A part of me still thinks about how differently expensive breast pumps work, but this bad boy sure is doing its job wonderfully for more than a year now—and counting.
I already knew I will need a breast pump when Mason was born because I was determined to give him breastmilk exclusively. We went ahead and researched about electric breast pumps right away because I wanted to work on my stash as early as possible—just so I am assured I have more than enough milk to leave him with when return to work after my maternity leave. My go-to reference was always my mom forums on Facebook as it's where I usually get real, honest feedback from real moms. I was immediately faced with all these expensive breast pump recommendations. I've contemplated on this for a bit as I understood that if I plan to really commit to exclusively give Mason breastmilk, I will need a really sturdy and reliable pump as I will have to pump milk a lot. However, since we were tight on budget right after my delivery, we first decided to try out an inexpensive pump and agreed to just invest on a more pricey one in case we really needed to. The verdict?
It does its job: IT PUMPS MILK.
I found out about the RH228 Electric Breast Pump in one of the mom forums I follow on Facebook. While most moms recommended high-end pumps saying these are all good investments, I was fortunate to come across suggestions that led me to this inexpensive option. We bought our RH228 from Lazada around November of 2017 at P600 that time. As I mentioned, we agreed to try this first and invest on a more expensive pump in case we really needed a better one. It was delivered right away and was packaged very decently. The item came with the following parts 👇
I immediately checked the parts and sterilized the ones that needed to be cleaned. I went ahead and tried pumping after all the parts were cleaned and there's just no other way to put it but it did its job: IT 🍼 PUMPED 🍼 MILK 🍼 And in my case, it pumped a lot. I am not sure whether output is directly correlated to the brand or type of breast pump you use as I wasn't able to use any other brand for comparison, but my output was really good. I was pumping an average of 4 oz per boob per session (still does up to this day). But then again, it can also be just my genes. It has several settings that allow you to pump either in one steady, consistent level, or ascending level which starts very softly in the beginning then progresses to power pumping towards the end. You can also manually choose your levels as you go along. I've tried all of these settings and was never uncomfortable. The parts are also very easy to clean. I wash all of the parts (I disassemble the individual flange parts) - except for the pump motor of course - with regular dishwashing soap and water after use and I stack them all up in my steam sterilizer at least twice a week. When I feel like I don't have to sterilize, I just let them air dry after washing.
I used to store my breast milk in storage bags, which means that right after I pump them in the bottles, I had to pour my milk in individual storage bags to store them in the fridge. At around my 8th month of pumping, I realized I was spending so much on bags so I bought these mom&baby storage bottles so that I didn't have to throw away non-reusable breastmilk bags anymore. I bought 12 of these ♡ These bottles go straight to the fridge after I pump and they're also sterilizer-safe.
The parts are pretty sturdy - except for one.
As I mentioned, I've been using my breast pump for more than a year now. I wasn't able to use the bottles and nipples that came with the package as my baby only wanted to use one type of bottle when he was smaller (Avent bottles with natural teats from 0 to 7 months - he preferred using sippy cups from then on exclusively). I was only able to regularly use the pump motor, the tube, the USB connector, and all the flange parts. Everything is still alive and kicking to this day except for the USB connector. The power cord gave up on me at around my 7th month of using it. After which, I bought a thicker cord which I'm still using today. Please note that I'm also using an outlet adaptor for the socket and I very rarely plug the USB power cord in a USB outlet.
It's not silent.
I now understand why some moms would pay a premium for more silent breast pumps. Our mom's room at work has 4 individual stations separated by curtains. While moms have their privacy, the breast pumps actually make quite an orchestra when all the motors start buzzing together 😂 I'd have to say the RH228 pump tends to sing the loudest. It isn't much of an issue for me though because my output is honestly all that matters to me, but if you're conscious about disturbing other mothers with how loud your pump motor is, this may not be the pump for you. But in my opinion, this shouldn't concern us moms. I think it's about time we stop shaming other mothers for small stuff like breast pump loudness as we're all just trying to survive parenthood. The loudness of our breast pumps doesn't define how good of a mother we are 🤣 We're all trying to do our best.
It's very portable.
My favorite thing about this breast pump would have be how lightweight it is. All of the parts, including 2 storage bottles, can fit in this cute insulated bag fully (got the insulated bag from Japan Home).
This is basically just an insulated lunch bag, which so happened to carry my pump parts perfectly. I used to pump twice a day so this used hold 2 more storage bottles. I place the pump parts and the bottles in resealable plastic bags, while the pump motor and power cord has their own drawstring bag inside. I've seen other pump brands have their own bags and boy, they look bulky. I've been pumping for exactly 14 months now, and I've never had a problem bringing my breast pump with me to work and in our travels.
OVERALL SLEEPLESS MOMMA RATING:
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5"I love it!"
My breast pump is my best friend (or breast friend? lol). I've always known I'd want to exclusively breastfeed Mason for as long as I can, and it wouldn't be possible without a reliable breast pump like the RH228. Sure it's inexpensive, and I'm sure more expensive breast pumps has a whole lot to offer. But what else exactly will you need from a breast pump aside from its capability to pump milk?
I mean it's:
✔ BPA free
✔ Compact and lightweight
✔ Easy to assemble
✔ Easy to operate
These are the only things that matter to me, and quite honestly I never felt like I needed to look for anything more. I never needed to replace it. And so far soooo good 👍 My son has never had a single ounce of formula so far, and he's also in his best shape and disposition (such a happy and active baby). I have nothing against formula or mixed feeding because #fedisbest, but it's always been my dream to be able to exclusively breastfeed my baby and this super affordable electric breast pump is helping me do just that 💜
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