What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

And WHY??

I found some Medela ones at Target...

Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump with Metro Bag

Medela Freestyle Hands-Free Breast Pump

Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump with Backpack

IDK what the difference is between these 3... except for price. the description seems the same to me. If anyone knows... PLEASE POST!!!!

UGH I'm SO LOST here!!! I'm trying to not spend a CRAZY amount of money here.

Also, with these pumps, what accessories do I really need??

ETA: I know I don't want manual.. I want something good and fast but not too pricey. I am going to be a SAHM and plan to breast feed for AT LEAST 6 months (provided my boobies work properly!!).

Pretty Please Help Me!!

Message edited 6/27/2011 12:11:32 PM.

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

This is a good post...I have the same questions. I like the Medela but dont know the difference or what I need.

Message edited 6/27/2011 12:06:15 PM.

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

Those pumps are quite $$ and for this reason I rented a Medela Symphony from a medical supply store.

It's the hospital grade pump that normally retails for over $1K, but you can rent from $60-80 a month. Because I didn't know how my supply would be, I didn't want to spend $300 on a pump that might become an expensive paper weight. If my supply would get better, then I'd invest in the $$ pump.

So far, my supply has been very very low and I'm glad we rented this pump instead of buying the more expensive ones.

If you want to learn more about them, go to medela.com and they have TONS of information on the pumps and what is best for you dependent on your needs.

Message edited 6/27/2011 12:18:24 PM.

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

I have the freestyle, and really liked it. I didn't really pump often, but when I did it got the job done quickly. What I liked most was that the pump is really small, so I could strap it to my pants and walk around.

I think it really depends on how much you are going to pump, because, to be honest, for the amount of times I pumped, I didn't need a really expensive pump. My insurance covered 90% of the cost of the pump, which is why I opted to get the most expensive one.

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

i have a medela pump, not sure what kind. my sister gave it to me, she never wound up using it.

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

I got the freestyle based off of many recommendations on here from btdt mom's. My insurance covered my pump 100% so price wasn't really a factor in my decision.

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

thanks for the info....just went on the Medela site and they also tell you where you can rent the pumps

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

i have the medela freestyle. i have not officially used it as i havent had the baby and am not lactating but i did test the suction to see if it would hurt and it didn't. What i would say is while this does come with a hands free "contraption" i would and plan to buy one of these:



because the contraption seems a bit confusing to hook onto your bra / clothes properly & this one just seems WAY easier to use & stay in place...the good thing about one of these bras is you should be able to use it with either pump.

ETA: did you look into insurance coverage for your BP? either way you can write it off in taxes no? but mine was 100% covered through insurance and we went through Edgepark

Message edited 6/27/2011 12:41:25 PM.

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

where do you find these bra's?

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

I registered for the Medela In Style.

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

babies r us and BBB should have them. ebay has them and so do many websites...just search breast pump bras or medela pump bra

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

I got the Medela Freestyle when I had DS last March. I loved that it was hands free so I could play on the laptop, eat, etc. while I was pumping. Plus it's portable (battery operated) so you can even walk around if you want to. This was great because I was exclusively pumping the first 6 weeks and it would have really sucked to be stuck in one spot for 20-30 minutes every 2-3 hours!

The In-Style is cheaper than the Freestyle but it plugs into a wall so you can't go anywhere (plus it's not hands free).


I didn't buy a special bra, instead, I just took an old sports bra and cut out two holes where the horns would go. So much cheaper and worked just as well!

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

Kerri, I used the freestyle, it was simple to use and I got the halter bra at bbb, don't waste your time with the additional pieces to try to hook it on to yor bra. the halter was sooooo much easier.

I wa slucky and actually got the pump on clearance at target for 100!!!

if price is a factor get the pump instlye, the only difference to my knowledge is the bag si comes in, you could get a backpack or a shoulder bag, the pump itself shoudl be the same as i recall.

hope that helps and I can't believe she is almost here!!!

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

I used the Medela PISA (because a friend gave it to me for free!) and absolutely loved it. It has great suction and it worked really well for me. I have also heard really great things about the Freestyle though, but I have no experience with it.

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

OK I contacted Edgepark and i'm waiting for the call that tells me if they are approved and covered by my insurance. I pray that it is.

In any event.. I'll rent from the hospital for the first month and then I'll buy one of the pumps.

Thank you sooo much for all the help!! If anyone else wants to chime in with info... please go right ahead!!

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

I am going with the Freestyle

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

I just wanted to share my experience with pumping. I didn't buy a pump before DD was born - I was afraid I wouldn't be able to bf and I would waste a lot of money and not be able to return it. Once I saw that bfing was going well I bought the Medela hand pump. I wasn't sure if I was going to find pumping easy and I still didn't want to spend so much. It was like $30 with a 20% off coupon. I found it easy to use.

After a few weeks using the hand pump (once I knew I could pump), I bought the Pump in Style backpack. It plugs into an outlet but also has a battery pack - I think someone said it didn't in a previous post but it does. In the manual it says after about every ten pumping sessions you'd need to change the batteries. Honestly, I don't know anyone who walks around doing dishes and folding laundry while they pump. I sit somewhere quiet and pump and it takes me 10 minutes to get 8-10 oz. The pump in style doesn't come with a bra but you can buy the same medala bra that comes with the freestyle if you want. Personally, I've learned to balance one pump on my leg so I can check Facebook on my phone while I pump.

I think the Freestyle has pumping settings and I know the Pump in Style does not. Basically what this means is you can set how long you want the let down phase to be and how strong you want the suction with the freestyle. With the PIS the let down is 2 minutes - if you need more time you can press the button again.

I've found the PIS to be really easy to use and it was an affordable option. Depending on where you buy it, one style bag is more expensive than others. I have the backpack - it was the cheapest. I figured hey I'm not going for good looks and designer style - it's a pump!

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

I got the Medela Freestyle -- I just liked the reviews the best. My insurance covered it fully - you should definitely check with your insurance company to see if they cover any portion of the purchase!

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??

Posted by MommaBear

I just wanted to share my experience with pumping. I didn't buy a pump before DD was born - I was afraid I wouldn't be able to bf and I would waste a lot of money and not be able to return it. Once I saw that bfing was going well I bought the Medela hand pump. I wasn't sure if I was going to find pumping easy and I still didn't want to spend so much. It was like $30 with a 20% off coupon. I found it easy to use.

After a few weeks using the hand pump (once I knew I could pump), I bought the Pump in Style backpack. It plugs into an outlet but also has a battery pack - I think someone said it didn't in a previous post but it does. In the manual it says after about every ten pumping sessions you'd need to change the batteries. Honestly, I don't know anyone who walks around doing dishes and folding laundry while they pump. I sit somewhere quiet and pump and it takes me 10 minutes to get 8-10 oz. The pump in style doesn't come with a bra but you can buy the same medala bra that comes with the freestyle if you want. Personally, I've learned to balance one pump on my leg so I can check Facebook on my phone while I pump.

I think the Freestyle has pumping settings and I know the Pump in Style does not. Basically what this means is you can set how long you want the let down phase to be and how strong you want the suction with the freestyle. With the PIS the let down is 2 minutes - if you need more time you can press the button again.

I've found the PIS to be really easy to use and it was an affordable option. Depending on where you buy it, one style bag is more expensive than others. I have the backpack - it was the cheapest. I figured hey I'm not going for good looks and designer style - it's a pump!

Re: What kind of Breast Pump are you getting??