Medela Freestyle Hands Free Breastpump

Comments about Medela Freestyle Hands Free Breastpump:

Even though it may be pricey, I highly recommend this pump. I successfully breastfed my daughter until she was 19months old, mostly because of this pump, since I had to return to work after 16wks. It's quick, powerful, allows you to preset your settings and makes it easy for you on the go. It may take a couple extra minutes the first couple times you use it but before you know it your able to put it together during 3am pump sessions with one eye closed. I also passed mine on to my sister and she is currently using it with no problems. This is a must have for all nursing moms!!

Comments about Medela Freestyle Hands Free Breastpump:

I love this pump. It is easily transported from work and home. It is not loud. It does not hurt. I can do chores around the house with it on, which my husband thinks is funny. As long as you do not bend over, I do not have problems with leaking.

Comments about Medela Freestyle Hands Free Breastpump:

I really liked this breast pump. I had tried several handheld do-it-yourself pumps because I didn't plan on pumping often, so I didn't want to spend the money, BUT, they were so uncomfortable (painful, even) that I finally spent the money, and what a difference!! It was really comfortable and easy to pump. I have to mention that I never used it hands-free though. There are a lot of parts that I just didn't want to deal with--as a new mom, you have very, very little time to read directions... so I just sat on the bed and used it, and I found the suction great--I love the small size of the pump itself too. I was very, very happy with this pump.

Comments about Medela Freestyle Hands Free Breastpump:

I exclusively pumped for my older daughter for 14 months, and may well be doing the same for my second daughter, who will be born any day now.

I own both the Freestyle and the PIS Backpack. After returning to work, I used the PIS at work (2-3 times daily) and the Freestyle at home (2-3 times daily). This eliminated the need to lug the pump back and forth, but the Freestyle would have been quite easy to commute with if need be. While the PIS is slightly quieter (and more suitable for an office environment), the Freestyle seems to have significantly more "deep" suction.

The portability of the Freestyle is excellent. I NEVER had a problem with the handsfree features. I used Medela nursing bras, and found that they greatly helped with keeping the horns stable. In fact, unless I was actually walking around, tucking the horns inside the Medela nursing bra cups was sufficient to hold them in place.

I traveled to Australia when my daughter was four months old, and used ONLY my Freestyle to pump while there. I pumped in airport lounges, airplane bathrooms, and in cars and on trains. I never had a single incidence of leakage or loss of suction. I regularly boiled or used the microwave steam bags to clean the components, and NEVER had issues with the diaphragms and other pieces not fitting together tightly.

In short, the Freestyle is a terrific pump and I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

Comments about Medela Freestyle Hands Free Breastpump:

I pump at least 3 times a day for my now 8 month old daughter, and she's never had a drop of formula. This pump is hands down better than the hospital grade pump (Medela Classic) I rented for the first 2 months. The breast shields are different, so they are more comfortable. I can travel with this pump SO much easier because it fits in the palm of my hand. I do agree with the other reviewer - the hands free adapters are a joke so you need a hands free bra, but so what?!? It's still awesome! And I clean my parts in the microwave bags ALL THE TIME - except for the breast shields - the packaging says those should not go in the micro bags. And I have replaced my shields once, but I use them so often I find that reasonable, especially since they are softer plastic and more comfortable. I have pumped while driving, loading the car, on Facebook, and putting on my make up / drying my hair in the mornings. It's a wonderful time saver. I've even pumped while feeding my daughter her baby and table food (had to, we were going out and she needed to have a meal and a bottle ready). Overall I think the convenience of the small size and battery option FAR out weigh the need for a hands free bra and hand cleaning of the shields - give this pump a try!!!

Comments about Medela Freestyle Hands Free Breastpump:

First off, I just want to say that I don't write negative reviews on a whim without fully giving the product a chance or trying to seek assistance from the company first.I bought this with my second child because as a mom who had to pump full time and bottle-feed her kids breast milk, I thought the hands-free option would be great. To actually be hands-free, you have to assemble several pieces, which can take up to 10 minutes before you actually start pumping. It's quicker and easier to buy a hands-free pumping bra. Also, the membranes cannot be steam cleaned in the Medela QuickClean Micro-steam bags, as it causes them to warp. The company acknowledged this after I had trouble with my pump, when it lost suction and I almost lost my milk supply. That seemed to fix the problem for about another 2-3 months when the pump was losing suction again and I began losing my supply again. Medela was not helpful in trying to solve the problem the second time. They wanted to walk me through all the "troubleshooting" steps (i.e. telling me step by step how to assemble the pieces, etc., which I had done with a rep the first time I called in for help) You have to very carefully and precisely assemble the membranes, breastshield bodies and backcaps or you will get hardly any suction or none at all. And even after Medela sent me a replacement set of those pieces, it only temporarily fixed the issue. This pump didn't last 6 months and I eventually went back to using my Pump-In-Style Advanced. For the amount of money I spent I was very disappointed with the reliability, suction [...] for this particular pump. Not having to be "plugged in" is not worth the money of this pump. If you need to pump more than just occasionally, stick with the Pump-In-Style Advanced and buy a hands-free pumping bra.

Comments about Medela Freestyle Hands Free Breastpump:

I love this pump. I'm a stay at home mom with a newborn and a toddler. I pump 2x per day so that my cow's-milk-allergic toddler can have milk and so that my husband can do a night feeding for the baby. I love that pumping doesn't interfere with my day. It really is hands-free. Cons: there's no seal between the bottle and the pump so if the bottle is close to full and you lean over milk will spill and the also the bottles have a small opening which requires a bottle brush to clean inside (unlike avent bottles).