Medela Freestyle Electric Breast Pump

First impressions are great; the smart and sleek design of the unit is modern and is very light. The touch screen display is easy to use and isn’t overly sensitive as some can be… The fact that the unit is small really does make it portable, and the carry bag contained within the box is a nice addition. The addition of the cool bag and cooling block however is a real bonus and really does make this pump something that can be used out and about. One 2 hour charge currently lasts me between 6-8 full pumps. The thing I am most impressed with is the decreased level of noise the pump created whilst in use, especially for a double. I found use of the app a nice feature; mainly to track pumping sessions in order to remember when I did my last one. The Freestyle Flex is ... MoreFirst impressions are great; the smart and sleek design of the unit is modern and is very light. The touch screen display is easy to use and isn’t overly sensitive as some can be… The fact that the unit is small really does make it portable, and the carry bag contained within the box is a nice addition. The addition of the cool bag and cooling block however is a real bonus and really does make this pump something that can be used out and about. One 2 hour charge currently lasts me between 6-8 full pumps. The thing I am most impressed with is the decreased level of noise the pump created whilst in use, especially for a double. I found use of the app a nice feature; mainly to track pumping sessions in order to remember when I did my last one. The Freestyle Flex is easy to disassemble, clean, sterilise and reassemble, and is consistent with previous experiences of other Medela pumps. I am really pleased with the Freestyle Flex pump. The upgrades from older models make a noticeable difference; mainly the huge reduction in noise, whilst still maintaining the high grade of pumping mechanism.The size and portability of the pump is also a step up from previous models and the additional extras included in the box, such as two different sized shields, cool bag etc make this the complete package.

I purchased this pump as an upgrade from previous freestyle model as it is the new top of range and model I thought it would be better. I was wrong I think the older model is better. My 1st device broke and was replaced the touch screen stopped working. This was a nightmare as my daughter was five months at the time it 1st broke and I solely express so you can imagine the discomfort I was in full boobs and having to wait on delivery of replacement. Secondly pump heads won’t shut properly after three months of use. Lastly just recently the rubber on the shields have came loose and are hanging off which obviously effects suction. After forking out on Amazon £20 for new shields and will buy connector heads for flex when it comes into stock another £20..(Another issue I ... MoreI purchased this pump as an upgrade from previous freestyle model as it is the new top of range and model I thought it would be better. I was wrong I think the older model is better. My 1st device broke and was replaced the touch screen stopped working. This was a nightmare as my daughter was five months at the time it 1st broke and I solely express so you can imagine the discomfort I was in full boobs and having to wait on delivery of replacement. Secondly pump heads won’t shut properly after three months of use. Lastly just recently the rubber on the shields have came loose and are hanging off which obviously effects suction. After forking out on Amazon £20 for new shields and will buy connector heads for flex when it comes into stock another £20..(Another issue I am not happy about can’t actually get the parts for replacement!!) none of these two parts are included in warranty. Currently noticed that other reviews on Amazon say the exact same thing for shields the rubber is hanging off in photos) I know this might not seem huge but these issues are very stressful with a newborn who was reliant on my milk and it’s disappointing the company can’t include parts in warranty as lefts face it you can’t use the pump without connector and shields so it’s £350 useless without replacing the costly parts. This pump has some good things to it. It’s so portable, easy to use and quiet when expressing.

Better Products on the Market for less.

My husband brought this for me as my son had a tongue tie and I wanted to give him breast milk. After pumping in the hospital he rushed out to get it for me the day I came home. We were gifted a bunch of “freebies” that are just cheap ugly bags we have never used. The pump itself seems to need charge regularly, the poor design means the back opens up and often spills my milk - horrible when you have low milk supply. The rubber seal was wrapped after only a week of use. For the price it is simply expensive plastic crap! Disappointed a brand would charge this price for junk. It has turned me off all medela products. No matter the shields it hurts my nipples and the angle you need it to be on often puts pressure on my breasts, yet with my reduced flow it never seems to ... MoreMy husband brought this for me as my son had a tongue tie and I wanted to give him breast milk. After pumping in the hospital he rushed out to get it for me the day I came home. We were gifted a bunch of “freebies” that are just cheap ugly bags we have never used. The pump itself seems to need charge regularly, the poor design means the back opens up and often spills my milk - horrible when you have low milk supply. The rubber seal was wrapped after only a week of use. For the price it is simply expensive plastic crap! Disappointed a brand would charge this price for junk. It has turned me off all medela products. No matter the shields it hurts my nipples and the angle you need it to be on often puts pressure on my breasts, yet with my reduced flow it never seems to empty them. I can’t have it on to high because it just feels like it is painfully tugging on me with little milk being extracted. I have purchased a new pump with another brand and will not be buying or recommending the brand to any other mothers.

