Medela Freestyle Breast Pump
by Medela
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List Price: Our Price: $321.99 You Save: $58.00 (15%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Medela Freestyle Breast Pump
Customer Review: I Love the Freestyle
Summary: 5 Stars
I previously used the Avent IS IQ duo and while the hospital grade pump was helpful in maintaining my supply I had a number of other complaints about it that left me very frustrated (you can see my review on this site for more details).
I purchased the Freestyle immediately after it came out and have really enjoyed using it. There are very few negatives.
Positives:
* Small size- can even put it in my purse!
* Battery power works great. I only charge it once a week, and pump off battery at work for the entire week. It is also handy for travel- no need for a manual pump when this one is so small.
* Ready supply of accessories- we don't have a sink in our lactation room at work. It is quite easy to purchase additional parts (kits and horns) for this pump (compared to the Avent). I have 3 sets and wash them at night.
* The Medela Quick Clean Wipes are great- I keep some in my bag and have come in handy a couple of times when I have forgetten pump parts at home. Likewise the Medela Pump & Save Storage Bags are nice as well. I have used them in a pinch when I didn't have enough bottles. Medela says that they are not recommended for the Freestyle, I haven't tried them with the pump- just pour the milk in there.
* The hands free kit really works!!! I can't pump without it now. It really allows me to work on other things while I am pumping- reading, computer, surfing the net, etc.
* The pump is so small, portable and lightweight and the bag is really discreet. No one ever knows that I am carrying a breast pump.
* The envy of all the moms in the lactation room. Not that anyone looks at what any of us are doing, but everyone who has seen my pump (I often show it off before I pump) wants one.
* All the parts that come into contact with the milk as well as the bottles are BPA free. This is NOT the case with the Avent Isis IQ Duo
Cons:
* The lining in the bag is a little flimsy- kind of like a lightweight silk. This make it hard to put the pump in the pump pocket- takes two hands. I usually just dump mine in any old place because of this.
* The bag is a little small. It is a tight fit with 3 sets of parts, and other accessories. Even if I only put one set of parts, I cannot fit the cooler, which becomes one more thing that I have to carry. Would be nice if I could at least clip the cooler to the handles of the bag.
* The pump isn't quite as strong as the Isis IQ Duo. My milk supply tends to drop off a little over the week, but it may partly be my fault due to getting lazy from time to time and only pumping twice. Don't get me wrong though, this is no wuss of a pump. On the highest setting you really feel the pull.
* I wish that the automatic setting would let you save just the suctions for the let down and the regular phase rather than also the time for the let down phase. I am not consistent in how long it takes for let down.
* I wish that I could control the length of the "suck" like I can with the ISIS- I like a slightly longer time than the Avent allows me.
However, all of the cons are really minor, and I wouldn't trade this pump for any other. Thanks Medela for making a product that really takes into account the needs of us working moms.
Customer Review: Medela Frustratedstyle (er, Freestyle) Breastpump
Summary: 1 Stars
I wanted to love this pump. I really did. About two months after I began using it, it just died mid-session. The motor was still running but there was NO suction. I called customer service and went through all their troubleshooting exercises. After that, they said they'd send a new pump. (Hang on to your receipt or email proof of purchase!) Well, they sent the new pump and I was back in business. Then after a couple months, I noticed this black soot-like dust getting on the outside of the replacement pump motor. I opened the battery compartment to find the whole thing a mess with this soot. So I emailed them and attached photos. They were kind enough to send me an entire new pump overnight, complete with tubing, shields, you name it. But in the last few days, this same mystery black soot is present on this second replacement pump. I called customer service. They are sending me a new battery. I asked if this is a common problem with Freestyle and she said no, that I just got a couple of bad pumps (so why am I only receiving a new battery this time???).
These may be issues only with the pumps I received but there are other things that just suck about the Freestyle:
1. Any of the convenient features that are so nifty on other Medela pumps (such as pumping directly into a storage bag) don't apply to the Freestyle.
