Help me choose one. Looks like the freestyle is the lightest weight. I like the look of the pump in style especially with the backpack. The sonata seems to be the newest most techy option with led display and a bunch of other cool features and is the most quiet option. Has anyone used it?
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I hate my PISA. The suction is not smooth at all. It isn't a parts issue because the same exact parts are smooth on the Symphony I rent. I just lug the Symphony with me.
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@Ms. RV: uh oh thats not good
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I have nothing to compare it to but I loved my freestyle! Small, lightweight, and doesn't need an outlet.
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@skinnycow: thanks thats helpful
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@Mrsbells: I loved my Freestyle, too--I used to put it in my robe pocket and pump while I was washing bottles and doing chores and stuff. This time (I'm 35 weeks) I got a Spectra S2 because the Freestyle wasn't an option, even for an upgrade fee, and the Spectra has to be tethered to an outlet so I plan to use it at work and use my old Freestyle at home. Have heard overall mediocre/bad things about the PISA and *terrible* things about the Ameda, fwiw.
ETA here's my thread asking about those two, maybe there's helpful info in here for you: http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/spectra-vs-medela-freestyle#post-2834014
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@LCTBQE: thanks a lot! I used the spectra last time. It is a bit bulky to carry around but I did love how quiet it was
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@Mrsbells: yes, I think because this one will live at my office I won't mind the bulk, but last time as a (long) commuter/FT WOH/close to EP-er I really loved the portability of my Freestyle. If it's available free through insurance or money isn't an issue I'd 1000% get that over the bulky/non-portable/not-supposed-to-be-great PISA.
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@LCTBQE: thanks yes the portability is a big incentive to get it. I'm worried about a lot of the reviewers saying it had poor suction. My insurance will cover any of these pumps for free so I am also tempted to try the newer medela sonata.
Pumps are so hard to choose between!
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I had a Pump in style with my first and a freestyle with my second. I loved the freestyle. It was great for me. Some people say the suction is not strong enough, but I used it on a middle setting and it was plenty strong for me (more does not always equal better). I loved that it was so easy to carry around, it didn't need it's own bag and I used it all over the place.
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Really depends on your need! I had PISA with both kids and was fine with it. I mainly pumped at work or at home so I didn't need it to be light weight or whatever. I also bought car/battery adapter for any on the go needs.
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@maddyz: thanks! I am leaning heavily towards the freestyle and just hoping the suction will be enough for me. I like portability but it wont mean much if it cant empty me out. Glad to hear it worked for you.
@snowjewelz: yes i will mainly pump at work and home too and would have been fine with pisa if that was all that was offered but since i can choose between all three options now I feel the pressure to get the best of all 3 -
@Mrsbells: I found the pisa really different from the freestyle and that I couldn't really go back and forth comfortably. The feel of the pumps is really different and once I got used to one I really wanted to stick with it. My body really learned how the pump felt and I had a programmed set on the pump and style that worked for me. I think if I was using both I might have gotten used to the stronger suction on the pisa and hard trouble switching. But that's just a guess.
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@maddyz: good point. I have been watching reviews and comparisons on YouTube all day
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After a year of heavy use, my PISA was a POS. It didn’t really empty me out and I had an oversupply. The spectra wasn’t a big thing with my first and I see the Sonota is out. I’ve got my eyes on that one.
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I hated the PISA and got a Spectra after 9 months and *loved* it. Are you stuck with Medela? I think insurance covering pumps has led to a lot of new technologies and competition in the industry.
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@dc yoga bee: I used the spectra 2 last time. It was just ok. The shape is so odd and that makes it tricky to carry around.
@Ms.Mermaid: Yeah this time my insurance only has different medela options. I do have an old spectra lying around somewhere from my last pregnancy so if that still works i will have that as a back up -
The Medela backpack is pretty crummy and doesn’t fit much, from what I recall. I had the tote and couldn’t fit the cooler plus my pump parts in it, and felt like it was super pointless. Many of my friends complained about the same. I would get one of the other options- YouTube videos can be helpful to show noise and compare?
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@Ms.Mermaid: yep i have been watching should many youTube videos comparing the freestyle to the sonata. I I just have to bite the bullet and choose one
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@Mrsbells: I say Sonata. Quieter is so nice for phone calls, pumping at night, pumping near people, etc.
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@Ms.Mermaid: haha i just submitted my pump request tp my insurance a few minutes ago and decided to give the sonata a try. Fingerscrossed i love it
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@Mrsbells: I’m really interested in how you like it!
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I orig had the Symphony and then got a PIS as a second pump. The PIS was loud and useless. It barely yielded any milk. I did better with hand expression.
This time around I still have the Symphony, and just today I ordered a Spectra S2 via my insurance company. So we’ll see how that goes.
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@dc yoga bee: me too! I'll have to come bak and post and update when the baby arrives and I start using it.
@ElbieKay: the spectra is super quiet thats one thing i liked about it. Goodluck with it! -
@Mrsbells: Have you used the sonata yet?! what are your thoughts? Mine just came in the mail today. Still pregnant so no thoughts here lol
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@dc yoga bee: Yes I have been using it for a few months now. It has ups and downs. I like the Bluetooth feature that it syncs to my phone and saves my pumping data to the app. If i don't have the bluetooth turned on it still saves to the pump and then can be synced later. Although sometimes it's glitchy. My Bluetooth stopped working completely and when i called medela they overnighted me a new one.
It is a closed system so I don't have to worry about milk or condensation in the tubing, and the parts feel sturdier than previous medela pumps but the way the parts fit together is a bit clunky and if you don't screw the bottle on just right, it can snap apart during pumping.
Also because the parts are bigger it takes more space on my drying rack.
The built in rechargeable battery is awesome.
I ordered another set of parts from Amazon so i could have two sets. You don't need a full set of parts since you get 4 bottles with the original pump and I got extra flanges from the hospital so all you need at the pieces connecting the bottle to the flange and Amazon sells that in one kit -
@Mrsbells: Thanks for updating! Would you say it’s worth it overall? I don’t plan on really tracking my output if I have an oversupply again like I did last time (likely with PCOS). But, I really wanted something with strong suction and after a while my PISA didn’t have that.
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@dc yoga bee: The suction is strong enough for me, The pump strength goes up to level 10 and the highest I use now is level 6. Its not the hospital grade strength that medela claims it is but its more than enough for me and I also massage while I pump which is what the LC taught me to do so I have super quick pumping sessions always under 15 mins.
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I loved my freestyle with my second it was a game changer for me to not be tethered to the wall or a big battery pack.
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