Medela Swing Breast Pump
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Our Price: $149.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $148.00 (click here) Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Medela Swing Breast Pump
Customer Review: Pumped for all 3 of my kids...I Like this pump!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had to pump exclusively with all 3 of my children due to many reason because I still wanted them to get breastmilk. With my first and second child I used the Avent Iris handpump and I liked it. But just so you know I had bought a Medela Pump In Style $300 pump and hated it first (felt like it sucked my nipples off, it actually hurt). By the time I had my 3 child (who is now 4 months old) my nipples were to big to fit the Avent Iris anymore. So I bought the Medela Harmony handpump since I could buy bigger breastshields to fit my breasts. I like it as well. I wanted an electric pump because I could do more at time. It takes me 30 minutes (that includes the whole process start to finish)to pump with the Harmony pump. And now that I have the Swing it takes 20 minutes. I know a lot about pumping since that is the only way all of my children have been fed breastmilk.
The Swing Pump is very nice since you can adjust the amount of suction to your liking. I does not hurt like all the Medical Grade ones I have tried and bought. It is not as noisy as some have suggested. I makes the same amount of noise that any electric pump makes. And the only reason that milk gets sucked up in the tubing is if the white membrane sticks and doesn't let the milk drop into the bottle (so you have to help it not stick by manually pulling the flap open a few times until the milk flows by itself). And that can be a reason why the suction is not as good as well (the membrane may be worn out and needs replaceing). I have had to talk with many lactation nurses and I use Olive Oil on my nipples before I pump so that it doesn't irretate my nipples when pumping (makes it smoother not as rough). I also massage my breasts as I pump. This is a MAJOR reason why some women can not produce as much when they pump. If you use the "C" method of holding your breast to massage them(or any method you find comfortable, it may require a few different ways)you will get a lot more milk in a lot less time. I produce more milk than many women who nurse exclusively. I know this is because of two reasons, I drink a ton of water and I massage my breasts while pumping. I pump about 40 ounces a day. As for the power cord falling out, I have not had this problem. The cord does come out of the bottom and gravity does exist so use tape to hold the cord in place if you have that problem. Also another quick note, I can pump and type on my computer at the same time even when I am massaging my breast. Get a tall bottle to pump into so you can prop it on your leg and use one hand to massage and the other is free to do whatever. Or use an old tube top, cut a small slit in it and it will hold the bottle in place will you pump.
This Pump is well worth the money if you want an electric pump. If you get the hang of pumping it can be quick, easy and painless.
Customer Review: DON'T BUY
Summary: 1 Stars
I would highly recommend people to look else where. The motor is very weak and has caused my milk production to decrease significantly. I work fulltime so having a good pump is an essential for me. My daughter will eat 20oz of breastmilk, which is exactly the amount i use to produce during my workday, while we are away from eachother. I've taken supplements, stayed very hydrated and have a well balanced diet, all of which are needed for a healthy supply, and still my production dropped about 7oz in a week. When i talked to my lactation nurse, she said that she wished Medela would take this product off the market. That they know it is a cheap electric pump and so many of her patients who have called concerned about drastic decreases in milk supply used this pump. She recommended a few other pumps and i am waiting on them to arrive in the mail now.
It also takes me almost an hour and a half to pump 9oz and over an hour to pump 5. I also have to squeeze my breasts just to keep milk flowing. With the pump alone, i'll be able to feel them full but nothing will come out. Needless to say my hands are very sore after work from having to have to squeeze and massage my breasts for so long each day just to get milk out. I pump 3 times in 8 hours. Most of my workday is spent pumping. I'm greatful for being in the military because if i wasn't, i probably would have had to stop breastfeeding because it takes so darn long for me to extract my milk. I'm looking forward to my new pump which should be here in a few days.
There was condensation build-up in the tube after just one use. I got tired of having to listen to it pump with the tube out just to clear out the condensation. The tube also comes out so easily. I can't even move the pump slightly to adjust myself or get a new grip on my breast without it falling out. The first few times isn't too annoying, but pumping during almost half my workday and dealing with it falling out many times during each session gets really old very fast. The pump isn't that quiet either. Not sure why some reviews say it is. I guess if you have it on the low suction setting, it is fairly quiet, but if you're looking to extract any milk, the low setting isn't going to be the one you're on.
I did like however the fact that the funnels had a soft, flexable piece that made it fairly comfortable to pump. Only thing is it started warping after a week of using it once a day. Now it looks almost folded in half....
Medela also has bags that are able to attach to the pump its self so bottles aren't necessary. This is very nice, so i'll give Medela a thumbs up for that.
Customer Review: Problem with Swing Pump Motor Connector
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought a Medela Swing couple days ago. I was very excited and tried it out straight away. The motor keeps turning off by itself and I need to replug the adapter into it every time. I inspected the round motor unit and discovered that no matter how firmly I plugged the AC adapter into the motor it would fall out because the mechanism that keeps it attached to the motor was faulty. It is very frustrating to stop and restart while pumping. And it happens 2-3 times per session. Also, I find that the suction is not strong at all, in fact it is very weak. Too bad I am not able to try another Swing to justify whether this problem prevails across all the product line or it just happens on my pump. How I wished I could return it. I regret that I did not buy the Ameda Purely Yours double pump instead (because they offer a 30 days Money Back Guarantee and the price is the same). I was weary about buying a pump becuase of the prices and not being able to test them. You can only rely on reviews. I spent all waking hours I have when the babies were sleeping to read over hundreds of reviews before choosing Medela (trusted brand??).
