Praises for the Freestyle

As a working mom, expressing milk is a regular part of my daily routine.  Unfortunately, I never learned to efficiently hand express milk-  hence, my reliance on electric pumps.  For my previous nursling, I used an Ameda Elite at the office and a Lansinoh pump at home.  For this nursling, I was able to purchase my Freestyle as a special deal from the exclusive Philippine distributors - MedelaMoms - and I have to say, this product is my top favorite pump! Honestly, I don't agree with the marketing ploys and strategies of Medela - particularly Medela USA.  However, I have to say that Swiss technology is indeed superior and the Freestyle pump rocks!

just pumped

tiny Freestyle at work

Since I bring the pump to and from the office, what I love most about it is its portability.  You can see here that the pump fits on the palm of my hand.  Although it is small, it packs a lot of power in terms of stimulation and suction.  I love Medela's 2-phase expression, too.  The two-phase expression mimics the suction style of babies - from fast short sucks to encourage milk flow to slower, gulping sucks once the milk has started flowing. 

packing my liquid gold for my hungry E

As with most Medela pumps, the Freestyle comes with its own bag - in utilitarian black plus a small bag with blue cooling element and 4 storage bottles.  Since I pump four times a day, the 4 bottles are enough to hold my expressed milk at the end of the day.  Also, I live close to work (15-20minutes away) so I don't really maximize the use of the cooling element.

getting ready to go home

What I don't like about the Freestyle? The noise!  It is definitely a machine and you can hear the "rrr, rrr, rrr" sound it makes especially when I'm at the highest speed or suction setting.  I usually put it inside the bag or cover it with my nursing cover (when not in use) to drown out the sound.

And of course, compared to other pumps, the price of the Freestyle is higher.  I would think that this price tag comes with the portability and the digital design of the Freestyle.  If you are a stay at home mom or a work at home mom, you don't really need to pump frequently, so you can choose different, less expensive pump.  There are also other pumps which are also suitable for working moms - which are not as expensive - but are also not as portable.

To be honest, I had long wanted to buy the Freestyle.  However, I had issues with Medela USA especially on marketing strategies.  They had just introduced the Calma at that time and I wasn't too happy with how it was marketed.  Don't get me wrong - I love the products - E uses a Calma nipple!  It's just the marketing ethics that I had issues with.  Medela Philippines is actually a different company from Medela USA and I am happy that the MedelaMoms are doing their own projects and activities to promote breastfeeding and not just their pumps.  I previously did a post on The Medela House which needs an update in view of the increased activities/projects they now have such as a milk bank and seminars, among others.

Ok, I digress - as a pumping and working mom, I use my Freestyle 5x a day from Monday to Friday and once a day on Saturdays and Sundays. Plus, with my experience with N, I expect to pump at work for at least 2 years (of course, with reduced frequency). Hence, I definitely need a sturdy and durable pump.  When I stated this concern to MedelaMoms Maricel, she assured me that the Freestyle was most definitely a workhorse and could keep up with my pumping demands.

So far, I have been using the Freestyle for 3 months and it is serving me well.  So would I recommend this pump? Most definitely yes to a full-time work out of home mom!  It is small, very portable, easy to use and efficient.  But if price is an issue, there are other pumps that a working mom can purchase so she can still continue giving breastmilk to her child even if separated for more than 8 hours a day.

To purchase the Freestyle, email Medela Moms or contact them at 09175614366.  From Medela Moms mailer: Our products are suited to the Philippine setting of 220v, 60Hz.  Don't unduly tax your motor or suffer through sub-optimal pump performance with power sources that are 110v, 50Hz.