Medela Harmony or Avent Isis?

[expat-mama]

We're expecting out first LO soon and I plan on staying home for a long while and EBF. I wasn't planning on getting a pump at all until hearing so many stories of late-night, painful engorgement and mamas sending partners out to search for an emergency pump etc. So now I think it might be a good idea to have a simple manual pump on hand just in case.

The ones I've seen available around here are the Medela Harmony and the Avent Isis. So which one is better and why?

The Isis is more expensive, I've heard good things about the Harmony, and I really don't plan on using it much- so I'm leaning towards the Harmony, but I'm really not decided and it's not something I can return if I don't like it.

Thanks!

[somegirl99]

Subscribing, I've been leaning towards the Harmony too but still undecided.

[haydn'smommy]

I'm an Avent Isis girl. I have 2 Duos and 2 manuals. I just don't respond to Medela pumps cause they don't get the same suction strength as the Avent Isis electric does. The Isis has a stronger suction than even the hospital grade Medelas. I like the manual one, too. That's all I used for the first few weeks until I went back to work and needed an electric pump.

[arianascrunchymama]

Isis- all the way!
I've tried the Medela manual pump and hardly got anything. I responded really well to the Isis. The only downside is that the bottom of the Avent bottles are slightly rounded so if you set it down to... let's say pee... it WILL topple over and you WILL cry over spilled milk!

[littlehoneybee]

LOVED the Isis. I had rented an electric hospital grade pump and got NOTHING out with it. The Isis worked very well.

[myk]

i actually couldn't get a drop with the manual isis, and while i didn't try the harmony, i had good response to all the other medela manual pump styles i tried (i had older ones). i think it's totally an individual thing. i believe my breast shape has something to do with it - i have very large, round breasts and flat nipples, and the part of the pump that went against my breast just didn't fit right on the isis.

[haydn'smommy]

Originally Posted by myk

i actually couldn't get a drop with the manual isis, and while i didn't try the harmony, i had good response to all the other medela manual pump styles i tried (i had older ones). i think it's totally an individual thing. i believe my breast shape has something to do with it - i have very large, round breasts and flat nipples, and the part of the pump that went against my breast just didn't fit right on the isis.

I do have to take the soft petal thing off of the horns of the Isis pump to get it to work with my larger breasts.

[ElaynesMom]

Originally Posted by arianascrunchymama

Isis- all the way!
I've tried the Medela manual pump and hardly got anything. I responded really well to the Isis. The only downside is that the bottom of the Avent bottles are slightly rounded so if you set it down to... let's say pee... it WILL topple over and you WILL cry over spilled milk!

My ISIS manual pump came with these round white discs (2). One was to put over the horn while storing/transporting the pump, the other could be used as a base. You inserted the bottom of the bottle into one of the white discs and then it wouldn't topple over. But yes, without one of those discs on the bottle, the pump will topple over.