Medela Symphony Breast Pump Hospital Grade ($1,899)
For various reasons, from medical issues with a parent or baby to poor lactation support in those crucial early days, parents may initially struggle with milk supply. It can be stressful to "play from behind" and try to build supply.
A good breast pump can help while a parent works toward their goals with a lactation professional. The Medela Symphony, used in many hospitals and available for rent or purchase, is a go-to. It's pricey, but the model, which uses a two-phase expression technology that closely mimics a baby's natural nursing pattern, has a reputation for helping parents express more milk, especially when pumping on both sides.
"I was sadly one of those moms who struggled to produce enough milk," wrote one reviewer. "I went dry after two to three months while pumping with the less-than-powerful pumps. This hospital-grade pump was the only one that ever helped me because of its power. It has different pumping intervals that also help you to produce more milk, so when my 4th and 5th child came along, I broke down and bought this pump. It was amazing and helped me to go a full year feeding my last two children. I would recommend this pump to anyone."
