Medela Freestyle Breast Pump
by Medela
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List Price: Our Price: $339.99 You Save: $40.00 (11%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Medela Freestyle Breast Pump
Customer Review: Great little pump despite motor & performance problems
Summary: 2 Stars
I have had the motor replaced after 3 months of using it 3X per day.
The pump just stopped working (output gradually got lower until it was barely pumping anything).
The new motor worked well for about another month (so it wasn't my supply but the pump) but I am again loosing suction.
So I have replaced the motor, the spare parts kit twice, and the hose.
When I received the new motor, my output immediately went back up, but its now going down again.
I am running out of stuff to replace on this pump.
Even though I love the size and convenience of hands free, bottom line is that since the suction starts to get weak after a few months, then its not worth it.
I will be contacting company AGAIN (ugh) to try and get the pump in style advanced.
My recommendation, hold off on getting this.
Hands free looks nice, but the overall quality of the pump is lacking.
And not to mention, cleaning all the spare parts everynight on this kit is so very exhausting. Yet another issue I have with this pump.
Bottom line: Pump did not hold up for full time use. (I've been using it for 7 months now - 3 months at 3X per day).
UPDATE:
Since I've written this review, I did get the pump up and running well again. I did however have to contact Medela who decided the second time around to send me a new motor and a new battery. When both of these were replaced my pump started working like a charm again. Of course I cannot say how long the newly replaced parts would last for since I stopped pumping for my little guy only 3 months later. However, all in all, I was able to successfully pump for a total of 15 months with the freestyle. I was able to pump everywhere from my car, plane, in my room while on lunch break, in a bathroom (I know yuck) while at a conference. I wouldn't have been able to do that as easily with a bigger/bulkier pump. I was able to pump enough to feed my little guy exclusive breast milk with this pump. Despite the hurdles and obstacles and troubled maintenance I am still happy with it and I hope it does last if we chose to have another little one someday. Although I would definitely have a backup, even a single electric pump if I were to do this over again.
Customer Review: The BEST pump ever! FREEDOM!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this pump. I used an Ameda Purely Yours with my first daughter. It was less expensive than the then popular Medela pumps and the Ameda worked just fine. My daughter drank nothing but expressed breastmilk for over 10 months - she would not nurse once she was introduced to a bottle. And after reading "Nursing Your Baby" by Karen Pryor, I was committed to making sure she had breastmilk no matter the hassle. With my second daughter, I decided to try the Freestyle because I did not have the time to be sitting down pumping all of the time. I needed more flexibility. I worried about the price but compare it to formula and you will worry no more! I purchased it and I fell in LOVE!! It is the most amazing pump. It is truely portable. It works with just about any nursing bra - best with ones with an underwire but ok with the others. I don't buy Medela bras, I prefer the ones from Motherhood and it works just fine with those- comes with two different bra hooks. The soft shields are AWESOME. They are comfortable (if they are your size and they are lined up right). They work more like a baby's mouth so I expressed way more milk than with the hard ones (although I did ok with the hard breastshilds too). They don't last forever so you do have to replace them - they get stretched out, but I have probably only replaced mine 3 times over one year. The battery is rechargable and I have used mine for almost a year now (5+ times per day - MUCH more at the beginning...every 3 hours) and it still holds a charge for a couple of days and charges quickly when I need it. The bag is roomy and great too. Everything is easy to clean. My one very small complaint is that the when the breastshields are connected to the bottles and connected to you, if you lean over, they will LEAK! If you dump 3 oz of prescious breastmilk on the floor...you will be angry, so don't bend over at the waist - not even a little. I have done that a few too many times because my Ameda was a closed system...no leaks. Medela needs to correct this. When 2 oz in 30 minutes is awesome during the first few weeks and some of it spills...it's not cool. That said, this is an awesome pump. I would never go back to another model after having experienced the FREEDOM of the Freestyle.Customer Review: This pump is a work horse! :)
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using this pump 3-5 times per day for 8 months and I think it's fantastic! The suction is great and it just keeps on working. It's a work horse!
I'm blessed with a great milk supply and my son can't drink it fast enough, so several times a day I will pump and store/freeze my milk. I've been back to work for 5 months now, and bringing my pump to and from work with me. Along the way it's been dropped a few times, and I've never had a problem. It takes a beating!
I've not had any of the suction problems reported in some of the reviews and I'd like to note that you don't need to use Medela nursing bras when using the hands-free straps. There is a bra adapter kit inside the package that adapts to almost any nursing bra with clips (not the side stretch ones though). It's small, so look for it before discarding your packaging.
