Medela Pump In Style Review – Pros And Cons Of Medela Pump In Style

I am not associated with Medela company. I purchased a Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump on my own after careful research and was not sponsored by Medela company to write this review. This review is my honest experience and opinion. This review contains affiliated links. That means I will get a commission if you click the link and buy an item (but at no extra cost to you). Your support helps my work in bringing you useful information about non toxic products. Thank you!

Medela Pump In Style Review – Medela Pump In Style Advanced breast pump has strong pumping power and fast milk expression speed.

When you are shopping for a breast pump, you will be surprised to find that breast pumps are not cheap. Among all the breast pumps, Medela is the most expensive breast pump brand. However, is it worth it? How does Medela breast pump perform? In this post, I share with you the pros and cons of Medela breast pump and what I think about this breast pump. I used Medela Pump In Style Advanced Double Electric breast pump for my pumping needs and these are my findings.

Medela Breast Pump Models

Medela has two different types of breast pumps available. The one that I bought is Medela Pump In Style Advanced Double Electric breast pump. There is another model called Medela Freestyle Double Electric Breast Pump. The main difference is you can pump hands-free with Medela Freestyle breast pump. Medela Freestyle is also lighter and more portable. It is also quieter too. I think it is great for moms on the go or who have to breast feed at work since you can pump more discreetly with Medela Freestyle. However, it is more expensive than Medela Pump In Style Advanced breast pump.  Although hands-free breast pumping would have been nice, I thought Medela Pump In Style Advanced Double Electric breast pump was more suitable for me since I didn’t really care if I pumped hands-free or not.

Medela Pump In Style Review – Backpack Style

Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump Pros

Pumping Power

When I got severely sore nipples from breast feeding in the beginning stage of nursing, I turned to a breast pump so that I can bottle feed my baby. My nipples were hurting so much to a point where I couldn’t have my baby on my breasts again until my nipples were healed. Therefore, I solely pumped all day and night to feed my baby. My baby drank milk every 1.5 to 2 hrs in the beginning months so there was no time to rest. I had to pump, pump and pump. Medela is known for strong pumping power compared to other breast pumps out there such as Ameda’s Purely Yours breast pump. I pumped all day and night for about first 3 months. After heavy usage of the breast pump, the pumping power remained the same. Other breast pump such as Ameda’s Purely Yours breast pump is not meant for pumping so many times a day since the power will lessen and decrease suction if you use it too much. Later, I started breast feeding without a bottle again so I used the pump less after 3 months. However, oh boy! I couldn’t have survived those 3 months without Medela Pump In Style Advanced breast pump.

Great Milk Expression

First time I breastfed my baby, I had hard time getting enough milk for about a few weeks. My baby fed every 1.5 hrs mostly sometimes 2 hrs, it seemed that milk I had was not enough. Only breastfeeding moms know even one drop of expressed milk counts when you try to collect milk for your baby. With frequent pumping and feeding, milk finally came enough later for my baby. However, trying to collect every drop wasn’t a fun experience. I think that frequent needs of my baby for feeding and me pumping often to accommodate that needs eventually made my body produce more milk. Medela, with its strong pumping power helped me get the last drop I needed during the time my breast milk wasn’t plentiful. You can easily adjust how strong the breast pump pumps with the adjustment dial.

Another reason that Medela is great for milk expression is that Medela breast pump maintains lactation. Medela uses 2 Phase Expression Technology and it was the first company world-wide to use 2 Phase Expression Technology. 2-Phase Expression is a pumping technology that mimics the baby’s natural sucking rhythm. Babies initially use short, fast sucks to stimulate Milk flow. Once the milk begins to flow, babies change from fast to a slower rhythm to feed. Medela Pump In Style Advanced breast pump does the same when it expresses milk.  It maintains lactation by providing stimulation similar to baby’s sucking behavior.

Medela Pump In Style Review – You can adjust the suction power and switch between stimulation and expression phase easily for Medela Pump In Style Advanced breast pump.

Portable

Medela Pump In Style is portable, you can carry it like a backpack or a tote bag when you have to go to places with a breast pump. There are three types of bag styles you can choose from for Medela Pump In Style Advanced breast pump: Tote bag,  Backpack or Metro bag. Tote bag and backpack have built-in pump in the bag. You can use these bags as an actual backpack or tote bag and place all the parts in the bag. Pump is discreetly integrated into a self-contained, attractive tote bag  or backpack that packs up quickly for moms on the go.  Medela Pump In Style also comes with a cooler bag and ice pack so that you can store and carry expressed breast milk. This will be great for working mothers who have to bring a breast pump to work and bring expressed milk back home.