Great

The medela pump is a really good and powerful pump, its easy to clean, although when you get it at first you feel overwhelmed by all the different components but once you get the hang of it, it becomes quite nippy.. I did find that it used to leak when I bent over which caused quite a few tears over spilled milk in the start. Obviously you need to get the bra with it. It comes with 2 size nipple suctions and a bag which I still use on my pram. I didnt end up using it for long. It definitely a product that you need to be dedicated to using. I found breastfeeding difficult as in the beginning my baby wouldn’t latch on properly so I bought this to help me give my baby breast milk however being a first time mum/ inexperienced I became complacent and gave up trying to ... MoreThe medela pump is a really good and powerful pump, its easy to clean, although when you get it at first you feel overwhelmed by all the different components but once you get the hang of it, it becomes quite nippy.. I did find that it used to leak when I bent over which caused quite a few tears over spilled milk in the start. Obviously you need to get the bra with it. It comes with 2 size nipple suctions and a bag which I still use on my pram. I didnt end up using it for long. It definitely a product that you need to be dedicated to using. I found breastfeeding difficult as in the beginning my baby wouldn’t latch on properly so I bought this to help me give my baby breast milk however being a first time mum/ inexperienced I became complacent and gave up trying to breastfeed and tried to exclusively pump. As I wasn’t doing it properly I had to substitute with formula milk so my milk supply reduced. I also had exams to complete at giving birth so I didnt have the time to pump every 2 hours and clean and let everything dry and also look after a newborn.This is a product you need to be dedicated to. Maybe if you are on maternity leave and a stay at home mum it will work for you however it is much easier to try and use that time and dedication that you would have spent washing the machine and bottles etc trying to teach your baby to latch, maybe even buying a medela nipple shield will work just as well.Just my personal thoughts, I ended up exclusively bottle feeding. I stopped pumping it was too much effort. Your breasts become engorged so you have no choice but to pump to release your breasts from the milk but the OG pump aka the baby would be a much better option. I feel that if i didnt have to pump to rely on I would have made more effort to breastfeed but I didnt know any better.

Great portability

I bought this pump prior to my baby being born and have been using it for six weeks so far. I bought this pump also because my friend used this pump for 12 months to pump for her baby. She had an oversupply so pumped often and didn't have anything negative to say about the function of the pump. I love how portable it is and how discreet it is. I can fit it in a big purse. Plus the parts are easy to clean in the go. Oh and when you purchase replacement parts, all you purchase is one kit and the tubing. The reviewers who say if you bend down and it leaks, well it will if you tip way forward cause there has to be a space for air to come in for the function of the suction. To the reviews that day suction kinda sucks, well you do have to have the parts dry to work, ... MoreI bought this pump prior to my baby being born and have been using it for six weeks so far. I bought this pump also because my friend used this pump for 12 months to pump for her baby. She had an oversupply so pumped often and didn't have anything negative to say about the function of the pump. I love how portable it is and how discreet it is. I can fit it in a big purse. Plus the parts are easy to clean in the go. Oh and when you purchase replacement parts, all you purchase is one kit and the tubing. The reviewers who say if you bend down and it leaks, well it will if you tip way forward cause there has to be a space for air to come in for the function of the suction. To the reviews that day suction kinda sucks, well you do have to have the parts dry to work, assembled correctly and the parts clicked together. I work in healthcare and help assemble the parts together for the Symphony for moms and guess what, you have to make sure the parts for that are tight as well! My one complaint is that I wish the battery lasted longer on full charge (cause that is where I get the most/best suction), but I just plug it in between uses and try to have it fully charged prior to leaving the house with it. Also there are tons of hands free pumping bras out there, buy one or two different types to find what you like. I did use the coupon provided in the kit to get the free medela one.All in all, I would purchase this pump again and recommended it to my friends. Oh and purchase their new flanges cause they are so much more comfortable than the hard plastic standard ones!

