Pump Reviews?

[BCattS]

I'm overwhelmed by pump choices. Returning to work FT in March (dd #2 is due in Dec) and need a trusty pump to get me through LOTS of office pumping. Looking at the Medela Freestyle and wondering if it's worth the price.

Is there a pumps thread that compares brands/ models? Anybody in love with their Freestyle? Disappointed by it?

Thanks, mamas!

[Poodge]

nak
I have a Medela Pump In Style Advance. It works very well thus far. It is a little cheaper then the Freestyle, but it is not hands free and you have to plug it in. I cut two holes in an old sports bra and I can pump hands free, but still have to be near an outlet to pump.

[LindsC]

I also have the PIS and I haven't had any problems with it either. Like the PP said, it is not handsfree though. It does come with a battery pack, but I always plug it in when I am using it since I don't want to buy batteries for the pack.

[kayleesmom]

I have a PISA and love it also used it with my 2yr old for 9 months exclusively for her. and a few times for my son who is 7.5 months now. Check with your health insurance about wheather they will cover a pump. it would be under durable medical goods. and you probably can get it covered by having the pedi write a letter of medical necessity.

[haydn'smommy]

with my first i ep'd for 3.5mos and used a medela symphony (hospital grade) and hated it. so i bought an avent isis duo. love it. get so much more so much faster. loved it enough that i bought a second one for this baby cause i wasn't sure how my old one would hold up to frequent, long term pumping (i work ft) after 19mos of solid frequent use and i wanted to be able to just leave one in my office.
i really love that i can adjust it to match baby and it came with a hand pump that works beautifully. i'm actually using the handpump now while i'm off from work and i pump 3-4oz/day in 1-2 short sessions and i'm easily getting a nice freezer stash.
i highly recommend it.

[Comtessa]

pak

I have a used Ameda Purely Yours that I like. The bag is a bit bulky and it requires an outlet (though I think there's a car-charger adaptor available), but the pump itself is a workhorse. My SIL has one that's on its 7th baby!!!

[mambera]

I'll put in another vote for the Ameda Purely Yours.

I bought it after reading a lot of online reviews. Both the PIS and the PY had mostly favorable reviews, but there was a sizable minority of people who said they'd had problems with milk backing up into the tubing on the PIS, and preferred the PY for that reason. Most of the people who didn't like the PY said it was too loud.

Milk in the tubing sounds like a nightmare, and I don't really care about the noise, so I bought a PY. I haven't used the PIS but I really like the PY. I haven't found noise to be a problem. It works with an outlet, batteries, or a car charger. It has two handy spots for the bottles on top. And it gets about the same amount of milk in the same amount of time as the hospital-grade Lact-E I rented. No word on pump lifetime since I've only had it 4 months; but no problems so far. Also it's a fair bit cheaper than the PIS. HTH

[georgiegirl1974]

I have an Ameda Purely Yours that I like, but I only use it for occasional pumping.

[phrogger]

I have used most of them. I liked the PISA for long term pumping. I love the Isis hand pump for getting a nice stash but not having to use it multiple times a day. It actually worked better then the symphony that I borrowed from the nicu but it was hard on my hands round the clock so I needed a double electric. The purely yours seemed to work the same for me as the PIS not the advanced, but the original model, but the purely yours was a lot cheaper.

I think that is about it on the pumps. My faves are the PISA for the double electric, but the Isis hand pump is by far the best one I have used.

[SantaCruzDoula]

I also use a hand pump for pumping sessions, but I wouldn't recommend it for full-time use. I actually have two hand pumps (both Medela Harmony) for double-pumping when I'm away from my LO.

Medela Harmony

Pros:
* Quiet, discreet, small
* You control the speed and suction
* You can get much more baby-like action
* Build up great forearm strength

Cons:
* A little tedious
* Not hands-free
* When double-pumping, no hands are free at all