Medela Pump Owners

Which one would you recommend? Please be brutally honest on your likes and dislikes.

I own the Avent double pump now and like it, but it is bulky and has no battery. I am getting sick of schlepping it to work on the subway everyday and when I travel for work, it may be a pain finding a room with an outlet to use.

TIA!

Re: Medela Pump Owners

I have the Pump In Style (the backpack) and LOVE it!!!!

I love how its a backpack and it does have the option to use it with batteries!!

Re: Medela Pump Owners

Medela Freestyle - LOVE IT!

The pump itself is TINY! It has hands-free things that clip onto your nursing bra too.

It also has the option of using the battery OR plugging in. I charge mine 1x/week and that lasts me the WHOLE WEEK with pumping 3x/day at work.

It also comes in a really cute black bag that's very discreet! And it comes with a cooler bag and 4 little bottles.

It has a timer on it also so you can see how long you have been pumping for - and you can set it so that it does the stimulation phase for X minutes and the whatever strength pumping you want... (so you can start off at level 4 and then after 2 minutes go to level 5 or whatever... it has a little memory - kwim?)

Re: Medela Pump Owners

I also have the Free style. I like everything about it, except the price since I don't use the hands free attachments anyway. I just pull my bra to the side and balance the shields in there and hold them one handed (like with my arm). I really thought I wanted the hands free, but in retrospect, I probably would have been just as happy with the regular free style.

The only thing I would suggest with the pump in style is that you should get the option of the motor that you can take out of the bag. Once one of my bags had a hole in it and I lost 6 ounces of milk in the bottom of the bag. I had to wash everything. Good thing I could take the motor out because I had to run the whole thing in the washing machine.

The free style is small and light weight and it does hold it's charge for a long time. I pump 3 times a day at work and only charge it once a week for a couple of hours. I forgot my charger when I went on vacation and it never even died.

Re: Medela Pump Owners

I own the Medela PISA Backpack and the Freestyle. I keep my PISA at work and the Freestyle at home. If you can afford it, the Freestyle is the way to go.

I bought the PISA first when I had DS, and I commuted to the city with it. The backpack itself ripped after 8 months, but the pump remained in tact. I now keep that pump at work (attached to the ripped backpack). I also have the adapter in the backpack that takes AA batteries in case I can't gain access to an outlet. It takes a ridiculous number of batteries to operate- I think I have 8 batteries in the compartment.

I got tired of commuting with the PISA after having DD, so I decided to buy another pump to keep at home. I bought the Freestyle and it was the best decision I ever made! The motor weighs less than a pound and fits in my handbag. I really like being able to put the pump in a handbag of my choice and not a "marked" Medela bag. Nobody knows that I'm carrying a double electric pump and I still have room for bottles/horns when I carry a large handbag. If you're looking for a pump to commute with and that's discreet, this is the way to go. I haven't bothered with the hands-free option even though it's also a benefit of the Freestyle.

The two important differences that I noticed between the pumps is the motor and the sound. As for the motor, the suction is a little different with each, but I'm still able to produce the same amount of milk with both. The Freestyle occasionally takes me a minute longer. My Freestyle also sounds louder than the PISA. DH jokes and thinks I have club music going on when I use the Freestyle. Personally, the sound doesn't bother me...I'm just happy that the pump is more convenient.

Also, the pump time on the LCD screen is great. No more staring at the clock trying to figure out if I pumped for enough time!

I used a Medela vendor in Texas, an LC, who sells the Freestyle for the price that you can get a PISA at BRU. She also sells the PISA at a price lower than BRU.

Link

Re: Medela Pump Owners

I have the Pump in Style...the metro bag (i think that is what they call it) not the backpack but the same pump...

I loved it and used it to EP since my son was 3 months till just a few weeks ago at a year...and never once had any problems....

In the beginning I was using it 6 or 7 times a day....for months. And I am about to pack it way for the next baby someday....

I would recommend it totally worth the $$....HTH

Re: Medela Pump Owners

Re: Medela Pump Owners

I have the backpack. Travel wise it is the best!

Re: Medela Pump Owners

Hmmm.... seems like it's a toss up b/c the PISA metro and the freestyle.

Thanks for the replies!

Re: Medela Pump Owners

I have the Medela PISA (shoulder bag) and I love it. I commuted by car, but it was easy to carry to and from my office.