Hi Sarahmahmood! To answer your question about if it's worth buying the airlock, a lot of people seem to like them. However I could never figure out how to use my airlock and get it to stay on so I threw it back in the box, I have a little different technique I have been using. Rather than trying to get both domes to stay on at the same time, while pumping with one hand, and ending up with all that extra hose and pump hanging off of me I attached a small 3 - 4 inch section of hose to each cup. Right now I have all three sizes I alternate with, then I put them on one at a time, I just put the pump onto the end of the hose, put it in place and pump it up to where it's pumped tight but not over pumped, then I'll fold the hose in half kinking it so the air doesn't leak back in, pull the pump off (making sure the hose stays folded in half or I have to start over), rap a small pony tail tie around it, then move onto the other one. My right breast is a little smaller than the left so I put it on first and take it off last. This way I don't have excess baggage hanging off of me, I find it much easier to do cooking, cleaning, using the bathroom, napping when I'm sick, or just about anything this way. I just get them both pumped up, throw a big shirt on over them, and forget about them until it's time to take them off or to put the pump back on and top them off for a while. Another thing I was thinking about doing is trying to find a quick disconnect one way air valve. If I can find a couple then I'll attach them right off the domes, and attach another piece of tubing onto the pump with the other end of one valve. Then all you'd have to do is attach the quick disconnect, pump, disconnect, do what you want to do until it's time to top them off or remove them.
Actually I just had a really crazy idea that worked. I had a couple aquarium airline tubing check valves laying around, for those of you that don't know anything about aquariums they're designed to let air/water to flow in one direction only. They're used so that if the power gets turned off to the air pump the water won't back up in the line and end up getting into the air pump and damaging it. You can pick them up at any pet store that sells aquarium supplies or most if not all Wal-Marts for about a dollar or two. Well anyway, for those of you that use the pump and hold technique, whether you use them individually like me, or have them joined with the Y connector you can use these check valves instead of an airlock clamp. Just be careful not to over pump, although the airline isn't difficult to pull off of the valve in the event of needing to relieve some pressure. When you're done simply pull the valve off, then put it back on for next time, or slip your finger under the edge of the dome to break the seal and pop them off like I do. Now that I have discovered this, time to go pump!
Hope this gives you some idea as to whether or not to use the airlock.
Later ladies, and gents!
