Avent Isis Manual Breast Pump
by Philips AVENT
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Our Price: $59.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $39.00 (click here) Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Avent Isis Manual Breast Pump
Customer Review: HATE IT!!! Major design flaw
Summary: 1 Stars
Everytime i try using this pump the star valve piece pops off and travels up into the horn of the pump. I have to fish the valve out and basically re-assmble the entire darn thing. Sometimes the valve pops out up to 6+ times in one sitting. It makes me wonder why the heck do i bother sterilising everything when i have to do something as unsanitary as sticking my fingers in the pump or in the bottle just to fish that stubborn valve out.
I called Avent customer service and they told me it must be due to the residue buildup from using tap water to serilize the pump. They suggested that i have to boil the pump in water and vinegar. When i asked how often i should be doing this, they had the nerve to tell me that i should boil the pump in this concoction as often as once a day!! well, excuse me but i dont think i have the time to keep primitively boiling my pump like a madwoman everyday in water and vinegar (I use both electric and microwave steriliser. Boiling is simply too tedious for me). In my opinion,The problem is not the residue buildup but a major flaw in the pump design. There are many other pumps such as my medela pis that does not have parts popping out or falling off repeatedly in the middle of a pumping session, regardless of how i sterilise or use the pump.
Thus, dont bother buying this pump unless you wanna keep sticking your fingers in the milk every few mins. Your poor baby will be drinking unsanitarily prepared milk. You wouldnt want to give your baby anything that had your fingers swirl around in it.
*UPDATE: I have already boiled the star valves as advised by avent. I followed all their instructions to the last letter.I have even boiled it 3 times already. Guess what?? The valve still pops of like anything!!!!!! THIS PUMP IS JUNK
Customer Review: It works .. great to have on hand for all breastfeeders
Summary: 4 Stars
I received the Avent Isis as a gift before my son was born. I had difficult with getting him to latch on at first, so pumping was important. i was really hesitant to use the Isis, thinking that it would not work. I tried using it before my milk came in and it really didn't work so well, but i was using a Medela Symphony pump in the hospital to express (before my milk came in) and that didn't even work that great, there's not much to pump in those days. However, once my milk came in the Isis really did work! It was a life saver to use to relieve engorged breasts and express bottles until my son latched on. It's super convenient because you can walk around and pump at the same time. It help if you lean forward when you start pumping to get the flow going and if your hold the handle down for a couple seconds to create more suction. If you use it correctly it doesn't hurt at all. I like the soft rubber insert for the cones and you can easily move the pump around to stimulate more milk ducts. I pump into the small bottles and then pour into a freezer bag. I am able to pump sometimes over 4 ounces in 10-15 minutes. It's also great to take on weekend trips because it's so small.
Some cons (which should not prevent you from buying this pump): lots of pieces to separate and clean; makes a squeaking sound when you pump so i can't pump around my son when he's sleeping; obviously can't pump both breasts at the same time; you have to pay attention to what your doing to make sure the milk is flowing.
I'm so glad that i received this pump as a gift and recommend it to all breast feeding moms to keep as an emergency pump. I plan to buy an electric pump for when i go back to work. I will be able to leave the electric pump at work and just use the Isis at home.
Customer Review: Just okay...
Summary: 1 Stars
As a breastfeeding Mom (for the third time!) I needed a pump to use occassionally for outings and to build up my supply for later use. I bought the Avent Hand Pump because of all the good reviews and because I rarely, if ever will be bottle feeding my baby.
First and foremost, the silicone petal pad doesn't work for me. I have to take it off. The "horn" part of the pump is NOT size universal. So if you're not sure if it'll fit, chances are it won't. Not all nipples are created equal!!! I did find out that putting some lanolin on the pump itself before pumping makes it easier. Secondly, it's nearly impossible to nurse and to pump at the same time. Third, it's noisy... this means that for you girls out there that are sensitive about let down (meaning you have to forget you are pumping to pump efficiently) it won't work as well as you want it to.
