I feel I really need to post a few blog entries about pumping because I have so many suggestions and tips for people, but no one ever really talks about pumping out loud!
First of all, for those of you getting ready to pump, I recommend the Medela products. They're the only ones I considered. I bought and use the Medela Pump In Style Metro with the shoulder bag. The motor, instead of being built into the bag, actually comes out, so you can take it out and carry it around with you if using the battery pack, rather than having to carry the whole bag.
The bag itself is spacious enough to carry the little cooler (which fits up to six bottles and an ice pack),
the motor box,
the loose pieces (flanges, membranes, valves, etc.), and a tube of Clorox wipes (we'll get to that in a minute). I complain that the bag is too big, but I'm afraid that if it were smaller, I would complain that I couldn't fit everything into it that I need, so that complaint is kind of a washout.
Which pump to buy?
When I was pregnant, my husband's company set me up with a lactation consultant, and I asked her recommendation about what pump to buy. She recommended the Metro to me. She said that the only advantage of the Freestyle was that it was hands-free, but she said that wasn't really a plus considering you can buy bras that make the Metro hands-free, as well. She also told me that the Freestyle is a lot louder than the Metro.
Now I have not heard the Freestyle, so I can't vouch for how loud it is, but I can tell you that the Metro isn't quiet. If I'm pumping in bed watching television with my husband, I have to place a pillow over the motor because it's so loud. I'm guessing that the Freestyle is only slightly louder.
My main complaint with the Metro is that it's not hands-free! Yes, I bought the hands-free bra, and it works great for me, but I would much prefer not to have to wear it. It gets dirty quickly because despite all efforts I usually tend to leak a bit onto it, then washing it is a pain the ass because no matter when I do it, I usually always need it again before it's finished drying.
Another advantage of the Freestyle is that it uses rechargeable batteries (I think). I can tell you that the Metro sucks up the energy from eight AA batteries quite quickly, and rather then use up my paychecks buying batteries, I use the plug option whenever possible, which means that I’m bound to one spot while pumping.
All in all, if I were to do it again, I would hands-down (pun intended) buy the Medela Pump In Style Freestyle, and honestly, I would probably go with the backpack option. I would imagine that would be pretty convenient to walk around while pumping using the rechargeable battery pack.
Hands-free bras
If you go with the Metro, I recommend you buy two hands-free bras so that you can wash one while using the other. I also recommend that you buy a larger size than you need. This is a tip I came across by accident! Bryleigh was crying in the baby store when I bought mine, so I grabbed the first one I saw and never even thought to look at the size. When I got home, I realised I had bought a large when I needed a small. Unfortunately I bought it when I was out of town and couldn’t exchange it in the near future, so I just started using it. However, I tend to put it on over my clothing, so the large really works well for that! The room in which I pump at work is freezing, so if I'm wearing a sweater, I can lift up the front of the sweater and pull the large hands-free bra down over it, and because it's too big, it works, and I get to stay relatively warm!
