marquischacha's Full Review: Medela Pump In Style Breast Pump
I bought the Pump in Style because it was the model most recommended on websites like this one, Amazon, and other places where consumers rank products. I also chose Medela because as it happened, I needed a pump right away after my baby was born and the hospital I was in happened to sell Medelas. In hindsight, I wish I had done a little more research BEFORE my baby was born and I had to make a quick purchase. It's not that the Medela Pump in Style has not fulfilled its purpose, it's just that I've had some problems with it. I haven't used any other breast pump so I am not sure whether other models might not have the same problems, or more problems. I guess this is the sort of product where you're not really going to be able to try lots of competing models. However, when I was having some difficulties with breastfeeding, including pumping, I visited a lactation consultant and she said that she did not recommend the Medelas. (I believe she recommended Isis pumps instead.)
So what problems did I have? For one, one of the little plastic connectors to which the tubes are connected chipped after I'd been using the machine only about a month. Thereafter, the connection was often compromised (not airtight as it needs to be). Then, after a few months of use, it seemed that the pump motor controls lost some of their tuning. I could never get a consistent pressure by leaving it on the same setting; I was always having to fiddle with the knob (a pain to have to do if you're pumping both breasts at once AND trying to get some work done at the same time -- presumably a common situation for many users of this type of pump). Finally, for me at least the setting options were just not very user-friendly. There's a gentle pumping "warmup" for a couple of minutes that then defaults to a steady tug. You can vary the pressure of the tug, but even the lightest setting was too strong for me and caused soreness and pain. I found I had to turn the machine off every 2 minutes, then back on, so I was only using the warmup cycle. In fact, I found that if I had time to devote to hand expression, I did that instead of using the pump, because it was so much more comfortable for me.
That's just my experience. I know lots of people love this pump. But is that because it's the only one they tried? I do think a motorized pump such as this one offers great convenience for working mothers. But I also think that for the price, the durability could have been better. After all, this is a single-user product, so it could at least last as long as one mother may be pumping for one baby. Also, there could have been more setting options, and there could have been more accessories included.
Medela Pump in Style Original Breastpump Brand New Condition/ Never Used - 2004/2005 Model Superior performance with outstanding comfort for today's a...More at eBay
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