I hope you are all thriving and experiencing copious amounts of namastè.
As you know, I'm a product LOVER!!! And the product I'm loving today is the Medela Pump In Style Advanced. (NOTE...I DID NOT RECEIVE COMPENSATION FOR THIS REVIEW FROM MEDELA US. This was a personal purchase, of my own volition, with my own money. This is my honest experience.)
The PISA is Medela's popular double electric pump. It comes highly recommended, so right before Baby Namastè was born, I went and got one. (Enter good information--your insurance may cover all or part of the cost for a breast pump! Do look into it.)
... TADA!!! In all its glory, my Medela PISA...
Now...I am a traveling mommy. I like convenient, portable, and uncomplicated gear for my adventures. Naturally, I chose the PISA with the backpack. I love how it doesn't scream, BREAST PUMP BAG!!! It's actually pretty sleek, yet has a good amount of storage. When I'm out with it, it literally becomes my purse. It even has a pouch on the side for a water bottle, and we all know how important hydration is for nursing/pumping moms.
The PISA itself is small but rather solid. It's very straightforward. The motor is inside a canvas like case, with velcro closures and a small strap atop it for carrying. It came with two 5 ounce bottles & caps, a set of 24 mm flanges (I call them horns!), a set of tubing, and a set of valves and connectors.
I have the 9-volt power cord. (I also purchased a battery pack and car charger, as I wanted to get maximum use.)
Note: The flanges come in different sizes. The 24 mm is standard. I use a 27 mm.
Getting down to brass tacks.
I set up, got my drink (I always have a SmartWater or cranberry juice handy when I pump.) & sat down to pump. It took me all of a single minute to get everything ready to go.
This was my first time ever using a breast pump, and my milk was just coming in. I have forceful letdowns and Baby Namastè was nursing like a champ, but I still needed to hand express a bit beforehand so he wouldn't be sprayed.
I. DESPISE. HAND. EXPRESSING.
It's painful and slow.
Anyway...I hooked up to the pump and turned it on. The pump itself is fairly quiet, although mine sounds like it's saying "milk maid, milk maid, milk maid" over and over.
In my first ever session, I got 10 ounces!!!
The PISA became my best friend that day.
But there have been missteps, my own of course. Most women will not need the high setting. (I learned this when after a day or so of overzealous pumping, my nips resembled hamburger meat.)
Alas...I persevered. I got my setting corrected after a chat with one of Medela's lactation specialists. I utilized those free Medela University classes.
I have traveled many times with the PISA. It's not cumbersome. The car adaptor gives the same power as its power cord. And the battery pack has made pumping easy in some of my more interesting sessions (the Circle Line cruise in NYC, Maggiano's restaurant here in Georgia--I could go on but you get the point. I feed my son anywhere, and I pump [almost] anywhere!!!)
Medela has an entire line of accessories and cleaning solutions for their pumps. I literally have them all. My favorites are the TenderCare lanolin (for that week when I didn't recognize the PISA's strength), the Breast Shells (same), and the Medela Quick clean wipes and breastmilk removal soap. I carry them, along with the Quick Steam microwaveable bags, in my pump bag for sanitation.
I GIVE THIS PUMP 5 STARS.
I like the ease of use. I like how easy it is to find replacement parts. I like how infrequently I need replacement parts, as they are all quite durable!
The only con I can think of for the PISA is that the tubing can gather condensation. Easily fixed, by simply hooking up the power cord and tubes and letting go the pump run for a few minutes. Definitely not a deal breaker. I'm six months strong with my PISA and haven't had any mechanical problems. I honestly feel like it has helped me continue breastfeeding as long as I have. Pumping is time consuming, but with good equipment and quality customer service, it's well worth it to invest in the Medela PISA.
Namastè!
☆ Tayè
