Medela Free Syle Breast Pump

So I am an exclusively pumping and working momma. I was so excited when I heard about this pump. It is easy to transport between the house and work. It offered cool features like being cordless. THIS IS THE WORST PUMP I HAVE. I am a strong advocate for all things Medela, but this thing is a piece of junk. First, this thing sucks and I don't mean literally. Even on the highest setting I don't get an effective pump. I leave a pumping session in more pain than ever due to milk not being removed from my breasts. Second, the dang parts for this pump are not interchangeable with my other Advanced pump. The parts are expensive and malfunction often. And one of my last of many complaints - this thing is meant to latch on to your clothing, etc. so you can freely move around..... its too heavy to hang off anything! As a medical professional I believe this pump is possibly the worst product out there and I am so disappointed that I spent my money on such a worthless product. For a momma of a baby who physically can't latch and spends so much time on the other side of the pump I am so frustrated that this product is even offered. I know you are also probably thinking "is she using it right? Are the parts put together right? etc." YES AND IT IS STILL A PIECE OF POO! Don't bother.

Just made this purchase all tubing is missing machine will not turn on what a waste of money customer care is terrible

This pump is great for working moms! With the cute water/milk resistant bag, I felt comfortable bringing it anywhere. I also got the strapless bra so you can wear the pump around. It was very helpful to wear & just clip the pump on your clothes when getting ready for work in the morning. Pumping isn't fun at all, but because this was easy to use, I was able to pump longer than I thought after returning to work!

This is my second time purchasing the Freestyle pump. Third Medela pump in all. My last Freestyle was purchased over 6 years ago. It is still working perfectly! I use it at work 3 times a day. So convenient! Don't need to be attached to the wall, portable. Able to pump anywhere. Love how small just the pump is. Really good power. Now my more recently purchased pump doesn't seem to have as good as power, initially. Which is very surprising compared to my much older pump. I have to up the settings to be at the same suction as my older pump. It still works well, I was just excited when I first turned it on how quite it was, but in reality it is not with the increased power setting. I keep it at home and pump in the morning getting ready for work with it. Still love that I can move about with it. Definitely saves me time. I wouldn't buy anything else. Was just hoping that my newer pump was going to appear more efficient compared to my much older/well loved pump.

I bought the Medala Freestyle in hope to use it quick and easy at work. The first time I used it, one breast did not even come close to emptying. The second time I used it, I had zero let down after 30 minutes and I had to power pump just to get anything. The third time I tried it, absolutely nothing I did could make it work. Definitely not satisfied and definitely not worth the money.

I had such high hope for my pump. I should have done more research. This one is cumbersome with the part alignment and very inconsistent. I dread pumping and even have bought multiple sets of part replacements trying to make it a better experience.

So sad other moms aren't having as good of an experience with this pump as I am. I do agree with other reviews that at times the parts are annoying to put together and I've had to take them apart to feel like I was getting the full suction, but this con is nothing compared to all the pros. I'm up and out of the house before my daughter wakes up in the morning and the portability to this pump allows me to sleep longer. I can get my morning things done and pump at the same time! My daughter is a big eater and this pump has allowed me to keep her exclusively breastfed for almost 5 months now (hoping we have a lot of months left to go). I was nervous about the noise, but have had no issues. I pump in my cubicle at work and my co-workers tell me it's so quiet they can't even tell when I'm pumping. I'm a first time mom so I can compare to other pumps, but I'm very happy with this one.

I had such high hope for my pump. I should have done more research. This one is cumbersome with the part alignment and very inconsistent. I dread pumping and even have bought multiple sets of part replacements trying to make it a better experience.

I've been using this for three and a half months now and have been exclusively pumping for two months. The product originally worked great, and the cooler bag and carrying bag were very helpful and got a lot of use. First issue started when suction would stop if there was a slight issue with the tubes. They had to lay exactly right for there to be any suction - so change your posture in order to make sure the tubes are happy in the particular position they like. Next issue we had was measuring the milk, as the bottles provided are very inaccurate with thick lines. We never measure the milk in the Medela bottles, but pour them into another brand's bottle to measure and drink. Next was the biggest problem - suction would regularly stop in one of the bottles. At first, it could be fixed by taking the pump apart, rubbing it down to make sure there wasn't any trace of residue, and rebuild. After that stopped working I took to putting elastic bands around the pump to hold it tight together, as the seals wouldn't stay tight. I have the handless pump bra, but would have to hold the pumps together to complete a seal and have suction. The elastic bands allowed me to have hands-free again, for 2 weeks... then the suction went completely in one of the pumps. Now I have to use one pump at a time. Already spending 3hrs a day pumping and trying to get a half hour break with the baby to get a pumping session in, it's completely unmanageable now that I'm down to 1 pump. I've spend countless hours troubleshooting this product and it just breaks over and over again in new ways. Save your energy and avoid it.

I bought this pump hoping it would help ease the whole pumping on the go, so far im really enjoying it i can clean the house and cook and so on while pumping makes it so much easier. No more being trapped to a machine.

My wife had a standalone unit but it was very restricting. We purchased the Freestyle and she uses it daily and at work!! It saves her an enormous amount of time, being able to get ready for work in the morning while pumping and also taking care of our daughter while doing the same!! I am glad we made this purchase!! Suction is great, it even is able to pump faster than the standalone unit we have (not medela)!!