2. The handsfree contraption is a terrible joke. The straps are time-consuming and slip out of place. I've worn more milk than I've stored when I've gone handsfree.
3. The pump is very loud.
4. If you don't have it assembled perfectly, you won't get suction...but finding the hole involves unsnapping and resnapping the pieces together (usually while the pump is running and against your skin) to figure out if you've got it right.
5. If you remove the battery, as I did when I found the mystery soot, you have to give it a full 24 hour charge even if it's 100% full because the pump resets itself. I found this out the hard way after I removed the battery for about 15 seconds to inspect the compartment, reinserted, then went about my business pumping. The battery display started flashing that it was low, then crapped out mid-session. I had to hunt down my power cord to finish, but not without spilling milk all over the place because I was in a let-down...
This pump costs too much money to have this kind of nonsense.
*update 3/24/11: To Medela's credit, they have great customer service. And I should know. My pump has hit another wall. Now the adapter plug doesn't work...which means it won't charge my battery or run the pump once the battery is dead. I called their customer service first thing this morning and they are overnighting me a whole new pump. Thank goodness I bought a manual pump as my back-up. In addition to the adapter problem, the new battery I just received appears to be doing the same thing with the black mystery dust. So it's either the pump or another bad battery. I guess I'll know more after I receive the new pump tomorrow. OH! And I was told the warranty period is on the first pump I bought, not on any of the replacement pumps or parts I've received. Interesting.
Customer Review: Fabulous pump!
Summary: 4 Stars
I love this pump! It's the only one I've ever used, so I can't compare it to any other pump. I love how convienent it is to pump anywhere. I've pumped in the craziest places - airplanes, airports, a baseball stadium, in the car, while driving (maybe not the safest...), the list goes on. It's small and quiet so I can pump and be inconspicuous. This is very important to me as I am a pumping-only mother. I am (unfortunately) not breastfeeding my baby.
The rechargable battery holds for several pumpings, but I do make sure to plug it in and recharge it if I know I'm leaving the house. I had a problem with the battery a few months ago and called Medela. They sent out a replacement battery pronto free of charge and no questions asked.
The bag is very nice and I don't mind carrying it around.
I gave it four stars because the hands free straps don't work so well for me. I had no problem finding a bra that works with it. I bought one at Motherhood Maternity for $15. It hooks up just fine and stays in place. The problem that I had was that I would never get as much milk out when I used the hands free system. The way it holds the shields to my breasts caused some ducts to not flow. I ended up getting an Easy Expressions pumping bra and that is working much better. The belt that comes with the Freestyle is very handy for walking around while pumping.
Overall a great pump and worth the price. Shop around on the internet for a good price with an authorized dealer. Medela's website lists authorized dealers.
Update 11/27/2010
I still love this pump. I used it again with my daughter. Fortunately, I was able to breastfeed her, so I didn't use it as much as I did with my son. It's stil going strong. I'm pregnant again and don't expect to have any problems using it for a third time. I can't say enough about how much time the hands-free feature saves. When I first started using it, I would sit at the dining room table to pump. What a waste of time. When I finally figured out how to use it hands-free (with the Easy Expressions bra) I had a new found freedom. With my daughter, I would generally pump once a day. I did it at night while I did my night-time routine (brush teeth, wash face, etc.) It was the perfect amount of time and no time was wasted sitting there waiting for the bottles to fill up. I also figured out that my Dr. Brown's bottles Dr. Brown's BPA Free Polypropylene Bottle, 3 Pack, 8 oz fit on the pump. That way I could use those and put them straight into the fridge or freezer without needing to transfer the milk to a storage bag.
Customer Review: watch out for spilled milk!
Summary: 3 Stars
This pump is a good one, but it has 3 major design flaws for a working mom IMHO.
