I am so torn on this still. Really the yuck factor doesn't bother me as I already have the shields/tubing, etc from when I rented the hospital pump (and if anything was going to gross me out, the hospital pump would have been it, but I didn't mind that). Then I bought an Evenflo pump for $50 because it was so much cheaper. It's worked ok, but I work full-time and am intending to breastfeed indefinitely, so I really need a good quality, double electric pump. The motor in the one I have is now making some pretty awful noises, so I need to replace it, and the sooner the better. I could rent a hosptial one, but that's $37.50 a month for who knows how long (6 months or so???--that's $225!!!!), and frankly, I hate spending that much money on it and then not having anything to show for it when I eventually have baby #2 sometime in the future.
So given that money is a huge factor for me right now, here are my options as I see them:
1. Buy a used PIS from ebay, and hope that it really was only used a few times (Dh really does not like this option, simply because you never know how honest people really are).
2. Buy a new (not so nice) $50 Evenflo one to use for now and hope that when we eventually have baby #2, I can buy a better pump then (HAH-as if you have more money when you have more kids!)
3. Pray that the one I have now lasts until we get our income tax refund, then buy a new PIS if we can afford it, but be screwed if it dies before then (very likely) or if our return isn't enough (also likely).
ugh!!! I am so frustrated/upset by having to make this decision. It just makes me wonder when babies generally start dropping down to just morning/night nursings. How long am I going to be stuck strapped into a pump I'm not really happy with?
I have to go now, I'm giving myself a headache! Sorry for ranting on so long, and on Christmas, no less. :?