Breast Pump Review: Spectra 3

After reading lots of reviews and comments about breast pump, finally I decided to get myself a Spectra 3 as my first ever breast pump!

The following product descriptions, I shamelessly copied from here ^^

Description

• The most special feature about Spectra 3 is that it is smaller size than Spectra 2 therefore more ideal for traveling.
• The kit is very easy to use as it is automatic.
• Accessories (breast shield,tubing) are separable so it's easy to wash and sterilize.
• Its light weight and compact design make it extremely portable and good to use in a small space.
• It contains 1 set of breast shield.
• It has a very simple and neat design with a built-in cylinder.
• Users can feel comfortable by pumping in a rhythm that is just like an actual nursing infant's sucking rhythm.
• It has controllable suction levels.
• Its high suction strength makes it possible to express milk out of both breasts.

Special features

• Can be converted into a double pump.
• Minimum noise during breast pumping session ( more privacy ).

This set contains:

• Pump
• 1 Bottle with wide neck teat and bottle cap
• 1 conversion kit for wide neck bottles
• 1 Breast shield set and tubing only.

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Now for some personal usage experiences

• Economical. Spectra 3 cost around RM400.  Sometimes, you are able to get the pump plus extra breast shield set for about the same price.  Equivalent breast pump of a branded name could easily be double the price of Spectra 3.
• Can be converted into a double pump.  I get myself an extra breast shield set to convert it into a double pump.  With double pump, it will reduce by pumping by half.

• AC power source only.  Spectra 3 only be able to operate from AC power source.  Thus, it could be quite bulky and inconvenient for those who think of traveling or pump at office with it
• Backflow (milk getting into the tubing or motor). Spectra 3 doesn't come with filter to prevent backflow.  Although I haven't ever experience a backflow yet (touch wood!), I had known of my friend who experience this.  It is troublesome, especially if the milk backflow into the motor.  You can't clean it yourself.  You have to send it for service.  However, there is Spectra filter available, which you can buy to prevent backflow.

Overall I have a great satisfy with my Spectra 3.  It is really worth the money! :D

Breast Pump: Things To Consider

It is really a tough job to get a right pump to suit your needs. Well, at least, that's exactly what I felt like when I went for breast pump shopping. Consider the amount of brands available and differences in each brand and each model, I am quite proud of myself of the pumps that I got for myself. :D

Do you really need a breast pump?
It depends, but in general, it's good to has one standby in case you needed it.

What kind of breast pumps/ brands there are available?
Basically, all breast pumps can be categorized as manual or electric. As for brands, there are countless and almost all baby products brand have their own breast pumps. And of course there are "branded" breast pumps.

So which breast pump should I get?
Good question! This is where confusing and indecision starts! I would provides some guidelines for you to consider, to help you choose the right pump for you. Please bear in mind that, the guidelines/suggestions are strictly based on my personal experiences.

So there goes ...
Are you a working mum?
If you are a working mum and plan to continue breastfeeding or giving your baby expressed breast milk (EBM) after going back to work, I suggested you to get an portable electric breast pumps with AC and battery powered option. Electric pump as it's more efficient, in term of time, compared to manual pump. Battery powered as you might not have the luxury of having a breastfeeding room in your office. You might ended up pumping in the restroom/toilet.

Furthermore, it's not easy to pump before the milk comes in, which usually takes 3 - 5 days after delivery. So if you're financially capable, you can also invest an electric beast pump even if you are full time housewife. Having said so, that do not mean that it's not advisable to get a manual breast pump for a working mum. In fact, my latest breast pump is a manual pump and I am full time working mum .. :D

Are you price or brand conscious?
A general rule of thumb, manual pump is cheaper than electric pump. Non-branded pump is cheaper than branded pump. As mentioned before, there are countless brand for breast pump. What I called a "branded" one are namely Philips Avent, Medela, and Ameda, in no particular order


If you want a more affordable breast pump you could consider Spectra, Safety Plus, Snow Bear, Pigeon to name a few or even some local brands like Pureen and Anakku.

Other features
Some electric breast pumps come with twin/double/dual pump feature. As the name implied, they are able to pump both breast at the same time. Theoretically, they are able to reduce pumping time by 50%. This might be a deciding factor for working mom. Also some claimed that they are also able to increase the milk production.

Personally, I feel at the pumps have their own pros and cons. At the end of the day, it is really up to the users to choose which one they are more comfortable with. I will review the breast pumps that I own/use in the up coming posts.

Roseola, anyone?

Last week, Ig got sicked, maintaining temperature of 39 - 40C for a few days.  It is a scary experience, when you don't know what's wrong with him and especially for a new mum like me.

It turned out he had a Roseola.  Roseola is common viral disease that affects infants and toddles, especially those aged between 6 months and  2 years old (exactly Ig's age range!).  It is usually marked by several days of high fever - temperatures may reach as high as 104-105 F (40-40.5 C), followed by a distinctive rash just as the fever breaks.

Now that's where the worries come in.  With temperatures as high as that, any decent parent will freak out, let alone those who never heard of Roseola.  Furthermore, Roseola also on of those disease that you can't diagnose or prevent from the early onset of the sickness.  Not until the distinctive rash appears, that the possibilities of having Roseola might not being considered.  Roseola also often misdiagnosed as common flu or cold.

How do I know all these??  That's why I loove Internet.  When I wasn't able take Ig to see doctor at the first occurrence of the rashes, I called my mum to ask her opinion on what the rashes might be.  Since she didn't see the rashes personally, it's hard for she to conclude.  But she did reassured that since Ig don't looked uncomfortable or sick, it might not as serious as it looks.  Reassured a bit, I did some research on the rashes.  Voila! Roseola! never heard of it until now!  That explained a lot of what Ig went thru these few days! His symptoms matched Roseola's symptoms perfectly.

That's the end of all those unexplained high fever and rashes!. Wheewps.

Too bad, I didn't manage to capture him with a cool pad on his forehead.  Despite been sick, he managed to look really cute.  :D

“玫瑰疹是一種病毒感染，主要為皰疹病毒第6型及第7型最常見。這是一種常見的幼兒良性感染疾病，很少有併發症或後遺症,發生的年齡雖然以六個月到一歲半最常見，但是小至兩、三個月，大至兩、三歲的小朋友也都仍有可能會得到玫瑰疹。

玫瑰疹是常見的一種幼兒良性感染疾病，主要要的症狀就是發高燒，溫度可高至攝氏３９至４０度，通常持續3.或4天。當高燒的時候,除 了兩個小臉頰會燒得紅紅的以外，小寶寶的胃口、活動力也都還好，也可能有輕微的咳嗽、流鼻涕之類的上呼吸道感染症狀，檢查起來沒有明顯的特徵，這種病最大 的特性就是當出現玫瑰紅似的細小斑丘疹時，往往也就是發燒漸退時，該病快到尾聲的預告，有時有於個人體質的關係而因高燒發生抽筋，但不必驚慌，因為這是良 性的抽筋。”