Medela Freestyle Breast Pump Review

I have used this pump a couple of times. It takes a while to pump, which is not good if you a working mother like myself. I’d rather have spent the money on a cheaper pump. This pump is way overpriced.

I bought this pump when my baby was 5 weeks old. I decided on this one because it was a medela pump and i had previously purchased a harmony manual pump which i loved, but i needed something for more frequent use.I like the fact that the swing comes with a carry bag and is very portable. At first i had no problems with it i would pump 3-4 oz per breast in less then 15 minutes. But after a few weeks it started losing suction and i had to increase the speed to the point that it hurt. My baby is now four months and i have completely stopped using it and returned to using my manual pump.

I bought the Medela Freestyle Breast Pump because it was smaller than most of the other battery and electric powered pumps. I knew that Medela was supposed to be a good brand, plus, I had heard that the Freestyle was very effective and portable.

I like using this pump because it is easy to use and carry around, and I’ve always been able to pump between 2 to 3 ounces during each pumping session.

There are a couple of reasons why I didn’t give this pump five stars.

1. The pump is somewhat louder than I would have expected, which makes it less discrete.
2. The price tag seems a bit higher than necessary, considering there are pumps for half the price from brands like Ameda and Playtex.

Although I have had success with this pump, I can’t really recommend it OVER anything else. But, if price is not an issue for you, I’m sure it’s fine.

I was told to buy this pump by a lactation consultant while still in the hospital after delivery of my daughter. She claimed Medela was the only brand worth considering, which at the time I took as good advice. Well, after using it for less than 3 months, the Freestyle’s suction drastically reduced to the point that it was almost completely ineffective. Thinking that it may just be a lemon, I called Medela and got another one to replace it. The replacement Freestyle pump did not work nearly as well as the first one had initially.

I ended up returning the replacement pump, and decided to try an Ameda Purely Yours out. Let me tell you, the Purely Yours has better suction than then Freestyle did, it also costs HALF the price of ANY Medela double breast pump. I’ve been using the Purely Yours for 6 months now, and it has not lost any suction or effectiveness, making me wonder why Medela pumps are so over priced.

I cannot attest to any Medela pumps other than the Freestyle, but I have to image that if their most expensive pump failed, then the rest of them shouldn’t perform any better.

My advice is save your money and go with an Ameda pump. I have the Purely Yours base model and I just carry it around in a diaper bag. They do have other versions with bags and other accessories, which might be convenient depending on your situation.