Hellobee Boards

My insurance would only provide the purely yours and I. HATE. IT. Who do you have? Mine is cigna. I have been all over with Cigna and CareCentrix (the provider I was given to use to order) and fighting it. Eventually a higher up at CareCentrix gave me a name of another supplier to use who would go through them, who is local and has medela. However this is only working bc I got an RX for hospital grade. I wish I had investigated/fought before getting the Ameda. Dont settle- push to try to find a way to get the Medela. PM me if you need more info too.

@anonysquire: I would go through their customer service. I have the issues because I have to pump exclusively so you might think of a reason why it won't work for you. Regardless- it doesn't hurt to press their customer service. Ask who they would have you order through (medical supply companies, they're usually regional) and then ask for alternatives, etc. Keep pushing. Otherwise if I were you I might order it, then sell it before using it and buy the Medela. When my insurance- provided rental of the hospital grade is up, I'll probably buy my own Medela if I choose to keep pumping then. You can also google medical supply companies in your area and call them and ask if they take your insurnace and if they provide anything other than the Purely Crap- whoops I mean Purely Yours.

And yes, every time I talked to anyone and said I had issues wiht my pump being a piece of crap they said "oh the Ameda?" It's well known that it's the LOWEST end model possible. I guess it'd be fine for occasional pumpers but EP it's miserable for me. Both LC's I worked with commented on how crappy it is too.

I have that one and it works well for me. However, I don't pump often so I won't have any idea how it works for more regular pumping until I go back to work in January. FWIW, I have two of them! and the one I ordered from my insurance has not been opened just in case it turns out that I hate it.

Does your insurance provide it for free? Or at a %? If it's free, take it! You can always sell it, or just see if you like it. If you don't pump a lot or don't have supply issues I can see it working decently.

Yeah, if that's all you can get through insurance for free, then get it! You might really like it, you never know! (Like I said, I didn't mind it until I got the manual pump and decided that worked better for me. When I go back to work and have to pump several times a day I might need to ditch the manual pump and go back to the Ameda, who knows!)

I have the Ameda (got it free through ins, too). I haven't tried any other pump so I don't know how it is compared to the Medela, but it works fine for me! I think pumping is a PITA regardless of the pump, so I think you should at least give it a shot since it's free.

I have an Ameda and pump twice a day and I love it!

@Smurfette: I think it has to do with having to go through CareCentrix, not Cigna. I know a friend in MI who has Cigna and got a Medela, but since the provider they had me order through was CareCentrix, that's all they provide. But then again I'm getting a hospital grade Medela tomorrow due to my persistence. What medical supply provider did you order through?

@Smurfette: when was it? I know they had some changes- the no Medela is a more recent thing. I've had a few of the suppliers who I talked to, who DO have it but who can't provide it to Cigna- say that I should tell Cigna I wanted a Medela (duh.. Cigna hates how much I bug them now) because they know it was a change many people weren't happy with.

Basically I'm shocked so many people on HB are claiming to love the Ameda Purely Yours, and I think it's so horrible that, at least in my area, Cigna people can't get anything else.

@kjpugs: I first called in February and finally got them to mail it in March. I have a friend that just got the Ameda from her insurance and she likes it so far.

@anonysquire: I have the Ameda and really like it. I've been using it at least twice a day for almost 7 months and haven't has any issues. I've never used the Medela, but I had my heart set on it at first, too.

I do also have a manual that I like for quick pumping, it's definitely a process getting the double electric out.

I'm pretty sure @autumnlove had that pump and loved it! And she pumped for a long time!

I have both an Ameda I got through insurance and an old Medela PIS and the Medela has much better power, even having been through a couple of pumping moms.

What I actually like about the Ameda is that it is so small and light, so I use it at home, and then keep the Medela at the office.

But if I could only have one pump for WOH, I would absolutely figure out how to get a Medela, including paying extra.

Another happy Ameda user. Pumped for 9 months, most of that 3x daily. I love that it's a closed system and I have only replaced the membranes - everything else has held up to a lot of use (and abuse). Like @Alivoo01: I love that I can control speed/suction separately and find what is most comfortable for me. It was actually recommended to be by a friend who is a lactation consultant, and I'm glad I took her advice. I bought mine last year before the affordable care act went into place and I was able to save a couple hundred dollars going with this one.
My motor started stopping randomly at around 7 months of use and they had a new one at my door in 24 hours - excellent customer service. It may not be as quiet as the Medela, but it wasn't like it was blaring or anything.
Really, I would say just get it and try it out. If it's free and you like it, you're done! If you end up not liking it then you can go ahead and spend out of pocket for something else.