Make sure you lock the doors and close the windows before use! (Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Freedom Breast Pump)

Member Name: Lunar13

Product:	Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Freedom Breast Pump
Date:	24/04/09 (571 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good value for money and easy to use

Disadvantages: Causes hand cramp when used for longer periods

I knew when I first found out that I was pregnant that I wanted to breastfeed my baby. A little naively that was about as much thought as I put into it until I was 7 months pregnant. I had kept asking my partner when we were going to get round to buying everything that we needed as I had only got a few items of clothing up to that point. I wanted to invest in a breast pump as I wanted other people to be able to feed my son but really didn't want to give him formula.

When we finally went out on a huge shopping trip to say we were overwhelmed was an understatement. I had a list of everything I had decided we needed and on this list was a breast pump. We stood in the feeding isle in toys are us completely confused by the array of items in front of us. It was actually one of the shop staff that pointed us in the direction of the Tommee Tippee closer to nature freedom breast pump. She suggested this as it was half price at the time and advised me that if I found I would need to use a pump on a regular basis then I might want to look at investing in an electric pump. The normal price of the Tommee Tippee closer to nature freedom breast pump is £24.99 however there always seems to be special offers on them, even the direct website has them reduced to £17.99 at the moment.

http://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/closer_to_n ature_freedom_breast_pump/

We got the pump home along with everything else we had bought and put it to one side, it was much more fun for me to set up the nursery and fiddle about with all the cute things that we had bought. Fast forward a few weeks and I brought my new baby boy home from the hospital. For the first 2 weeks breastfeeding was very difficult without thinking about pumping as well.

My baby was about 3 weeks old when I first took the pump out of the box. Inside it contains;

1 sterilising box and lid
1 bottle
1 breast pump adaptor
2 valves
1 pump
1 handle
1 solid lid for the bottle
1 size one silicone teat and cap
1 instruction manual
6 breast pads

The instruction manual for using this pump is extensive and lucky for me it is also on the Tommee Tippee website, I have a bad habit of losing these things.

http://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/UserFiles/Manuals/ct n_breastpump_instructions.pdf

After following the instructions to clean and sterilise all the pieces I sat with with all the pieces in front of me ready to assemble it. For the most part it was easy with the exception of pushing the handle into the pump, it took me about 10 minutes to attach them together as it is a very tight fit.

With some trepidation I went to use the pump for the first time. You have to rest your breast into the holder, this is cone shaped so is designed to be 'one size fits all'. I have to say though I think if I was any bigger then it would have been very difficult to use this pump, if you are bigger than a D cup before pregnancy you might want to look at other options.

Once you are sat comfortably and the pump is in place you have to squeeze the handle in order to start expressing milk. I started very gently to get used to the sensation and gradually built up the
pressure I was using. The first time I used the pump I only used it for 10 minutes and had expressed about 10mls I then moved to the other side and did the same again. I carried on using the pump once a day for a week and by the end of the week I was managing to express 90-120mls in half an hour. After 30 minutes of pumping my hand was feeling crampy from squeezing the handle of the pump. Other than that I found it pretty easy and hassle free once I was into the swing of it. If you plan to store breast milk you will have to buy special freezer bags that you can pick up in most supermarkets or baby shops like Mothercare. While the sensation from using the pump is a little odd it is not at all painful, and because this is a manual pump you are able to regulate the pressure yourself.


Once I had a small supply of milk frozen I decided it would be a good idea to try giving him some. Using a bottle my partner went to feed him. My baby didn't have a clue what to do, he had absolutely no idea how to feed from a bottle. 30 minutes and lots of crying later we pretty much gave up on the idea. I am having a full year off work and have never left him with anyone even at 6 months so the pump went away for the next 5 months.

I am using the pump again now to build up a supply in the freezer as I will be going for some surgery next week, hopefully just day surgery but you never know. I have actually spent the last 3 weeks getting him used to drinking from an open top cup. If you do store breast milk you should only keep it in the freezer for 12 weeks before it needs to be discarded.

If you want any more information on breastfeeding this is a useful link

http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/

Overall even though I haven't used this pump as much as I initially thought I would, I would say it is a good buy for the price and is handy to be familiar with if you discover you will have to be away from your baby for any length of time. Just don't expect that your breastfed baby will know how to feed form a bottle. I think if you had to go back to work early and pump loads an electric pump would be better to save you from hand cramp. Remember that no pump will be as effective as your baby for this job.

There is no sign of damage or wearing to any of the parts in the time I have had this product and it is easy to store in the plastic box you get with it for sterilising. All the parts are completely free from BPA, otherwise known as Bisphenol A.

Summary: If you plan to breastfeed this is a handy item to have on standby