Great product! Nice extras. Recommend

This pump has worked great for me.I found this item in the clearance department of my Wal-Mart for $90 and couldn’t resist. I was doing a lot of traveling with my Medela PISA and liked it for home use but found it to be a little bit bulky on the road.The Medela Freestyle set comes with everything you need including multiple flange sizes, a cooler, storage bottles, a carry bag, and the unit itself. It even came with a free voucher for a pumping bra! Overall, I found it to be a quality product that performed well and was convenient at home, but especially for traveling. The bag is plenty big to use as an extra diaper bag as well. The parts are fairly easy to clean and maintain and it seems like any replacements you need are fairly easy to come by.The suction ... MoreThis pump has worked great for me.I found this item in the clearance department of my Wal-Mart for $90 and couldn’t resist. I was doing a lot of traveling with my Medela PISA and liked it for home use but found it to be a little bit bulky on the road.The Medela Freestyle set comes with everything you need including multiple flange sizes, a cooler, storage bottles, a carry bag, and the unit itself. It even came with a free voucher for a pumping bra! Overall, I found it to be a quality product that performed well and was convenient at home, but especially for traveling. The bag is plenty big to use as an extra diaper bag as well. The parts are fairly easy to clean and maintain and it seems like any replacements you need are fairly easy to come by.The suction didn’t seem to be quite as effective as the PISA, but I didn’t really expect it to be. If you haven’t had a supply issue, this pump is probably fine. You must make sure it is assembled correctly and logged up right to ensure a proper seal and effective suction. Also if you use it whole working around the house, be aware that if you lean over too far milk will spill out of the bottles.I have recommended this product to several friends looking for something more convenient. Full price would have been difficult for me to swing but if insurance pays part or it’s on sale, it’s definitely worth trying.

Great pump for moving around

I bought this a couple of weeks ago to use when I went on holiday as I wanted something light to take on the plane. Before this I was using the symphony. The symphony is definitely a superior pump but then it is hospital grade and costs around £2k so to be honest I wasn't expecting this one to be anywhere near as good! I was actually pleasantly surprised it is a very efficient pump! It takes me around twice as long with this one compared to the symphony to get the same amount but the pump is so versatile I can use it anywhere without being tied to a plug socket which is really handy! It would be great if it came with a clip or lanyard so you can "wear" it rather than having to carry it but dressing gown pockets are also great for that. Definitely use with the ... MoreI bought this a couple of weeks ago to use when I went on holiday as I wanted something light to take on the plane. Before this I was using the symphony. The symphony is definitely a superior pump but then it is hospital grade and costs around £2k so to be honest I wasn't expecting this one to be anywhere near as good! I was actually pleasantly surprised it is a very efficient pump! It takes me around twice as long with this one compared to the symphony to get the same amount but the pump is so versatile I can use it anywhere without being tied to a plug socket which is really handy! It would be great if it came with a clip or lanyard so you can "wear" it rather than having to carry it but dressing gown pockets are also great for that. Definitely use with the handsfree bra for greater flexibility. The pump itself is light, easy to use and still pretty quiet. I love that it has the initiation phase and then the pumping phase both of which you can choose which level to have it at. Also great set of kit that comes with it including the nipple shields in two different sizes and the Cool bag. Overall a great pump for moving around and traveling with.

Huge Design Flaws from Previous Model-Stay Away!

I had the older version of the Medela freestyle with my first son and absolutely loved it. I recommended it to everyone. I had used other styles and brands, but the Freestyle was the best, hands down. Fast forward to my second child. The older kiddo, now a toddler, knocks my Freestyle off the couch when the baby is about a month old. It breaks, which is a bummer, but I know I’ll just buy a new Freestyle. That’s when I found out they had changed the design and the older model was no longer available. I bought it without looking into any other pump because I had been so satisfied with the first one. Huge regret!!This one has been nothing but issues since day one. I cannot figure out why they made any of the design changes they did, other than now tying it to an app ... MoreI had the older version of the Medela freestyle with my first son and absolutely loved it. I recommended it to everyone. I had used other styles and brands, but the Freestyle was the best, hands down. Fast forward to my second child. The older kiddo, now a toddler, knocks my Freestyle off the couch when the baby is about a month old. It breaks, which is a bummer, but I know I’ll just buy a new Freestyle. That’s when I found out they had changed the design and the older model was no longer available. I bought it without looking into any other pump because I had been so satisfied with the first one. Huge regret!!This one has been nothing but issues since day one. I cannot figure out why they made any of the design changes they did, other than now tying it to an app (which really doesn’t do much good because you still have to manually log everything anyway). It has poorer suction, the buttons are harder to press, the clock no longer displays seconds, and the shape of the back of the nozzles are now rounded, so you’re forced to sit there and hold on to them (eliminating the possibility of multitasking). Worst of all, the suction power is awful. I have had to replace the rubber gaskets multiple times. Too much moisture will often get behind them while pumping, and then it no longer works on that side. As you can imagine, this is super frustrating, not to mention messy. My milk production with this child is significantly down and I know it is because of the pump. I know this because after a couple of frustrating months with the new freestyle version , I searched high and low to find a used older model. Once I found one and used it a couple weeks, my production was back up to what it had been with the first child. Long story short. I would not recommend this pump to ANYONE. Hugely disappointing, expensive, and nothing but headaches.

