Reddit reviews Maymom Flange Adapter for Spectra S1 Pumps, Spectra S2 Pump to Use Medela Breastshield and Medela Bottles; Connects Between Maymom/Medela Breastshield and Spectra Backflow Protector

Oh man, this post is like my jam. I'm currently tandem feeding twins and supplemented at the start. I did not have PCOS, so I did not have that barrier to overcome. Here's what I did:

Bring to hospital: hands free pumping bra, angled flanges, hot packs, lanolin(at first, I liked the medela lanolin better since it spread a lot easier, but now I like the lasinoh lanolin ointment more. I'd buy both, and apply after every feed/pump)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004S8MGGQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085CBA90/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Day 1 - breastfeed baby as often as they want, but at least every 3 hours. This is your time to be working on latching and such. After each feed, you need to hook yourself up to the pump using your fancy new angled flanges(more comfortable, and allow you to recline while pumping - your back will KILL if you are trying to slightly lean forward all the time while pumping) and pumping bra(you do not want to sit int he hospital and be pumping for 10-15 minutes and have to hold the stupid flanges up yourself). As someone who worked NICU, has used both the spectra and the medela symphony, you'll want to go for the symphony at this point. Colostrum is thicker than normal milk - the spectra I don't think would draw the colostrum down as well as it does regular milk, so that is why I'd use the medela until your milk has come in, and for about a week or two after. When you are pumping, you should throw the hot packs towards your boobs and be massaging down towards the nipple.

The reason you are pumping at least every 3 is chances are your kid either has a crappy latch or not a strong suck, and both of those things are not going to stimulate your supply to come in the way you want it to. Not a lot of kids come out into the world and both latch strongly and suck and swallow to adequately and easily drain the boob, and that needs to happen.

For bottle feeding - the hospital we were at gave Similac Supplementation, and we used that until we were off formula. We used it with the hospital Similac slow flow nipple that screwed onto the ready feed bottle, and then used Dr Brown premie nipples at home. So, the shape of the nipple you use for bottle feeding isn't actually that important in my opinion. I'd say the bigger thing would be flow - definitely want slow flow/premie nipple in whatever brand you pick, and then technique. For technique, do not put the baby in your arms cradling them and then point the nipple at the back of their mouth like you are the virgin mary feeding the baby jesus. Instead, put them in an elevated sidelying position, and then angle the nipple sort of towards the top of their head. Basically, you're trying to mimic the boob nipple position with the bottle nipple position, and by having them sidelying you're also mimicking how they breastfeed.

We did 15 mls of formula starting around 24 hours of life after each breastfeeding attempt. This gradually did increase to an ounce. I had enough supply in by day 6 or 7 to stop supplementing with formula after each feed(I still pumped after each feed for breastmilk). I stopped supplementing altogether around a week and a half, but continued pumping so my husband could give a bottle a night while I slept for a couple hours.

Which actually, that's another part of this everyone overlooks. There is this oh poo poo new mothers shouldn't be sleeping and need to be awake every hour to feed/pump/whatever. You should do this for the first couple of days, but honestly, for your sanity, you need to pick a 3-4 hour block of your life to be uninterrupted and unconscious and have someone else feed and care for the baby. If you are in the throws of breastfeed/supplement/pump, you're not getting a lot of sleep, and are going to need a window somewhere to actually sleep. 3-4 hours sounds like nothing now, but when you are consistently getting 20-30 minutes, it's life changing.

On a random note, I saw from comments you want to use the Spectra S2 - I strongly believe in angled flanges, so here's the adapter to go from medela to Spectra so you can continue to use angled flanges.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DGEDVUM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

When it comes to formula, I'd keep a couple things in mind. Your baby literally has NO taste experiences in their life(other than amniotic fluid). Therefore, breastmilk and formula will be all they know. Think of it like the kid with food allergies - you taste their allergen free brownie and think it's disgusting but they love it because they don't know any better. We switched formula on kids fairly often in the NICU for various reasons, and typically we had babies be fussy for a feed or two and then settle into the new stuff if they were going to fuss at all over the change. Therefore, I'd use whatever they give you, but have a box of formula at home that is unopened and returnable.

This $9.00 adapter allows you to use Medela partsand accessories with your Spectra if you go that route: https://www.amazon.com/Maymom-Breastshield-Connects-Backflow-Protector/dp/B01DGEDVUM?th=1

This was the only piece I needed to use Medela parts with my S2.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01DGEDVUM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1496459635&sr=8-1&keywords=spectra+to+medela+adapter&dpPl=1&dpID=31cWLYYI1hL&ref=plSrch





I'd recommend getting a few sets of them, I would lose one from time to time and then I'd be stuck only pumping one breast at a time until my replacement arrived. That was not fun.

The spectra suckles somehow, and is much more gentle. I had the medela first, and when I ordered the spectra I was disappointed at first because the letdown mode is much slower, and I was worried it would not work for me. However, the suckling feels more similar to breastfeeding and once I got used to the pump I had no issues with letdowns. The medela generally gets the job done, but I feel a bit more like a cow in a factory getting my udders yanked :)

Regarding the parts - I bought this: https://www.amazon.com/Maymom-Breastshield-Connects-Backflow-Protector/dp/B01DGEDVUM . This allows the spectra to be used with the medela flanges and bottles. So I can use the same parts and bottles for both of my pumps. If you just have the spectra though, you can use the parts it comes with.

