Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump with Shoulder Bag
by Stanford Distributing Corporation (Medela)
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List Price: Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump with Shoulder Bag
Customer Review: Very good product, some Quality Concern, Responsible Customer Service
Summary: 3 Stars
I have owned my In-Style pump for almost 7 months now. As a mother who had gone back to work since baby was 6 weeks old, I was very impressed of how easy this was to use.
However on the second month into using this product (I was using it 4 - 5 times a day, every day), I found that the suction was not as strong as when I started using it, to a point that even when I turned the dial all the way up to maximum it didn't feel like it's strong enough. So I called the Medela customer service. With a very kind lady over the phone we tried to examine the pump and all the accessory parts. In the end we decided that the motor could be defective since I shouldn't ever have to turn the suction up to max in order to have enough suction. She offered to have a new motor sent to me, along with a postage-paid way bill so I could send my own defective pump back AFTER I received the new one. This was awesome! This wouldn't leave me with nothing to use at all! Very impressed.
Recently the pump suddenly failed yet again completely, motor not moving, no humming sound, no nothing. So I called customer service again. This time they refused to send me a new motor prior to examining mine's first, probably because this was the second time. I called them on Monday morning 9am, they sent courier to pick up (paid for) at 1:30pm that afternoon, shipped to Toronto (we live in Vancouver, Canada). I received their phone call on Tue morning to confirm that they will send me a new motor, and I received my pump back on Wed 1pm. Yes this left me with no pump to use for 2 and a half days, and I was hoping they could do the same thing as last time but didn't. Nonetheless I still appreciate their efficiency.
My concern is, it has already broken down twice since I first started using it. I won't know what to do if this happens yet again after warranty expires. Just have to cross my fingers, since this doesn't seem like anyone else's problem, could be just me keep being unlucky :(
Customer Review: 10 months and counting
Summary: 4 Stars
I have had a love/hate relationship with my breast pump. When I was a new mom and VERY post-partum, my milk was slow coming and and so I had to pump extra to stimulate my milk. I HATED it then--I felt like a Borg (for any Trekkers our there) and I swear I could hear the pump talking to me, but it did the trick. I've been successfully nursing at home and pumping at work for the 10 months. My son in healthy and I feel very good about our progress. In fact, I've saved up enough milk, that I will be stopping soon and using the frozen breastmilk to get him up to a year.
My one complaint is that after all my use and transporting of the pump, the cord came loose from the power converter and started to spark! Now, this doesn't diminish the effectiveness of the pump, but it's sort of a fire hazard! I've had another friend have the same problem when she used the pump with her second child. I emailed Medela to alert them to the problem and bought a second power cord.
Finally, before you purchase this from Amazon, check to see if breastpumps are covered by your health insurance. My insurance covered it if it was purchased from a medical supplier, so I got mine at the hospital.
**Addition: Medela has since returned my email with this comment, "We apologize that you encountered a problem with the power cord. Sometimes, if the cord is wrapped around the plug during storage, this causes the cord to twist and can cause it to fray. We suggest no wrapping the cord around the plug, but storing it as it was when the cord was removed from the box."
Customer Review: essential for every BF mom
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using this for about 3 months now and have no complaints. The parts are easy to assemble and easy to wash, and I love the little cooler with ice pack that comes with it. Some days the bag feels heavy; other days it doesn't. But when I have to carry a bag full of books and the pump, I can really feel the weight. It fits easily over my shoulder, and the bag is fairly stylish and unobtrusive. It comes with four bottles and tops, and I pump into those bottles and then pour into my Avent bottles. I recently bought the Avent adaptor for the pump and have used it a few times, but I think it's just as easy to use the Medela bottles. I was not happy with the included nipples--they collapse easily when baby tries to feed. With my first child, I had an Avent Isis hand pump, and I would recommend that you buy this electric pump instead--worth every penny. The pumping action is adjustable along a dial, and you can press the let-down button if you want it to return to the quicker pumping action. (It begins with a 2-minute let down, with quick suction, then shifts to regular pump, about half the speed.)
I am going back to work full time and can't imagine what I would do without it, but I've found even during my maternity leave it's been fabulous to have, for times when I want to go out, or for those mornings when baby only feeds on one side and I'm very full.
Think of the money you would spend on formula, and suddenly this pump doesn't seem so pricey after all. Well worth it for the health benefits to mom and child.
Customer Review: Great pump!
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm an exclusive pumper. My baby won't latch so I've had to pump since the beginning. My baby is now 8 wks old and is getting 100% breastmilk. This is a great pump for everyday use. I pump 5x/day and no problems yet. I use the pump on the lowest setting (anything more and it hurts!) and I still manage to get 50 oz of milk/day (no supplements!). The pump is easy to transport and I bring it with me when I go out or travel. I'll pump in the public nursing/family rooms or in my car. I have never used the battery pack so not sure how long it would last/go if using that.
I bought a hands-free bra (Simple Wishes) and it works great with this pump.
I also love that I can use other bottles to pump into besides the Medela ones (I use Dr. Brown's glass bottles).
The ONE thing I DO NOT like about this pump is that it is really loud. I had rented an Ameda (Egnell) Lact-E Electric Breast Pump (hospital grade) when I was still in the hospital and it was super quiet. The PISA sounds like a barking dog to me; even my husband complains about it. As a result, I put a towel inside the bag and on the outside in front of the motor to muffle the sound whenever I pump. I know some ppl who will pump on airplanes but I can't imagine pumping next to a stranger with the sound of this pump on - though I know someday I will have to!!! That's my only gripe about this pump. Other than that, this is a great pump for everyday use - and esp for exclusive pumpers! Great investment!
Customer Review: Not all that!
Summary: 1 Stars
I was recommended this pump by the hospital that delivered my baby so I ran out and spent nearly $300 on this thing thinking it was going to be great. I have had a cheaper model from another company (I can't remember) with my first child that worked just fine. I thought I could pump two at one time with this Medela pump, little did I know it would not be that easy. I had to continuously attached tubes and bottles and other small parts just to get started. If I lost one little attachment I had to go searching the stores or the internet for a replacement. Not to mention all the time you spend sanitizing this thing because of all the small tubing and parts!
My baby wouldn't even drink from the bottle so I had very little use for this thing. And with the little use that I did have with it, it broke down on me in less than a year!!! I was so busy with baby, couldn't find my receipt, and once I did find my receipt guess what...it was out of the 1 year warranty!!!
I think this product is totally overrated. I would not recommend it to anyone. You can get the task done with a cheaper model. This one is nothing special. This pump contained a lot of extra parts and tubing to keep up with and continually sanitize (in which they want to sell you extra sanitizing products.
I hope this review saves a new mom from wasting $300 on this unnecessary so called luxury expense, because it was far from a luxury for me.