I have no doubt I have a good milk supply. It takes me an hour to pump 4 ounces. A bit dissapointing. Not to mention when you're a new Mommy, time is precious!!
The top cover comes off occassionally and the avent bottles leak-
In the end, my baby wouldn't take the avent bottles. Wouldn't even latch on. SO don't use this pump for the sole reason that you believe Avent is the way to go- ultimately the baby is boss. This is my second breastfed baby that wouldn't take these bottles- although my daughter did latch on for five seconds long enough to gag on the milk because she couldn't control the flow.
I'm not impressed.
No, I wouldn't purchase again.
No, I don't reccommend.
No!!!
I feel cheated and wish I would of researched pumps a bit longer before spending what I did on this one. Let's face it, it's overpriced.
Customer Review: A good manual pump, but the harmony was better!
Summary: 4 Stars
This pump is pretty good for those times when you want a manual pump. The massaging petals do seem to help with letdown. It is compact and you can use it anywhere. I have a nice Playtex Embrace pump that I can use in my car and at work, but there are times when I can't lug my big carrying bag around and the Isis works great in these situations.
I have taken it to theme parks (we left the baby at home with a sitter because of the heat, etc) and I just put the pump inside a soft cooler bag along with an ice pack and a couple of bottles. I have pumped in the car while riding and even pumped in bathroom stalls, if necessary.
The handle does make a little squeaky sound, but otherwise it is quiet. The parts do tend to come apart easilly, and the handle falls off, but it's not that much of a problem. It didn't make my hand tired, even though I pumped for 20 minutes altogether, three times a day. I get out just as much milk with this pump as I do with my electric, though it does take a little longer than double pumping.
I have pumped into the Avent bottle and then transferred my milk in the past, but since I use Playtex bottles and the One-Step storage kit, I have learned that Playtex will send you a FREE adapter for your Avent pump which allows you to pump directly into the Playtex bottles (Yay!)
UPDATE:
I had to change my review on the Isis after I had to use another manual pump in an emergency yesterday. I tried the Medela Harmony. Wow, that pump was wonderful! It really was 'silent' and easy to use! It was also much easier to clean than the Avent and I got out a record of 5 1/2oz in twenty minutes! So I guess that although the Avent is a good pump, I would have to say the Medela Harmony was better.
Customer Review: Messy- what a hassle :(
Summary: 2 Stars
This is an update- I wrote an extensive letter to Avent and all they did was send me another neck piece, which they'd already done 2 weeks prior- the neck piece wasn't the problem, it was the entire construction! Maybe there are just a lot of faulty pumps out there- otherwise I can't imagine how the majority of reviewers have had such luck with this item- my recommendation: try it out right away and if you have ANY problems return it immediately! So I did end up buying another electric, the whittlestone- nice pump but I still prefer the Medela Pump in Style.Previous review:
Just before I started typing - I had another messy moment with my isis... I had been using the medela pump in style, on loan from a friend, for the past year (to pump at work,) when she asked for it back for another baby, I didn't want to invest in the expensive medela since I will probably only be nursing another few months- so I got the much raved about Isis- it pumps plenty of milk and is small and portable, etc- but I have had all sorts of nightmares with its construction- the neck piece comes unscrewed, the handle comes off in the midst of pumping, the plastic 'lid' comes off- if I don't let air out from the chamber every 2 minutes it explodes and spurts milk everywhere- and I can not do it with 1 hand for fear something will fall off and I'll spill milk all over, although I suspect it isn't really a one handed pump anyway.
For pumping at a desk it has been a very messy and frustrating experience - maybe they have cheaped out on materials with the most recent pumps- I wrote avent an email and hope for some sort of reply. If you are just starting out and plan to pump a few times a day for some time, invest in the pump in style- it is a breeze. You can find it online at discounted prices.