Medela Freestyle Breast Pump
by Medela
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List Price: Our Price: $329.99 You Save: $50.00 (13%) 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: Not worth the hassle or the money
Summary: 2 Stars
First off, I just want to say that I don't write negative reviews on a whim without fully giving the product a chance or trying to seek assistance from the company first.
I bought this with my second child because as a mom who had to pump full time and bottle-feed her kids breast milk, I thought the hands-free option would be great. To actually be hands-free, you have to assemble several pieces, which can take up to 10 minutes before you actually start pumping. It's quicker and easier to buy a hands-free pumping bra. Also, the membranes cannot be steam cleaned in the Medela QuickClean Micro-steam bags, as it causes them to warp. The company acknowledged this after I had trouble with my pump, when it lost suction and I almost lost my milk supply. That seemed to fix the problem for about another 2-3 months when the pump was losing suction again and I began losing my supply again. Medela was not helpful in trying to solve the problem the second time. They wanted to walk me through all the "troubleshooting" steps (i.e. telling me step by step how to assemble the pieces, etc., which I had done with a rep the first time I called in for help) This pump didn't last 6 months and I eventually went back to using my Pump-In-Style Advanced. For the amount of money I spent I was very disappointed with the reliability, suction and customer service for this particular pump. Not having to be "plugged in" is not worth the money of this pump. Stick with the Pump-In-Style Advanced and buy a hands-free pumping bra.
Customer Review: Pump In Style Far Superior
Summary: 2 Stars
I started with a borrowed PIS Backpack model that was about four years old. After finding out my insurance company reimbursed 100%, I decided to buy 'the best pump money could buy'.
I was initially excited about not having to have it plugged in and the timer function was sort of neat. The bag used to carry the pump sucked, flimsy as are most Medela bags. On that same note, the cooler zipper pull broke off after about two weeks use. For 350.00+ the bag should have been flawless and exceptionally functional.
The 'hands-free' option is practically useless, no matter how many times I tried to readjust it, I still had to hold the cups in place with my own hands.
After about a month of using it I noticed my milk supply start to go down to almost nothing and the only thing that had changed was the new pump. I called Medela very frustrated and wanted a refund. They couldnt give a refund since it wasnt purchased through their company directly (I bought it as Babies R Us) BUT they did send me a brand new Freestyle in the box that I was then able to return to Babies R Us (since it was sealed) and purchase a new Pump In Style with the Metro Bag.
My supply has since gone back up and I am much happer with the pump in style. The bells and whistles of the freestyle was not worth the price and when it comes to ability to pump breast milk, pump in style is far superior. I do though, know a lot of moms who love their Freestyle, not every pump is for every mom!
Customer Review: a very great product... have a pisa and this freestyle
Summary: 5 Stars
this was bought because i realized i needed something light to carry with me . the pisa was a good investment and i have it with me at home. the freestyle is a good one to have as an extra to tag along and i like my bag ready to go. which means i have one for to go anytime and one as stay at home pump. the pisa is my stay at home pump and the freestyle is my ready to go pump. i love it bec no wires to use in the car and also i can pump anywhere. i love the feature that it is very light and it has the timer. makes me feel i pump so much in less time.
if you can buy the freestyle! its worth it though i dont use much the freestyle assemblies for the bra bec i think using my rubberbands makes it faster! i have made rubberbands that i attach to my bra and the pump.
i also was able to interchange my breast shields and connectors buy buying 2 different sets of tubes and making my own single tubing so i could use my pisa accessories with the freestyle.
go get a freestyle! its worth it.
i just didnt like the freestyle bag compared to the metrobag. the metrobag is bulkier but i love the material . the freestyle bag is not so nice but who cares. the pump is more important.
im a medela addict and i love breastfeeding.
feeding my baby and 2 more babies, donating milk and continuing filling up my freezer.... :)
Customer Review: Not Worth the Money
Summary: 2 Stars
I have a love-hate relationship with this pump. Most of the time I hate it. Here are the reasons why I love it: its small, portable, has good suction (well, I have nothing to compare it to but it gets the milk out), it has a timer on the display.
Here's why I hate it. It is so stinking loud. This pump was supposed to be designed for working women or busy women who need an extra hand around the house. Well, I have a hard time being able to make a business phone call when the all the person hears on the other end is "WAH-WAH-WAH" or as I affectionately put it, "MOO-MOO-MOO." Honestly, I didn't think it would bother me at first, but when you have to listen to it multiple times a day for 10-15 minutes at a time, it gets really, really annoying.
Here's why I hate it even more. There are so many parts and pieces to this pump you need an extra 5-10 minutes for clean up. There are also a lot of nookes and crannies in all of these parts and pieces that need to be cleaned, and they better be cleaned or else it will grow mold. Isn't that a lovely thought to think of your pumped breastmilk (which we all know is worth GOLD) being centrifuged with mold. Disgusting.
Like the off-key tune of Cher "If I Could Turn Back Time..." I would have bought the pump in style advance and waited for medela to perfect this product a little better.
Customer Review: A shaky start but now it's great!
Summary: 5 Stars
I did a lot of research about pumps before adding one to the baby registry. Basically I needed one that was easy to transport and that could handle pumping all day while I was a work.
Three weeks after my daughter was born I decided to try the pump. I could not get it to work. After several attempts, I finally called the company. A woman went through the set up of the pump with me step-by-step. I was doing everything correctly but the pump was still not working. So they sent a replacement pump. That one didn't work either. I took it to a lactation specialist where she looked at how I had it set up and tested it for suction. There was absolutely, no suction. I called the company, geared for a fight. Howver, the customer service people were very nice. I had to return that pump and this time they sent an entirely new pump in an unopened box with all new accessories - to start fresh. This one worked!! And I've been using this one for four or more times a day for two months now and I love it. It is light weight, compact and ran on a battery or electricity. I'm getting ready to go out on the road for work so I'm happy I have the option of easily pumping in my car (if it comes to that). I would recommend buyin this but knowing that it might come with some issues...a tough call given how expensive this pump is.