Parent Paraphernalia: Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump

Throughout my pregnancy, I always had the intention of giving Cooper breastmilk, given that my milk came in and my supply was sufficient.

 I purchased the Medela In Style Advanced pump, probably two months before I even gave birth. I suppose I had this glorious image that I would feed Cooper directly from the breast, and pump in the interim to keep up my supply.

 Having only tried this pump, I’ll be honest that I certainly cannot compare it to other brands (as there are several others out there). Truthfully, when I created my baby registry (stay tuned for a post on this experience!), I was so overwhelmed by how many products were offered, that I just chose this one since it was reviewed so well.

 I purchased the backpack model. It came with the pump (obviously), two 24mm breast shields, four bottles that attach directly to the breast shields, a carrying cooler for storage and travel, an ice pack, a 9-volt adapter and a battery pack for on-the-go power.

 So far, this pump has served me well. I’ve been using it every single day, every five hours or so. I pair it with my Kiinde Twist breastfeeding system, which I love! Check back for a write-up on this system. I hadn't had any issues, up until after using it for about three weeks. I noticed that after getting all set up and turning the pump on, the suction was not getting all the way to my nipples.

 I contacted Medela and they did some troubleshooting, which consisted of taking the faceplate off of the pump, checking that all dials and parts were still in place (which they were) and taking a damp cloth and wiping off the diaphragm. I’m not really sure how that has anything to do with the suction, but after I did that, the suction started working successfully.

 Naturally, after I hung up with the Customer Service representative (pretty good customer service, too!) and got set up to pump a few hours later, the suction issue was still there.

I discovered that if the white membranes, which are pictured below, are lifted up even slightly, you will experience a suction issue. To resolve this, I make sure that the membranes are pushed down and are flush against the piece. When you buy the pump, you are given extra membranes, so you can always change them out.

 Overall, I would recommend this pump for mothers. It travels well, is pretty quiet, and doesn’t require a ton of pieces to clean after use. It’s also at a decent price point, which for new moms, is something we all like to be conscious of.