Every now and then, when my accessories/parts/membranes are not snapped together just right, there might be a slight lack of suction - but it's obvious that something is wrong so I just unsnap them and snap them back together for a tight fit and it works perfect again.
I use the pump so frequently that I bought two additional sets of the parts/membranes and horns, so I don't have to wash them every time I pump (makes it easier at the office). I highly recomment this to anyone pumping at work. Toss the used parts in a ziplock and take them home to wash later.
Some have commented that the pump isn't really 'hands free' because you can't bend over with it on. Well what did you expect? I wouldn't turn any liquid collection bottle upside down. I can report that I've successfuly worked on my computer, prepared food (snacks, not cooking), made coffee, and even folded some light laundry that was up on a table while pumping. I wouldn't bend down to pick something off the floor though (well, I do, but I squat so I don't turn the collection bottles upside down). I walk all over the house while pumping. I do my make-up and hair every morning while pumping. That's pretty hands free!
This pump works amazingly well and it's quieter than the hospital grade pump I used in the hospital's NICU.
I highly recommend this pump.
Customer Review: Disappointed with its performance!
Summary: 3 Stars
I had been using the Medela Pump in Style Advance for 3 months before purchasing this. I pump exclusively, so that means I use a pump 6-8 times a day for at least 15 minutes each time! That's a lot of time spent pumping! So when I heard of a pump that didn't require you to be plugged in to an outlet, I was thrilled. Yes its very expensive. At first, using it was great! Then, I washed the parts and dried it (as the instructions say) and lost suction. One of the membranes "failed" (I don't know why!) and I completely lost suction on it (I tested it several times over) so I called the company and they sent me a new Spare Parts kit. That sort of solved the problem, but not really. Ever since using the Free style, I noticed a difference in amounts between my right and left breast. There always has been a slight difference, but it is more noticeable in the Freestyle than the PISA. Sometimes I notice that my left is producing significantly more than my right and I know that the pump parts on the right side isn't suctioning quite right. The timer feature is great, but their "Memory" function is retarded. You have to push it each time to recall the memory for both the expression and stimulation phase (meaning, you have to press it 2x). What's the point of a memory feature if you need to press it more than once to recall your pump cycle? One button should remember how you did the entire pump session. Or maybe I'm doing it wrong, I don't know, I don't bother with it anymore. Yes its lightweight and portable (the Pump In Style won't fit in my work locker) but it has its downsides too.
As for the hands free attachments, I received one in which the clasp was inserted backwards, making it impossible to use. I contacted Medela (again) and they sent me a new pair. The attachments, in my opinion, are not as sturdy as a hands free bra...they take a long time to attach and still feel like they might come off. A bra however, I know that the flanges are nice and tight on my breasts and I am not worried about them falling down when I'm roaming around hands free, whereas the Freestyle attachments make me worried it will fall off.
I'll continue to use the Freestyle for its pros--portability, easy to attach tubing, timer feature.
Customer Review: Lifesaver for me and my baby
Summary: 4 Stars
I've used this pump multiple times daily for over 10 months now. I initially bought it to pump after nursing my baby so that I could supplement her with pumped milk (poor weight gain and poor milk transfer) and build my supply, but quickly switched over to exclusive pumping after going back to work 3 months postpartum. I'm in anesthesia, and am able to pump hands-free with it while I work. I'm sure this pump is the only reason why I've been able to pump at work.
I'd definitely buy this again, though I might be tempted to buy a PISA for home use if I have another child, based on the reviews that say they get much more milk with it.
PROS:
- truly hands-free when clipped onto your waistband or pocket (I can drive to work while pumping)
- timer
- lightweight and portable (was fantastic for taking on vacation, so I was able to pump on airplanes, at the gate while waiting to fly)
- durable. I've had this for over 10 months, and the motor is still working well, and my four sets of pump parts are still holding up well. For the first few months, I was using this 7-9 times a day for 30 minutes at a time.
- good battery life. Charges fast, lasts a long time.
- great roomy bag that holds all my pump stuff and more. I usually carry the cooler case separately.
CONS:
- softshields deform very quickly, so that I quickly purchased the regular hard plastic flanges. I think the softshields got me a little more milk, but the others work well too
- hands-free attachments aren't as durable. The plastic clip for hooking onto my bra has had the little plastic bit that secures it in place break off twice (Medela sent me replacements the first time). The grey rubber part that clips onto my bra band is also finally breaking
- fairly loud
- milk is easy to spill through the connectors
- connectors are challenging to dry so you can get good suction. Buy a second set of pump parts so that they can each air dry. I keep my pump parts in the fridge in a ziploc during the day at work, and wash them once a day when I come home. I haven't had any problems doing that.
- I'd like it if you could change the frequence of the suction to your personal preference