1) Ames, we have a Medela Symphony, which is what our lactation consultants say is the best. It is not pretty, but it has been great. It plugs in and you can unplug it and it will hold a charge for 12 hours - although I have used mine 6 times or so over the past month and it hasn't lost it's charge yet. (I was taking a pumping break - but will start again pumping regularly since I am going back to work tomorrow!)
We actually rented it from the hospital. We get is as long as we want for around $50 - and we get $30 back when we return it!
This was the best solution for us. We also heard that some insurance companies will cover the cost of one.
Good Luck!
-Sarah

2) I used the Pump In Style and loved it! http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/breast-pu...

I pumped exclusively with the first one for 4 months and 5 weeks with the second one b/c of nursing issues.

I'm actually considering selling mine so if you're interested this one for a fraction of the cost.. email me. carriepassante@hotmail.com

3) I exclusively pumped with Jacob (now 3.5) for about 12 months, and I'm pumping exclusively with my daughter, Jillian (4 months). I use the Medela Pump in Style Advanced. It gets used for about 2 hours a day, and it works great. I know they are expensive, but definitely worth the cost. I bought mine from hackley, which has free shipping and no tax. Also, the pumps are considerably cheaper than in the store. http://www.hackleyhme.com/

I'd take Carrie up on her offer, though if you are planning on doing a lot of pumping. Good luck!

4) I also used the Pump In Style. I got it from ebay. I know it sounds weird to get a used pump, but all parts that actually count are sterlized.

I used mine 3x/day with 2 kids and have loaned it out to my sister-in-law and a couple of friends. Works good for us, Good luck!

5) I just asked the missus and she has the Pump In Style too. She says it is the best as it imitates the way a baby sucks. I know it changes how it sucks after a while because at first it goes quick but then it suddenly sounds like it is pumping deeper and longer. I think this is consistent with "letdown".
Carrie says you should contact your lactation specialist and they may be able to get you a discount through the hospital. She didn't know until later having already got one from her mother who, then, worked at a health department.

6) Medela is the best; accept no substitutes.

7) If you buy a used one and want to get new tubing from Medela, you can BUT make sure when you call their customer service that you tell them you need new tubing because yours is cracked or broken or whatever, don't tell them you are using it second hand because they won't sell you anything or cover the warranty. Buy used cause the only thing that comes in contact with you and the milk is the tubing and collection containers and you can get new ones if you tell a little lie to Medela.

8) Actually, the narrow plastic tubing doesn't come in contact with the milk either. The tubing only sucks the air in and out of the back end of the attachment "horn" (the part that goes over your nipple); the milk goes right through the front end of the horn and straight into the bottle. I also bought a used Medela Pump-in-Style for about $150. I used everything in the package that I bought; I just sterilized the few parts that would come in contact with the milk, which you would do with a brand-new system anyway.

9) I used the Pump in Style. I breastfed Dylan exclusively for 1 year. I went back to work when she was 12 weeks old so it worked out perfectly for me. If you are going back to work I recommend getting plenty of extra storage containers and bottles because sterilizing every single night after a long day of work is the last thing you want to do.

10) P.S. I have so many extra bottles and misc parts with my machine...

and Sandy is right, the tubing doesn't come in contact with the milk but so many stores (and catalogs) carry these parts that you don't even have to go through Medela anymore.