1) The parts all have to be aligned JUST RIGHT to get decent suction. Everything must be dry, assembled right, plugged in perfectly.... I usually have to hook it all up, start pumping and unhook all the parts WHILE I'm pumping to reassemble them with suction to get it to fix. Sometimes, I have to do this several times. I called Medela because I was convinced I was doing something wrong, and it turns out this is a REALLY common complaint. The rep told me that I was doing everything right and that I might try new pump parts or drying everything. Needless to say, this was TOO MUCH of a hassle at the office in the little time I have to pump. I have a rental pump at the office that's stationary, and I use this pump at home where I can walk around if I need to.
2) It is NOISY. I have several friends at work who bought this pump and we've all found out the hard way that you can't answer the phone with it. I can't pump in a room with a sleeping baby. And, people who know the noise can hear me at the office through a locked door and about 10 feet of distance. Not cool.
3) This is my biggest complaint - if you don't have the bottles at the right angle, milk POURS out. If you lean over to scratch your knee, milk pours out. If you're leaning back in a chair, milk pours out. If you have a bottle leaning slightly, or if the bottle screws on wrong but you can't tell, or... you get the idea. I use a rental symphony which uses the same parts as the Pump in Style and I've never had a problem. But, with the freestyle, I have lost milk countless times. And, we're talking OUNCES. There is nothing worse than realizing that you're sitting in a puddle, and you've just lost all the milk you work so hard to pump for your baby. I have seriously cried over spilled milk! I'm petite (5'2") with large breasts and a post-partum pooch when I sit down. The bottles rest on my legs when I pump because there's not a lot of room from my nipples to my lap. It's so easy for the bottles to slip, or tilt. I just hate this.
I have to say, I bought this pump because it was supposed to be "the best" and I thought it would be so handy and convenient. And now, after Breast Feeding Store clerks and Lactation Consultants have told me not to use it (after I bought it. Thanks for nothing), I tell people it's a buyer beware. I'm mostly happy with it, and it's mostly convenient to be able to fold laundry, walk around, etc. But you have to weigh the pros and cons... if I were still using this at the office, I think I'd go crazy.
Customer Review: Great product!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was given an older Medela pump and style by a friend and it was so heavy, I started looking around for other options.
I went on the Medela website and they have a questionnaire -based on the answers to your questions, they have pump recommendations. They also have a great chart that outlines all of the different pumps and their characteristics. I found this very helpful in making a final selection.
I bought this pump with a 20% discount so it was a relatively good deal. It was about $100 more than the other one I was looking at but I'm thrilled I went with the freestyle. Plus it includes the hands-free set which is probably worth about $40 by itself.
The pump is VERY light. It weighed (and was as big as) about as much as 2.5 decks of cards which worked great for me since I commute 40 minutes to work each way by train. I would just throw it in my purse along with the shields and off I went. It was easy to use.
I bought the car charger and it was a total waste, which is a good thing. The battery lasts a long time. I would pump twice a day at work and the battery would last about 2-3 weeks or longer. It was great because I didn't have to carry the charger with me at all, even on trips.
At first I thought the hands-free set was gimmicky. I didn't think it would work. It was a little tough to set up first couple times but once I got used to it, I loved it!! I was able to read a magazine or be on the computer while I was pumping. It was fantastic. If I ever forgot the hands free pieces at home, I was miserable. I must have pumped at least 6 times standing up in a public restroom since I travel a lot for work and it would have been nearly impossible without the hands-free set.
A few cons: don't waste money on the car charger, but that's been said. The parts are hard to find since its a relatively new product for Medela. I would suggest calling and ordering an extra set of tubing (you don't know when it will decide to start leaking and you can't buy replacements anywhere that I know) and buying the box of "Medela spare parts" (they don't include the tubing)and an extra set of breast shields. I didn't like the soft shields that came with it because they pinched more since the suction kept readjusting the breast shield. The hard shields were much more comfortable. It was totally counterintuitive.
In summary, it was a great product!! It was probably the reason why I was able to nurse as long as I did. It wasa fantastic investment. I highly recommend it.