I just got the list of breast pumps available to me through my insurance. Can anyone weigh in with good/bad experiences with any of these? Thank you!!
(Note: I work at home, but my baby will be in daycare, so I expect that I will mostly be using the pump at home unless I'm traveling or something).
31 votes
kiwi / 612 posts
Wow, you have a lot of options! I know the PISA is a popular choice but I have LOVED my Hygeia. It's gotten me through almost eight months of pumping three times a day during the work week with zero issues.
coconut / 8483 posts
My friend loves her Purely Yours!
I'm also in the process of deciding.. but I don't have coverage (Canada) so I have to fork over the cash. Nice you have so many options 
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
I have the ameda purely yours (and the medela freestyle). I like them both!
cantaloupe / 6885 posts
I love my PISA! I EP and it has held up really well. I love the cooler and the storage back - makes it very convenient for traveling. Medela customer service is excellent - I had a problem with mine and they overnighted me a new one ASAP!
pomegranate / 3580 posts
I haven't used it yet obviously, but I just ordered the Medela through my insurance. From what I could tell from other threads on HB and general internet research it seemed like a favorite!
pomegranate / 3225 posts
I liked purely yours over the medela because it was easier to clean and a little more portable. Medela is also great and maybe a little more powerful?
papaya / 10343 posts
@Mrs. Champagne: OMG the US has something related to healthcare better than canada? *marking this day* lol (sorry though-- but you can laugh all the way to the bank when we get our hospital bill for thousands after birth and I'm back to work a few months after giving birth 
)
coconut / 8483 posts
@Mae: haha it's weird!! I called and we have no coverage for it! But yes birth and everything is totally $0 so we are really lucky!
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
Are we sure that's the PISA? It's different than the one listed above "double pump" - I think Pump-in-Style Advanced is a different model?
apricot / 287 posts
I borrowed a Medela for #1 and an Ameda Purely Yours for #2, I found I liked the Ameda much better! It was easier to clean and I never had to replace any of the parts. When I used the Medela I had to replace the little plastic valve pieces a couple times. I am a SAHM but used each of them daily for 9+ months to build up a freezer supply.
papaya / 10343 posts
@JoJoGirl: I don't think it is. I am guessing it is a lower model made just for insurance companies or something. Doesn't seem available elsewhere online.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@Mae: Yeah that's my sense too... it's probably not as good as the PISA, which has always gotten great reviews.
papaya / 10343 posts
@JoJoGirl: Since no one seems to have experience with THIS medela, sounds like the Purely Yours might be the better choice!
persimmon / 1331 posts
@Mae: @JoJoGirl: I got the medela, and checked with medela, and it IS the PISA unit in a less fancy, cheaper bag. It takes all the same parts as the PISA and the battery pack is the same. I just got mine in the mail yesterday, but baby isn't here yet so I haven't used it!
pear / 1698 posts
I had the Purely Yours. I like how easy it was to clean and that I never had to worry about mold or milk in the tubes like some medela owners complained about.
GOLD / pomegranate / 3688 posts
Wow - you have a lot of options! I only had one choice - the Ameda. I really like it. I am not sure it is any better at getting the milk than some of the others (I honestly think they are all about the same), but it is super easy to clean and set-up, which is huge for me.
pomelo / 5678 posts
@Emsmems: @Mae: yes. It is the pisa. I got that same one with insurance.
kiwi / 543 posts
That Medela looks like the Pump In Style that was before the Pump In Style Advanced (I'm old, I know lol), the difference being the Advanced has a let down button that changes the rhythm of the suction.
Of those options, I'd likely choose the Ameda or the Medela, with the Ameda winning by a slim margin for being closer to the most recent model available in stores.
nectarine / 2636 posts
@Mae: I'm ordering my breast pump today too! So thanks for asking this question. Your provider is the same as mine and I was unsure about the Medela because it seemed like that it wasn't the Advanced with the different suction rhythm, so hopefully @Emsmems: is right and its the same, but just a different bag!
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@JoJoGirl: @Mae: that's the exact medela I have. It's the same motor as the Pisa in a stripped down bag and it doesn't have a battery option like the Pisa. The actual pump and parts are the same though. It doesn't come with the nice cooler bag that the Pisa has, just a cooler compartment in the tan bag.
I don't pump that frequently but I am very happy with it. It's a little heavy and bulky but for pumping at home it's perfect.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@abbydabbydoodlebug: yes it has the same two phase suction thing!
clementine / 849 posts
I have the same options, and I'm going to go for the Hygeia. Of the reviews I've found, they're fantastic, and it sounds like it's a much "greener" pump.
clementine / 818 posts
@mae: I actually currently use the ameda and the medela (long story). The Ameda is much simpler to clean, I like the hygienic aspect, and it does a fine job, however the Medela seems to be a bit more effective, I consistently get .25-.5 ounces more with the Medela (I am working and pump at the same time everyday and have alternated between the 2), I think it has a stronger suck than the Ameda. I think you would be fine with either but if I had to choose I would go Medela because those partial ounces can add up throughout the day!
cherry / 120 posts
I have the a Hygeia, and like it so far! I chose that one because it is a closed system, so designed to be reusable. The pump is also the only one endorsed by the La Leche League, and when you (or whoever you may pass it on to) are done with it, you can send it back to the company to be recycled. I'll admit that I got a Medela accessory kit at the hospital, and I use a hybrid of medela/hygeia/off brand parts for the actual part that attaches to the breast, but that's mainly because I have large breasts and wanted special shields and Medela parts are easier to find in store. What it came with worked fine too!
pomegranate / 3401 posts
I got that exact Medela from my insurance and I liked it a lot! Mine had the two phase suction letdown thingie. It also came in a nice big tan tote/messenger bag with a spare set of parts and 4 bottles and ice packs! I was really impressed!
For the first two months after my LO was born I pumped around the clock, every 3 hrs, since she was in the NICU. And it held up to my extreme use!
ETA, I guess I didn't get the EXACT item since mine came in a bigger bag...but the pump part is the same!
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
I really wanted the Hygeia, but they were out of stock so I went with the Ameda Purely Yours. It was okay… but I already had the Medela PISA from my previous birth and I liked that one more (stronger, got more milk out), so I continued to use that and sold my Ameda on eBay. My Medela lasted me through two babies and still shows no signs of death!
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