What insulin pump does your child use? My son is 7 years old and was just diagnosed two months ago so I am just starting to reach pumps. Its mind boggling!! what are the features you like and dislike? Is the insertion painful?
I use the Omnipod on my 18 month old and honestly could not be happier with it. No tubing for her to fuss with, no buttons or controls that she could potentially mess with so the Omnipod was a no brainer for us. I would actually suggest talking to your rep about having either an Omnipod or infusion set from another pump inserted on yourself - I had both done to me before committing on a pump for my daughter - that being said - neither was all that painful - definitely not anymore so than an injection, and I don’t think the difference between the two would be enough to sway me one way or another - although I do believe I felt the Omnipod less.
I use a Medtronic pump. I’ve always used these pumps. I like that I can connect with the CGM and my meter sends readings to the pump. They have also started a Connect system which connects your cellphone to your CGM. Its sends readings to the phone. It will also send text messages to you to let you know when it’s low. They have neat cases for the younger ones that can be found in their store.
Our 11 year old uses the Medtronic 530G and started with the Enlite CGM that talks to the pump. We love the pump but did not like the Enlite CGM. It had a ton of sensor site failures, sensor lost signals, very inaccurate, and painful insertion. We kept the pump but switched to the Dexcom G5 CGM (love it). Love the Medtronic pump because it’s so easy to use and has very little user error possibilities. We did not choose the Animas or Tslim because of the user error involved with a touch screen. This sounds strange but in this case basic up and down arrows vs. touch screen really cuts down on accidental entries. We did not choose the Omnipod because of its size and if there is a site failure or if it gets knocked off you have to change the whole thing, including insulin, which can be costly and wasteful. Remember this is just our opinion and why we decided on the Medtronic 530G. Everyone’s experience is different. It really comes down to feature comparisons. There are lots of videos out there comparing all of them. Also, ask your insulin rep, endocrinologist, and dietician because they will give the run down on them all.