to have a good pump that works well for you.

With my first baby, I struggled a little with breastfeeding, and even more so with expressing milk. I badly wanted to express, because I wanted my partner to have the experience of feeding our daughter, and also for times when I wanted to go out for a few hours for some much-needed "me" time. That time around, I bought the Tommee Tippee manual pump, because everything else I had bought in this vein (bottles, steriliser and so on) was by that brand. Everything else was marvelous, but I didn't get on with the pump at all. I got very little milk out, always seemed to lose suction and position, and got quite stressed out using it. At the time, I presumed it was me - that I just didn't express milk well. I gave up on the pump, and consequently, only breastfed for 3 months.

I now have a two-month-old son, and breastfeeding this time is so much easier. He latches on with no problem, I know what I'm doing this time around, and I'll definitely be going the full six months if not longer.

But as for pumping? Yes, that is working a hundred times better too! This time, I opted for the Advent Comfort manual pump, because it had better reviews on the UK Amazon site than the Tommee Tippee one. And I am so glad I read those reviews, because this pump is definitely more comfy, stays in position better, and most importantly, pumps better!

This has made such a difference to my life this time around, because it means I can go out happy in the knowledge that my son is having good milk in his bottle rather than having to resort to mix feeding with formula. It's also given me more confidence in my breastfeeding overall because I know my flow is fine. And I don't dread the pumping experience like I did last time - it's so quick and comfy whereas last time I felt like I was doing nothing but feeding or pumping all day long because it took so long.

I've managed full bottles this time around, which I got nowhere near last time. It comes apart easily for cleaning, and it is intuitively easy to put back together again. All the bits fit in my Tommee Tippee steam steriliser alongside the bottles, and the comfort pad element really makes a difference.

I also bought the Advent storage cups, which are compatible with this pump, so that I could store milk in advance in the fridge or freezer. I would highly recommend these as well, as the lids screw nice and tight and they kept the milk fresh with no problems.

So in conclusion, although I love Tommee Tippee for their bottles (with the closer to nature teats that mimic breastfeeding, so as not to confuse baby), I'm afraid that when it comes to Tommee Tippee VS Philips Advent in the manual pump department, the Advent Comfort wins hands down!