Pump broken after 3 weeks

I order the compleet set. I said that i need to invest in a good pump. After 3 weeks the pump stoped working, first would randomly turn off when unpluged. Then i would plug it and would work just for 3 minutes. After i spoke with the customer service told me to reset it and i did so ,but after the resetting it stoped working at all. Like not turning on at all. I called again the customer service and they told me that i need to send back the pump, they will check it and send it back once the problem is solved and this would take more then 2 weeks.How am i supposed to pump and feed my baby if i dont have a pump for 2 weeks?! The pump is pretty expansive and would be stupid to buy a new pump and then wait for the old one to get repaired and then have 2 pumps in the ... MoreI order the compleet set. I said that i need to invest in a good pump. After 3 weeks the pump stoped working, first would randomly turn off when unpluged. Then i would plug it and would work just for 3 minutes. After i spoke with the customer service told me to reset it and i did so ,but after the resetting it stoped working at all. Like not turning on at all. I called again the customer service and they told me that i need to send back the pump, they will check it and send it back once the problem is solved and this would take more then 2 weeks.How am i supposed to pump and feed my baby if i dont have a pump for 2 weeks?! The pump is pretty expansive and would be stupid to buy a new pump and then wait for the old one to get repaired and then have 2 pumps in the house. Im highly disappointed. I sent the pump back and i had to buy another pump so i can feed.my baby. I find it so annoying that instead of sending a replacement fast you need to wait so long especially when is something very important regarding your health and the baby's health. Agreed with the customer servicr that they will try to send me the money back instead of a new pump but they dont know how long will take neither or if it is posible because the pump is used and is not hygienic to return it. Curious how this will end. In the meanwhile i had no choice but buy another pump that is cheaper.

So many moments of frustration!

4th time mom, but first time breastfeeding. My son was born at 31 weeks so I was unprepared for my breastfeeding journey. Call me naive, but I didn’t realize there was such a difference in the various pumps. Prior to discharge, the hospital home equipment rep brings me my pump. I was super excited because it was a nice pump that came with a cute bag and accessories. Little did I know I’d fight with it for 3 months. I should have known something was up when the lactation consultant in the NICU kept telling me I should rent a hospital grade pump (here I thought they were just trying to make money off of me). As a mom that’s exclusively pumping, it’s beyond frustrating to have to swap out parts midpump because the membranes get wet and lose suction. This meant I had to ... More4th time mom, but first time breastfeeding. My son was born at 31 weeks so I was unprepared for my breastfeeding journey. Call me naive, but I didn’t realize there was such a difference in the various pumps. Prior to discharge, the hospital home equipment rep brings me my pump. I was super excited because it was a nice pump that came with a cute bag and accessories. Little did I know I’d fight with it for 3 months. I should have known something was up when the lactation consultant in the NICU kept telling me I should rent a hospital grade pump (here I thought they were just trying to make money off of me). As a mom that’s exclusively pumping, it’s beyond frustrating to have to swap out parts midpump because the membranes get wet and lose suction. This meant I had to have multiple pumping setups in order to make it through the day (so much wasted money). I’d literally have to stop pumping, go swap out parts, and start over. There was cussing and tears on many occasions. I finally had enough so I bought a Spectra S2 and I love it (I love it so much I bought a second to keep at work). I also bought elvies for the portability. I wish I would have been able to research my options prior to having my little one, so I could have been better informed and educated. Ladies, I highly suggest getting a pump that has duckbills. I swear this made all the difference. I would have given it a 1 star, but it got me through the first 3 months (even though it made it way harder than it should have been).