Medela Pump In Style Advanced Backpack

The MEDELA PUMP IN STYLE ADVANCED came highly recommended from the childbirth/breastfeeding class which I took at the hospital before having our son. I knew that I would be going back to work after he was a few months old; I also knew that I would want to breastfeed until he was at least 2 years old. Thus, purchasing a high-quality breastpump that would serve me well was vitally important to me. From everything I read online, as well as the advice of the hospital, we decided to purchase the MEDELA PUMP IN STYLE ADVANCED. Because I had a long walk from the train station to my office, I decided that the backpack version was the way to go - in order to minimize neck strain. I typically carried in a backpack for work every day anyway, and so I figured it would be easy enough to put the materials I would ordinarily take in with my bookbag into the backpack of the pump.

We actually purchased the pump a few months before the baby was born. This was done because it was recommended to me by a friend to have the pump already in case I had trouble with engorgement, latch-on, etc. We were very happy that we had made this decision, as our boy unexpectedly ended up spending an extra week in the hospital after his birth, and I was not able to stay with him. During the day, I spent my time nursing him at the hospital, pumping with a hospital pump after each feeding. I used the MEDELA PUMP IN STYLE ADVANCED at night while he stayed at the hospital in order to encourage my milk production, as well as to get enough milk for him for the next night.

The Good
- The pump itself is excellent. Because I've never used any other personal-use pumps, I am unable to compare its quality with other products. However, using this pump I was able to adequately maintain my milk supply while my son was in the hospital. It also has enabled me to pump above and beyond my son's milk needs each day I am at work (he generally takes 9 ounces over three feedings, and I pump about 13-15 ounces in two sessions).

- The pump is not too loud. I had read other reviews that complained about the noise, and I haven't found it bothersome at all.

- I was glad that the pump came with the PersonalFit Breastshields, as I had to buy a large sized shield, which is fairly inexpensive when the breastshields are in 2 pieces.

- The pump itself is removable from the backpack, in its own special black container, so I can leave it at work. This is a great feature, because then I have more space in the bag for the rest of my things.

- The cooler and the bottles are great. I really appreciated that it came with 6-oz bottles, since the hospital gave us 3-oz ones, and I generally pump about 5-6 ounces from one breast at a session.

- I enjoyed the free samples that come with the pump, and they actually encouraged me to purchase some of them, so as far as advertising goes, it was an effective marketing tool to include them.

The Just O.K.
- The let-down mode is ok, I never had any trouble with let-down, so this option wasn't hugely necessary for me.

The Lame
- The let-down button is nearly impossible to reach when you are actually pumping. As other reviewers have noted THIS IS NOT A HANDS-FREE SYSTEM without purchasing a special bra. As such, you are using both hands to hold the bottles, and what do you use to hit the let-down button? A toe? I have been able to maneuver my body to get to the button, but I won't tell you that I haven't spilled milk in the process...

- The backpack is SMALL. If you are looking forward to carrying anything else in the bag along with the pump, cooler, and breastshields, think again. Its hard enough for me to get the shields and the cooler bag to fit into the main compartment, let alone a book or anything like that. The water bottle holder is too small for my Nalgene water bottle. The one side pocket isn't terrible, but it is still isn't great; I can't fit both my wallet and cell phone in there, and have to carry my cards independent from my wallet. Furthermore, as an, ahem, "rounder" woman the backpack looks ridiculously small on my back. The pictures online make it look a LOT bigger than it actually is.

- The pump is HEAVY. Now, I am not a wimpy woman; before my baby was born, even in my 8th month of pregnancy I was happily walking my 5 miles roundtrip to work each day with my bookbag full of stuff. But, add the weight of the pump with 16-20 ounces of breastmilk in bottles and a cooling unit...yeah. I suspect part of the problem is that the bag does not have a waiststrap or anything of the sort to redistribute the weight from your back.

- The instruction manual - While excellent on how to run your pump, it left out some mighty important details. For instance, should I pump on the highest setting, or just high enough to have let-down? Is it normal to have friction inside the shields? (The answer to those questions are, 1) pump on the most comfortable setting - there is no advantage to ramping it up to a higher, less tolerable speed, and 2) No, you shouldn't have friction). As a result, I spent a few months in agony with bruised (from pumping at too high of a speed) and bleeding (from friction) nipples. I eventually learned online that my symptoms indicated the need for larger breastshield. After I ordered this, pumping was much more bearable.

- The special bra that can be used to make the system hands-free does not work for any breastshield size other than the standard.

- The battery pack is essentially useless. It requires 10 AA batteries, and the batteries need to be replaced, on average, every 10-12 uses. That, for me, would mean 10 new batteries every week. We use rechargeable batteries, but we don't even own that many AAs.

In conclusion, I would still recommend the MEDELA PUMP IN STYLE ADVANCED, but would likely suggest purchasing the traditional side bag rather than the backpack. Additionally, consider using the breastpump for a few weeks before you commit to the handsfree adaptor unit, since it might be useless if you need to get larger breastshields.