Philips AVENT Isis On The Go Set
by Philips AVENT
|
List Price: Category: Baby Product See more product details |
|---|
(Click here)
Baby Products Reviews of Philips AVENT Isis On The Go Set
Customer Review: Good for moms who pump on occasion
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this product because of the great reviews that it received. Overall I was very happy with this pump. It is lightweight and easy to transport. Since I am a stay-at-home mom, I didn't need to pump everyday, so this worked well for me when I needed to pump for an evening out. After seven months, I didn't need to pump anymore because my son could go longer between feedings, so I am glad that I didn't spend more money on another pump. Plus this pump has held up very well and should last me through another couple of babies.
I liked that you can pump directly into the avent bottles, screw on the caps and store in the freezer. The overall system is very easy. It was also easy to clean this in the sink or dishwasher. Just make sure that you have the items secured in a basket because otherwise the pieces can fall down and can be damaged by the high temps of the dishwasher. Also, because some of the pieces are small and light colored, they can easily fall into the garbage disposal as well. This happened to me, but thankfully Avent supplies doubles for some of the smaller pieces and you can always order replacement parts if you need to. I do think that Avent should consider making some of the clear parts tinted so that they are easier to keep track of.
The reason that I gave it only four stars is that there were times when pumping was slightly uncomfortable, but if you work with this pump you find ways to get a comfortable pumping fit. I'm sure that it has a lot to do with the individual.
Had I been a working mom or had a medical emergency which required a lot of consistent pumping, I think that I would have preferred an electric pump. I have a friend who is a stay-at-home mom of three who still swears by her electric pump because of the pure ease.
This pack is great for stay-at-home moms who primarily breast-feed because it provides most of the bottles you will need as well as the pump itself. The directions are easy to follow and after the first few times of assembly, you will have it down. The carrying case makes storage easy and you can use it later for snacks or as a lunch bag.
I say go for the quality of Avent if will be doing a moderate amount of pumping!
Customer Review: Wonderful way to go if you want a manual pump!
Summary: 5 Stars
I exclusively pump for my three-month-old son, and I normally use a double electric pump, but I wanted to purchase a manual pump for the times that I was out and about and didn't want to drag my electric pump along. Also, since my son and I are unable to nurse successfully and I wasn't thrilled with the idea of hand expression, I wanted a back-up in the event that my electric pump was out of commission. After talking to other new moms and doing some research, I settled on this pump. I felt good about the Avent brand and was excited to try this.
I liked that this pump came as a kit with an insulated bag (compact, about the size of a small lunch box), four bottles to pump into, and cool packs to keep the milk chilled. It literally is a complete on-the-go set!
There was a bit of a learning curve in using the pump and the first couple of times I tried it I'll admit to feeling uncoordinated and a bit frustrated with it! However, once I got the hang of it, pumping and getting amazing output was VERY easy. If I pump approximately 15 minutes per side, I get only a little bit less than I do with 15 minutes of double electric pumping. The design allows me to easily control the suction and speed of pumping, and it is fairly comfortable. It does come with a silicone cushion insert that is supposed to make pumping feel more like breastfeeding, but I did find it more comfortable to take it out. I have never felt sore after using this pump.
The only minor problem I have with it is that, if I get too intense with the suction, the valve at the bottom of the assembly pops out and I have to reassemble the pump before continuing. Also, the valve, essential to the pump's functioning correctly, seems like it might be easy to lose - luckily Avent sells replacements.
This is not necessarily an everyday or heavy-duty pump since it can be tiring to use and you can only pump one side at a time, making pumping sessions longer than you'd have with a double pump. A plus is that if you want to pump discreetly at work or in a more public setting, this pump is super quiet (unlike any electric) and portable.
Customer Review: WAIT! You really do need an electric pump.