Now I am not sure whether I bought a junk or not. I called Medela twice. First time they sent me a AC adapter which didn't solve the problem. Second time they promise to send me a replacement motor but I have to bear the cost of sending my motor back. I would be able to testify further when I receive it later. But at the back of my mind, I cannot help feeling frustrated and helpless. I felt like being punished for receiving a defective unit. As all Mom would agree with me, it is extremely cumbersome for me to drag my babies out to the post office to box and return the motor, and I hate to think that I need to fork out extra money to do so. It's like addition cost to maintain a brand new breastpump!!!!
The replacement motor arrived in the second week (UPS 2 days delivery). I noticed that again the connection comes out every time I pumped. So this is a design defect after all. This pump prohibit me to move at all because if I jerk to bend a bit to reach for the TV controller or just to hold the baby, the connection would come off by itself and thus turning the motor off!!! Also, the max suction is still very weak which is why I can manage to pump 1 oz for 20min both sides. I inspected the motor and at the back of it was stated that this pump was labelled "intermittent suction, medium vaccuum". Do not expect a powerful pump if you opt to purchase this!!!
Customer Review: Convenient, Compact, Worth It For Trips & Travel
Summary: 4 Stars
I was hesitant to buy this due to the price, which isn't bad really but my hubby got it for me anyhow. We were going to visit his folks for about a week and our daughter is 2 months old. We already rented a Symphony and I've used the Medela Pump In Style previously with my first. I now have a Pump In Style in a backpack, which I thought was convenient. However, this beats that hands down in convenience. This is not super super tiny (as in a size of a phone but I think that's unrealistic to expect) but so compact I took it on the plane with me and could pump anywhere, airport, in the car, with a cover (bebe a lait). It's about the size of a hand held cd player, old school (size a hand with fingers spread out). I put it in a gallon ziploc, with it's attachment and dumped it in my backpack. Perfect. I love this pump, it's not super quiet but in loud places it is sufficient (airplane, etc.). It is working hard for me, with 8 daily pumps, at about 40 minutes up to an 1hr and a half. It works great in that it is keeping up with my milk production so far. In a span of 2 days, with 8 pumps a day, so total of let's say 16, I've had to replace the 4 double A batteries just once so far. Not bad and I like the fact it runs just on normal double A's, not a special battery. Suction wise I think it's fine. It is strong enough, not weak at all. The soft suction cup is interesting in that it is soft and I thought easier on the breast instead of the hard plastic but still the only problem is if you get milk on the soft suction cup you can't coax it into the bottle. It just stays there so you wipe it off versus the hard plastic one's where you can tap it and get the milk "drippings" to run into the bottle. Do as the instructions say, let the pump run for 2-3 minutes after pumping to dry. I did get milk going back into the pump but that is because I didn't follow instructions. I was able to yield about 5 oz on my right, 3-4 on my left. It was consistent with my milk production on a Symphony so I know it's working just fine. I would recommend this for travel and I used it to pump exclusively for a whole week while vacationing. I loved that it was portable and not attached to an outlet. Thumbs up on this. I wouldn't expect this to last me a whole year ( but I'm going to see if the motor can withstand occasional pumping).Customer Review: I've tried a bunch... this one is GREAT
Summary: 5 Stars
OK... so I've been told the Symphony is the Cadillac of breast pumps... but with a price tag of $[...] who can afford that?? Renting it cost $[...] a month if you can find a place to rent it.. I did and used it for a month.. I honestly was not totally impressed for the price. Then I read up on the swing this pump ALSO (like the symphony) includes the Medela 2-Phase Expression Technology - the new standard for unsurpassed naturalness, comfort and efficiency. AND after buying it.. I liked it BETTER then the symphony. Infact I think it works just about the exact same, which is crazy of Medela when the price is SO different. I have tried the Medela Pump in style as well as the Avant Isis and this one is the best.
I would highly reccommend this pump.
POSITIVES:
This pump is portable. Comes with a travel bag, runs on batteries OR you can plug it in. The pump itself is about the size of a Hardees Hamburger. The breast shield is soft and very effective, you can control the speed and it has the letdown mode as well that automatically turns on after a few minutes. The breast shield is soft and comfortable, the suction and speed is the same as the symphony, the pump is SIMPLE to use, FOUR buttons-you can't NOT figure it out easily! It is FAST and emptys your breast totally.
NEGATIVES: (I have to stretch on this one cause I love the pump) It's not quiet, I don't know why the other review says it is.. It's actually louder then I thought it should be.. but not louder then the Medela Pump in style or symphony. But just not "quiet" I don't want you thinking you are going to get something you can pump with at the front of a mini van and noone in the back is going to hear..
It's a Single Pump... I know.. DUH.. but it is a negative, if only they made a double with this size base, I'm almost tempted to buy another.
I highly reccommend this pump, as a mom of three, I've tried a lot of pumps.. I think Medela is selling this pump short saying it is like the pump in style, I think it is comparable to the symphony!