New guest blogger reveals how she saved money on a breast pump

Great news: I’m thrilled to introduce you to my newest guest blogger, NewMamaKira. Welcome to the Adventures, NMK! Here’s a bit about her:

"I’m a new mom experiencing the world of childcare for the first time. As a buyer for a major retailer, I definitely enjoy negotiation and the thrill of getting the best price and value for my family. I’m amazed by this new world of parenting, and seeing my son discover it is extremely gratifying. "

Whoa, retail buyer?! How cool is that! We have lots to learn from this mama, am I right? Without further adieu, here’s NewMamaKira’s first post:

How to Save Money on a Breast Pump

When I was an expectant mom, I wanted to buy the best breast pump – but I was shocked at the price of $449.99. I wondered if my work Insurance company, Sun Life Financial, would cover it; however there was nothing mentioned on their website. 

So this is what I did: I sent them an email and asked – that’s all. And to my delight, they cover breast pumps! Under my plan, they were willing to cover up to $300 at 75%. And all they needed was the receipt and a doctor’s note (note: they do not accept midwife notes).

Because both my plan and my husband’s was with Sun Life, I ended up getting the Medela Freestyle for free. But even better, I got a deal from Babies R Us when I signed up for their baby registry: If I bought one Medela Freestyle, Medela would send me a free breastfeeding starter kit valued at $125. The kit has 1 Calma nipple, 10 bottles of various sizes, 20 freezer bags, 30 disposable nursing pads, 1 Quick Clean sterilizer bag, Lanolin cream and an information guide.

So if you’re an expectant or new mom and you want to save cash on a breast pump, here’s my advice: Call your benefits provider to see if they’ll cover your breast pump. And if they don’t cover one, I would still recommend the Medela Freestyle Breast Pump. Don’t feel guilty about splurging on this pump because 1) it allows you to be hands-free, giving you flexibility to do something else as you are pumping i.e. read a magazine, type emails, etc.; 2) It’s a double pump, saving you time.

Another tip for you: When you call your insurance provider asking about breast pumps, be sure you fully understand what the requirements are and what the coverage is.

How did you save money on your breast pump?

How I saved money on bottles

My daughter hates the bottle. I can count on one hand how many times she willingly drank from it. I tried her on the bottle when she was two months old and by the time she was six months, I just gave up. She started solids at four months old anyway, so she she was nursing less and less. Overall, my husband and I tried many brands on her: Medella, Nuby, Nuk, Born Free, all the types of bottles Playtex had available. I thought she was doing okay with the Playtex latex bottle, so I stupidly bought the feeding kit. (Luckily, I had a $2 off coupon for it, haha!) But in the end, she was better with the sippy cup.

So where did the money-saving technique happen here? Well, I didn't have to buy any sample bottles. (Oh wait, I bought the bottles for the Medella breast pump, but I needed those anyway.) I ended up getting Nuby, Nuk and one Playtex bottle from the Babies R Us gift registry; Born Free was a gift; and the other Playtex bottles were free at the Baby Time Show in April 2011. So here's what I've learned from this experience:

• Gift registries can offer you goodies that'll be useful for months to come —don't throw samples away, especially if they are bottles!
• Accept bottles as gifts so that you won't have to pay for trial/sample ones in the future.
• Don't get too excited! Honestly, thinking back, my daughter barely took to that Playtex bottle before I bought the kit. I probably should have tried it a few more weeks before making up my mind!

Thoughts?