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this pump after reading all the rave reviews. I wanted a pump for very limited, occasional use, that was compatible with all the AVENT bottles I already had, and that was not too expensive since after all, I wasn't sure if I'd even be successful at breastfeeding. THIS WAS A MISTAKE! True - the pump does work when your supply is fully in. It is also quite comfortable, and discrete. However, it is hand operated, obviously, and this means that it will take much more time and effort to pump a bottle than with the electric. Time and effort are in short supply with a newborn. Frankly, when you breastfeed you spend enough time strapped to the couch with the baby that a pump needs to be comfortable, quick, and easy. Breastfeeding has enough challenges, pumping need not be another. Bottom line - if you want to breastfeed successfully, you absolutely need an electric pump (recommend Medella). My advice is to rent one from the hospital for a week while you give breastfeeding a try (or just hold off on buying one right away), and if you decide you want to continue nursing after a week or two, then invest in the $200 Medela electric pump. (Purchase online through somewhere like momsmaternity.com for much less than at this, and most, stores.) Spending $50 on a manual pump is honestly a waste of money. I can't tell you how many of my nursing friends tried to warn me about this, and I didn't want to accept that I'd really need a $200 electric pump. I just didn't think I was a "gung ho" nurser, and after all, isn't that what those pumps are for? Well, I have now been nursing successfully for 5 weeks. It has had many challenges, but I do believe it is worth it. However, an electric pump is essential for (1) relieving engorgement, (2) making a bottle so someone else can feed your baby while you're away (even just to go get your hair done, or go run errands - away doesn't necessarily mean on an extended business trip), and (3) building up a supply of frozen breastmilk for unexpected absences (believe me they happen). Happy nursing, and don't waste the $50.Customer Review: Great pump, overpriced set. NOT A WORK PUMP!
Summary: 2 Stars
My review focuses on the Back-to-Work set and not the Isis pump. The pump itself is great- the best manual pump available in my opinion and I have tried them ALL. If I was rating the Isis manual pump for light pumping needs it would be a 5-star rating. I bought this set becuase I want ed the Isis and was seduced by the slick looking bag. I thought nothing of spending an extra $20 (over the pump and bottles alone) becuase I thought the bag would be a great carrying and cooling unit. However I ultimatly found the "Back to Work" Set a real waste for two reasons: bag is cheap does NOT keep milk cool with the blue gel ice packs and this pump is not a practical pump choice for mothers working outside the home unless they have a REALLY LARGE milk supply. For the average women working full time this pump will not maintain supply and extract enough milk to feed a baby for a whole day. Sure, if you have TONS of milk you might be able to use this as a work pump but for those of us with smaller supplies or who need to return to work soon after baby's arrival, an electric pump is far superior. The electric pump will also build supply, whereas I found this pump just a way to extract milk. Avent's marketing of this as a work pump is irresponsible in my opinion. Further, I found the bag, ice packs and such to be cheaply made and less than useful. If you want a good manual pump for lighter pumping needs (or if you produce A LOT of milk and are not concerned about your supply) the Avent Isis is the way to go but in hindsight I would have saved my extra money and just bought the set that just has the pump and 4 ounce bottles. I ended up ditching the bag about a month into use and I still ended up buying a Medela Pump in Style AND renting a Medela Classic. If you are working full time or have supply issues, steer clear of this pump as your main pump. Opt for an electric hospital grade rental or a high quality portable electric like the Medela Classic or the Ameda Purely Yours. The extra money is worth it for your baby's food.Customer Review: Excellent Pump!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought my first Avent Isis pump 8 years ago with my 1st daughter. I still have the original pump and it works fabulously and I purchased a second pump ofr my 3rd baby. While the breastfeeding thing did not work out for any of my kids I did use the pump for all of my babies to get breastmilk even though I could not breastfeed directly. I pumped 3 months and fed in bottles for my 2nd child, then with my 3rd baby I pumped and fed in bottles for 4 months, I just had my 4th baby and we are having to do the same thing. This time I borrowed a friend's electric model thinking it would save time, and I thought it was ok but then it stopped working for some reason and I had to go dig out my old manual Avent Isis pump to finish the job.....I realized it was taking me 30+ mins to get 6-10 oz of milk out of both breasts with the electric pump and the avent pump it took me only 10 mins to pump the same amount manually! So back to the Avents for me. I have the two of them, and I pump both breasts at once. While it seems a bit hard on the hands to hold at times(starts to kinda feel uncomfy in your hands by the time your done) it works so well it is easy to overlook that. My milk lets down REALLY well with the Avent and sprays in all directions once you start to pump and I never saw that with the electric at all, I think it is the massaging petals design. Anyway I highly recommend this pump. I pump about 5 times per day so I use it a lot and for 3 babies that was all I used! I save about 1/2 of the milk I pump for the freezer for future feedings while he is still small and his milk intake is fairly low. Since breastfeeding does not work for me I think this is the next best thing for us, so my kids still got their breastmilk for those first few months and I felt good about the efforts due to a good pump that was easy to use, cost effective, and gentle!! I am looking into the Avent Isis Duo and Uno models as well just because I love how the original Avent isis works!!