I ordered these. Maymom Flange adapter

These plug into the breastshield from Maymom or Medela then into the back flow protector from Spectra.

The Spectra is better imo. The good news is that you can buy an adapter from Amazon that will allow you to use Medela parts with your Spectra. I didn't do this last time, but have purchased them for use with these babies.

Regarding the bottles - I was super concerned before baby about pumping into the bottles that baby used, but it ended up being easier for me to pump into the bottles that came with my pump and then transfer the milk into bags/bottles baby used. At least for me, I didn't ever pump the exact same amount, so there was always lots of adding/subtracting milk from each bottle before I could feed baby with it. I DID use the Medela bottles at first with Dr. Brown's preemie nipples, and using the adapters I linked to above, I can pump directly into these with my Spectra this time around.

I actually use the medela flanges and bottles with my spectra pump. We just got the adapter from Amazon. It plugs in in between the flanges and the backflow protector. It is a little odd but works well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DGEDVUM/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_cdv0AbHBJN135

I have one, but as a FTM without my kid here yet, I pretty much know jack shit. However, after searching for the S2 on Amazon, I found that customers also bought this and other various things to make life easier or that can work with Medela bottles/parts/etc like these flange adapters. The top customer review had some info about how they used medela bottles with pumpin pal flanges and didn't have to "hack" anything or cut tubing. Have a look around. I am getting a better grasp on everything by doing this.

Kellymom.com is my go-to resource for everything breastfeeding and pumping related. You could try pumping after your baby feeds. My daughter used to eat on one side only and I would pump the other side when she was done. You might not get much, but it would encourage your supply. I also have a Spectra pump and use Medela parts. Just get these adapters from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DGEDVUM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_vBt.zb62EH61A
Just Google search how to determine best flange size. The standard 24mm works for most women I'm pretty sure.

Ok, I will try to format this nicely, but for some reason it always comes out TERRIBLY, so if you see it's been edited, it's just for formatting. Also, I didn't do any sort of price search, so these links aren't the best price guaranteed.

Dream Team Pumping Purchases

• Spectra Pump S1/S2 - one has a battery, that's the only difference. You can vary both the suction strength and the suction frequency on both the milking and letdown settings. There is a timer (yay!), and it remembers your settings. The only drawbacks is the tubing has a strange surface finish that picks up everything, so that kind of sucks, and the default is it's not on the letdown setting when you power on.
  
  
• Pumpin Pal Flanges - Unfortunately these aren't compatible with the Spectra style pump parts, so you need some other pieces to use them. They draw the whole breast in, not just the part around the areola.
  
  
• Maymom Adapters - These allow you to use the Medela style connectors and flanges with the Spectra.
  
  
• Medela Connectors - These don't have to be Medela, they can be Maymom or Nenesupply, but I couldn't find ONLY the connectors from either companies in my quick search.
  
  
• Duckbill Valves - These are way better than the little yellow piece valve with a rubber flap (if the flap moves, it doesn't always work). These are one piece, way awesome.
  
  As for bottles to attach...you can use Ameda or Medela bottles, or any bottle that fits the Medela connectors (I use the Medela bottles and sometimes Dr. Brown's bottles since they fit (depends on what's clean).
  

I use this (less parts!): https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01E3W689M/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr0_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1469575979&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=maymom+long+stemmed+backflow

But you can also just get this little guy:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01DGEDVUM/ref=pd_aw_fbt_75_img_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FTFM0HMWK9Q7E104PMGK

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DGEDVUM/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_imevzb7EVASCA

SPECTRA SPECTRA SPECTRA! :)

I had the Medela PISA and while it was okay, I bought the Spectra because it comes so highly recommended. I could NOT be happier with my choice. I have better output, it's quieter and I think it hurts less as the Medela sort of has a "tugging" sensation, the Spectra feels more like vibrating. It also has a timer and a nightlight on it. I've been telling anyone who will listen because I love it so much!

Also, if you have a Medela and the accessories already, you can easily use all the Medela parts with the Spectra. Here's the link (http://www.amazon.com/Maymom-Breastshield-Connects-Backflow-Protector/dp/B01DGEDVUM/ref=sr_tnr_p_1_2492161011_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1465222552&sr=8-1&keywords=maymom+spectra+medela+adapter)

The Spectra is also a closed system like the Ameda, so you don't have to worry about any backflow problems! I purchased the Spectra with my own money and it only runs about $130 on amazon. Totally worth the money, in my opinion!! :)

Edit: I should also mention that I tried the Ameda, it's the one I chose from my insurance and I was not a big fan. the suction was too low and I thought the speed was slow as well.

If you still have your Medela parts, you can use these adapter things to convert them to use with the Spectra and save some money:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DGEDVUM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_waJGAb1NX8VYV