Breast Pump Reviews: Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I used the Medela pump in style original shoulder bag for the first 6 months, then purchased the pump in style advanced backpack to use at work.I continue to use both.Each has its advantages and disadvantages.Bottom line--the advanced gets the milk out a little bit faster (cuts 5-10 minutes off of pumping, but I still have to pump for at least 15 minutes), and the advanced occasionally gives me an ounce or two more milk than the original, but the original was perfectly adequate too.Which one you like better will depend on your let down cycle.I spoke with Medela and they confirmed that the advanced may be difficult to use for women who experience multiple letdowns or have a difficult time letting down.

The advanced sucks quickly for 2 minutes to trigger letdown, then switches to slow, deep suction to extract the fatty hindmilk.

The advanced assumes that you will let down within the first two minutes of rapid sucking, then the rest of your milk will be expressed in the phase 2 slow suction.However, if you have several letdowns with a little bit of milk coming out each time like me, then after each cycle of letdown (when your milk stops coming out), you have to turn the unit off and then on again to put it into the initial two minute let down phase to trigger another fast letdown.It's kind of a pain, but not that big of a deal and works ok.Just be warned that the 2 minute computer program is better suited for women who have 1 big letdown and can get all of the milk out in one cycle.The other alternative is to just let the machine run in the slow sucking phase and wait for several letdowns to occur, which is exactly what you would have to do with the pump in style original anyway.

It just speeds the process to have the advanced and switch the unit off and then on again, though I'm concerned that long term this would not be good for the motor.Note that Medela actually told me that many women are having to do this though, and didn't caution me that it might break it.Here's some additional info (I haven't covered certain things that I think are adequately covered in other reviews, but if you have questions let me know):

Pros of the Original shoulder tote:
1. Simple to use, you can separately control the speed and the suction with separate knobs.
2. It's not the fastest, but is perfectly adequate at getting out a decent amount of milk. It is totally reliable.
3. It is relatively quiet.

Cons of the Original shoulder tote:
1. Takes anywhere from 5-15 minutes longer than the advanced (but before I tried the advanced I never thought that the Original was too slow or anything like that.It was not a problem.I still use it twice a day and think it's fine).
2. Cooler isn't removable.Motor isn't removable.

Pros of the Advanced backpack:
1. Good storage pockets.More storage than the Original Traveler backpack, which I saw in the store.
2. Cooler and motor are removable.
3. Speeds up the pumping process by 5-15 minutes.Seems to give a bit more milk than the Original (but it doesn't double the amount of anything like that).

Cons of the Advanced backpack:
1. The microfiber bag on the advanced backpack and tote looks a little cheap.The Original traveler backpack looks better quality.
2. The unit is loud.
3. A bit more complicated to use, especially if you are just starting out pumping for the first time and don't know your letdown cycle too well.The instruction booklet stinks, so I would recommend calling Medela for tips about when to turn the unit off and then back on again to trigger letdown if you are having problems.
4. There is only one control for both speed and suction.The instruction book doesn't tell you this (at least not that I can recall seeing), but fyi the Medela rep told me to actually turn the knob "down" when you want to increase the suction on the advanced, because that means slower, harder sucking on the advanced (on the original you would turn the suction knob "up" to mean harder sucking).

A word about the manufacturer's defects: I researched this and spoke with Medela reps several times about it.There were 2 defects with the new model.First, the diaphragm faceplate on the early models pops off or is not snug, leading to weaker suction.Second, in the early model the rubber port plug that you need to keep plugged in when double pumping slips out, leading to weaker suction as well.In response, Medela did a subtle redesign of the faceplate which should cure the problem, and that's why you see people saying they've received replacement faceplates.

Problem is, there is no way to tell if you are purchasing old stock or new stock, even from a big retailer like buy buy baby, so you won't know if you are getting one with the new model faceplate or not until it's too late.Just try to get the retailer to confirm that it's stock recently came from Medela.Once you buy it, check out the plug and faceplate, if it seems to be coming off or slipping out, call Medela and they should send you the replacement for free.Also, fyi, www.momsmaternity.com has the advanced shoulder tote and backpack for only $236.I just got it and it was brand new and works fine, plus they were very nice.This is not a plug for that website, since there are other internet sites that have it for as low as $204, I just wanted to share my good experience with that website fyi.

In summary, the Original is perfectly adequate, but the Advanced is good if you want to save a few minutes, as long as you understand letdown cycles enough to be able to know when to turn it off and back on again if necessary.The Original is good because it's stood the test of time and is totally reliable and simple to use.I wouldn't purchase the advanced over the Original unless you think saving 5-10 minutes each time is important and getting 1 ounce or so more milk is worth the extra cost.It may work better for you than that, but I wouldn't expect it necessarily.I bought the advanced thinking it was going to double the amount that I pump out and cut pumping down from 20 to 5 minutes, and that hasn't happened(although it may work that way for you, just no guarantee), though I do appreciate the few minutes it saves each day.

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Product Description:
The Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump with Shoulder Bag by Medela is perfect for the active mother.It"s all in the bag with this handy kit.Kit includes the Pump In Style Advanced Breastpump that fits securely in the stylish black microfiber shoulder bag.The Natural Expression pumping is designed for faster milk flow and feels more like your baby than any other pump.The customized pumping with adjustable speed and vacuum control lets you pump at a comfortable pace.

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