Went with the Freestyle for the versatility. But randomly one side won't work well and so I have to pump one side at a time which doubles the length of the entire process and makes me nervous when I'm traveling and can't just breastfeed. I tried buying new shields and tubing and that didn't fix the problem. The lactation consultant at our pediatrician told me I need to use it plugged in for it to work right which completely defeats the purpose of getting the Freestyle. So disappointed in this product.

My medela freestyle was wonderful when I had my first child 2 yrs ago. However, with my 2nd baby - I pulled the pump out of storage and it has so suction! I have had multiple Mom friends try to troubleshoot and none of us can figure it out! Very disappointing since you pay a lot of money and expect the pump to work fir another child!

I bought this pump when it first came out back in 2009 during my first preganancy. I used it for two of my babies and it's amazing. At the time, we travelled and move a lot and I worked at a place that doesn't have any room to pump. I sat in my car a lot and it's so discreet and portable that it's so great when you don't have a designated lactation room. It's also very comfortable to use and didn't hurt me. Other friends who were also pumping had other brands and complaint how painful other pumps are, not this one! I eventually passed it on to my sister in law and then she was able to passed it on to her sister and still going strong! I highly recommend this specially for traveling and or working moms.

I have several other pumps from my first pregnancy. One pump is a Medela, the other is a store brand. Both did ok, but both had issues - my original Medela, only one side worked and it made pumping extremely difficult. My husband purchased this as a surprise for me so I could have more freedom. I'm able to move around while pumping, it's extremely portable, and if you take the time to learn how to assemble and disassemble, it's quite easy. I purchased a bottle brush set to clean the hard to reach spots and use the Medela wipes a lot when I'm on the go or at work. I have had the liquid gold spill out the back, but it was because I had bent over and had forgotten that it can leak that way. I highly recommend this product along with a nursing bra - it is a game changer and really is worth the investment! The only true negative is the cost - if the price point was lower, it could be accessible to many more families and help so many women who a product like this.

I bought this pump over 3 months ago. I bought this pump because my insurance wouldn't cover it and it was a waste of money! I exclusively pump and can only pump one side at a time because it doesn't have enough power to do two sides at once. It also makes noises where it's about to just go out. The power button I have to push more than once just to get it to turn on. I am now not able to completely empty pumping.

I got the freestyle pump as my baby shower gift, was very excited as it was rated as one of the best pumps. Once I have birth to my baby, I found the pump really hard to use. If the parts arent placed exactly the way it's suppose to, the suction is weak. I can. Get more milk with my hands than the pump. I used my friends pump in style and it seemed to have better suction and easier to use. The positive point for this pump is that you can go anywhere with it.

Hate:
It's dripping my liquid gold out of the back. For as much as I paid for this pump and when every drop matters, I am sad I have to deal with this.
The pieces are hard to get back together after washing. The suction strength goes in and out.
Love:
I like that it's easy to transport. I like the rechargeable battery, So I can pump in the car on the go. I'm also impressed it's keeping my supply strong! I exclusively pump and I'm praising Jesus I haven't had any supply issues this time!!

As a embark on my second pregnancy I'm debating which pump to purchase... I never expected to need a new pump for every child. I loved this pump when it worked, but after a year of pumping one side stopped working. I tried changing out the tubing and it didn't work. I'm sad this was the problem because the conveince of this pump was excellent... so now I'm not sure if it is worth spending the extra money for this pump again for this baby if the same thing is going to happen... torn!

I will be returning this product. It is rediculously loud - measured as high as 60db and the vibrating rattles my brain to the point I have a headache after pumping. I also can't use it in bed because it wakes my husband, which means night time pumps are excrutiating because you need to venture out to pump somewhere else in the house in the middle of the night, cold and half asleep. Like other ladies have said, one side does feel like it has less suction (regardless of how I position it and having checked all connections) and it just doesn't get enough milk; usually I can get around 180 or 200ml from a 15 minute express with the lactina, the freestyle takes around 25 minutes to produce around 150ml (even at the highest setting) which just isn't good enough and leaves you sore from engorgement. Absolutely would not recommend.

My first son was born in October of 2014. I used the freestyle with the same tubing and accessories for a year with him no issues. I'm only repurchasing a new tubing and accessories because I don't want to have any issues continuing to pump with the same pump 3 years later! I'm not sure I needed to do this, but I'd rather spend the money than be at work in a jam because of issues with tubing or battery or membranes. I do wish the replacement items were more reasonably priced since the pump itself was so expensive to begin with.

Sad to see it dint work for other mommies.
I am a first time mom and first time pump user and knew nothing about pumps. Started by renting a Symphony from the hospital for two weeks, but transition from Symphony to free style was as easy. Never felt the power was low which was my first fear seeing the size of the motor. Light weight and easy to carry to work or during travel and worked well for an exclusive pumping mom like me. Was able to produce the same output compared to Symphony

I ordered this pump because of its portability but I have not been satisfied with it. The parts are difficult to put together and it seems like if everything isn't lined up just right then it doesn't have enough suction to achieve a letdown. Sometimes I have to take the flanges apart a few times before it works, and moms spend enough time pumping without this hassle. I prefer my older pump, it's simple and the parts are fast to assemble, not to mention it was the basic double electric pump and much less expensive than this one.

After about a month of having your pump, only one side works and the other one does not have enough suction. I've tried changing the tubes to the other side but only one side works. It's frustrating when I want to pump on both sides but when the one pump does work, it is nice. Also, I never received my check for paying for it in cash in my insurance paid me back.