Pump up the volume... (Medela Mini Electric Pump)

Member Name: SugarSpun

Product:	Medela Mini Electric Pump
Date:	12/09/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Small, compact and easy to assemble

Disadvantages: LOUD.

Before I start I want to clarify how I'm using the pump - it supplements rather than replaces breastfeeding, so I'm only pumping 2-3 times a day as opposed to the three-hourly pumping I'd need if the monster were taking breast milk exclusively from the bottle. It allows Daddy to get in on the feeding occasionally and allows Mummy to go out sometimes without the infant in tow, but we're primarily breastfeeding.

I bought the electric pump having heard horror stories of people spending hours with a manual pump and ending up with muscles like Popeye ... but on only one side.

I'm not disappointed at all. This mini pump is much cheaper than many of the larger models out there but does a wonderful job. The box contains the battery pack, the pump attachment (a soft plastic tube with a funnel for the breast, a valve to allow milk to flow through and a place to attach the battery pack), a bottle to catch expressed milk, a stand for the whole thing and a mains adaptor. The whole thing was £49.99, but you can find it cheaper according to one of the other reviews so shop around.

The battery pack requires 2 AA batteries. I'm using rechargeable ones and they last about three or four weeks, although since my baby's quite a hungry one and I'm not exclusively expressing the pump doesn't get the use it would if I was expressing all the time.

The pump fits together very easily. The motor fastens into the breastshield with two twists and the bottle screws into the bottom of the shield. The valve is positioned at the top of the bottle neck. Simple assembly that can be done very quickly and with one hand and two knees to hold one part between if you have to.

The pump has variable suction, but you should always start it on minimum and work up. Place the funnel over the breast and turn it on, turning it up as and when you're comfortable. When you're finished, you can store the bottle in the fridge, transfer the milk to another bottle for fridge storage or empty the milk into sterile breastmilk freezer bags, where it will keep for up to three months.

The only downside to this pump is the noise - the motor makes a lawnmower sort of sound and can be extremely annoying. It's also completely indiscreet - you'd have to be very self-confident to take it to work and pump in a toilet stall, for example!

Sterilise the funnel and the bottle after every use - this is where the mini pump falls down, I think - my manual pump came with a microwave steriliser container and it would have been a useful addition to the pack.

Summary: A great pump for people who don't have the time or energy for a manual pump