Metro bag, on the other hand, has the pump that is removable. I didn’t know there was a Metro bag option available at the time I purchased Medela Pump In Style breast pump. Therefore, I got a back pack one. However, for someone who stayed home all the time like me, Metro bag would have been a lot better, then I can just carry the pump part from room to room, not the whole bag.  Pump in the Pump In Style Advanced back pack is attached to a bag with velcro around the frame, therefore, you can also remove it from the bag. However,  removing process is not easy so I just left the pump in the bag all the time. If you want to use a pump after taking it out of the bag, get the Metro bag instead of tote bag or backpack. It will be more convenient to take the pump out of the bag rather than trying to release the pump from velcro. Any ways whichever bag you choose, all bags are portable, easy to carry and  attractive to carry around outside.

Medela Pump In Style Review – Medela Pump In Style also comes with a Cooler Bag.

Medela Pump In Style Review – Cooler Bag comes with an Ice Pack and four breast milk storing bottles.

Medela Pump In Style Review – Ice Pack keeps breast milk chilled while transporting the milk.

Medela Pump In Style Review – Backpack has a room Inside where you can put Medela Pump In Style parts and accessories.

Can Be Used With A Car Adapter

Medela Pump In Style breast pump can be used with a car adapter. A car adapter is not included with a purchase so you would have to purchase it separately. You can simply plug a car adapter into the vehicles’s lighter outlet to power the breast pump. This provides you a convenient alternative power option. Medela Pump In Style also comes with a battery pack so that you can pump anywhere. (8 AA batteries not included)

Medela Pump In Style Review – Medela Pump In Style breast pump comes with a power adapter and a battery pack. A car charger is sold separately.

Non Toxic

Although breast milk kit and tubes are made of plastics, all parts that touch breast milk are made without BPA, DEHP and other phthalates.

Medela Pump In Style Review – All parts that touch breast milk including breast milk bottles are made without BPA, DEHP and other phthalates.

Medela Pump In Style Advanced Review – Medela Pump In Style Advanced breast pump also comes with Medela breastfeeding accessories pack ($40 value).

Medela Pump In Style Breast Pump Cons

Price

Medela Pump In Style breast pump is more expensive than other breast pump brands. Although it has a great pumping power & speed and many other benefits compared to other brand breast pumps, some budget moms won’t go for this pump due to a high price.

Open System

A closed system for breast pump means there is a barrier between expressed breast milk and the pump motor. This barrier prevents milk from overflowing  and leaking into the tubing or even to pump itself. The barrier is located in between the milk collection kit and tubing that is connected to the pump motor. The barrier is closed so milk won’t go into the tubing. In an open system, on the other hand, there is no barrier. Therefore, breast milk can leak into tubing. The biggest issue with an open system is mold growth within the tubing if the tube is not properly cleaned.

However, this doesn’t mean you should make a decision on choosing the breast pump based on open or closed system. A closed system is indeed easier to clean and maintain since you don’t have to clean the tubing every time you use the breast pump. In an open system, you would have to clean it.  However, cleaning the tube is easily done by simply running the tubing in water after use and drying it before next use.  I just ran tubing in water every time I pumped with the Medela Pump In Style Advanced breast pump and never came across any molding issue. However, cleaning the tubes is an extra step. Therefore, it would be better if Medela had a closed system so you don’t have to clean tubes every time. Some moms who don’t want worry about cleaning the tube, they go for Ameda Purely Yours beast pump which has a closed system.

Medela Pump In Style Review -Medela breast pump has an open system.

Medela Pump In Style Review – Pump In Style Open System

Final Thoughts

Breast pump is an essential item for many moms. However, it is not cheap and you would have to pick the right breast pump for yourself so you are not stuck with a breast pump that is not right for you. I recommend Medela Pump In Style Advanced Double Electric Breast Pump to moms who needs to pump multiple times a day. It has a strong pumping power & fast speed and expresses milk very well. It helped me greatly especially when I wasn’t producing a lot of milk in the beginning stage of breastfeeding. It is also very easy to use and easy to carry around. You can also use it in the car if you needed to with a car adapter.  You can also use it anywhere with a battery pack. However, it is more expensive than other brand breast pumps. It also has an open system so you would have to wash the tubes every time you pump.  I was actually okay with washing tubes every time I pumped. For me, pros out weighed way more than cons. I feel that Medela Pump In Style Advanced Double Electric Breast Pump was the right breast pump for me with the serious pumping I had to do.

If you are interested in organic baby formula, please read my post, ‘Which Organic Baby Formula Is The Best?‘

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