Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This sucks. Quite literally in fact! I was lucky enough to have a sweet baby that was born 5 weeks premature. She was perfect in every way but had to spend 3 of those extra weeks in the NICU. (I think they just wanted more time with her) One of the many perks that we were provided is the "Pump for Preemie Program". They allow you to take home a hospital grade breast pump (also a Medela) and hold your baby as collateral. It sounds like I am joking but when they were releasing her from the NICU, I had 5 nurses call me to make sure I brought the pump or else they wouldn't let me take her home. Literally 5! That pump was amazing - it has a better suction than the personal use pumps but that is not always a good thing. The main difference is that I had to pump for longer using this pump than with the hospital grade to get the same amount. It was just an extra couple of minutes. The longer pump time is MORE than worth the price difference. The hospital grade ones are insanely expensive ( but you can rent them if you wanna try it out - try Babies-R-Us) On to this pump - It's a great deal. You get a portable pump, ice pack, power plug, bottles and accessories. You will certainly need additional accessories but Medela makes that easy by offering a lot of "gift packs" or "new mom" kits. The breast pump I ended up with had the "On the go tote" that is pictured here but they also offer a backpack or a "Metro" messenger bag. (I suggest you go for the tote and get the CheekyTummy diaper backpack or use it with the Boba 4g baby carrier that has straps on the shoulder to help hold your bags.That keeps arms open to block strangers (and Grandma) from kissing on your baby and waking him up.) This pump can be run on A/C power or 8 AA batteries. They make it significantly heavier, so get to the plug when you can. It is designed to be a double pump but you can always use it on just one breast. The breast shields come in medium- I don't have huge boobs and my nipples didn't grow 3 sizes, like the grinch's heart, so those worked well for me. The larger sizes that I tried at the hospital would try to suck in my entire boob and my will to live. A good way to tell if you have the right size is to see what is sucking in and rubbing. If all of your nipple is rubbing/chaffing against the inside of the flange, than you probably need to try the next size up. It should fit the center of the flange and by the middle of the pump you will see it has reached maximum size is gliding along the inner edges smoothly. If it is sucking in areola and nipple - it's too big. I got one of the "hands free" bras to go with it. The idea is great - pump without having to hold two little milk troughs to your chest. The execution makes it hard. I would suggest trying it with a tight tank top first. Just channel Regina George from Mean Girls and cut holes on each nipple and stick the flange through. Honestly, your probably not walking around and pumping as it is your only chance to actually sit down. Some well placed pillows will hold up the bottles so you can pump, check facebook, and continue to rock the baby's swing so she doesn't wake up mid-let down. This pump is quiet - but not silent. It's like an aggressive, nipple sucking, purring cat. They have quieter ones on the market but I am not sure they can hold up the level of suction over the long term. The hoses can build up quite a bit of condensation in them, which can mold. Make sure to air them out whenever you see little droplets in them. You can point the tubes downward put the pump on full blast without the breast shields on and let it air out the hoses before let down starts. You can also use rubbing alcohol to clean them but I never tried that. All in all, this is a wonderful product. I am glad I spent the extra dollars and went for Medela over an off brand. The replacement parts are easy to find. I would highly recommend it - it will be your best friend and your worst enemy!