Medela Harmony vs. Avent ISIS

[sdgilliland]

I have seen lots of postive feedback on the ISIS pumps, but not much feedback at all on the Harmony from Medela. I am planning on renting the PIS from the hospital, but wanted to purchase a manual to keep for on-the-go convenience. I thought it made sense to buy the same brand of manual pump that the hospitals reccommened in electric. But after reading all the ISIS feedback I'm really confused!

Also, I am registering for Playtex Nurser bottles w/ the disposable liners & wanted to make sure either pump will be compatible with these bottles. Any feedback would be helpful! Thanks!!

Selina

[JTsMom]

I don't know anything about the Harmony, but I can tell you I had zero success with the Isis. I literally could not get a drop with it.

I don't think any hospital rents out PIS's. Medela does make a rental, but it is not a PIS- can't remember the name. Ameda also does a hospital rental, and an at home-electric. People have their individual preferences- I like the Ameda rental slightly better than the Medela. I also like the Purely Yours (Ameda's version of the PIS), and it is much less expensive.

I don't know about bottle compatibility b/c I always pumped into either Medela or Ameda bottles.

Just wanted to let you know that not everyone likes the Isis, and their are more choices out there!

[shoppinggal]

I rented a hospital pump for the first two months and then I purchased a Lactina. But I NEVER left the house w/o my Harmony in my bag. I loved it. Obviously I didn't get as much milk with the Harmony as the Lactina but it was a great unit - easy to use and not as many little parts as the Isis. I used it at least once a day for 7.5 months and it held up beautifully. I got one for my SIL who loved it too.

[MonicaH]

I got the Harmony when I had to go on an overseas business trip. DD went with me so I didn't have to pump to keep up my supply, just so she could eat while I was working.

I got it because the parts were compatible with the ones I already had for the PIS. It does work for the occasional bottle or relief of engorgement. The handle starts to sound like there is an air leak after 10 minutes or so of pumping but it always works great for me when I try it the next time.

Hope that helps!

Monica

[jgriffin]

I used the Harmony a lot; once or twice a day for months. It can be a bit hard on your hands after awhile (I found so especially at the end of the day), but I got a reasonable amount of milk pumped in 10-15 minutes. It's very compact, and fit in a small cooler. I took it everywhere (parties, weddings, weekend trips) and it held up well.

I also had a Medela PISA, so I was able to use the same bottles (and valves), which was nice. I don't know if they are compatible with Playtex bottles.

HTH!

Jen

[jasmine_bay]

Jen,

How long did it take you to pump with the PISA vs. the Harmony? I had bought the Isis with Emily but was frustrated with it and was thinking about getting either a Harmony or sucking it up and getting a PISA this time around. I just didn't know if the PISA made it any faster to pump, which would be my main consideration. I'll be a SAHM so I'd only use it for the occassional bottle when we go out.

[SeekerMage]

I LOVE the Harmony...I have the PIS and used it to death with Lil'bit and havent touched it once with Turtle...I got the Harmony and like my LC said love it more then the pis...I had carpal tunnel really bad when I was pregnant and for a while right after he was born and had no problem pumping with it. I highly recommend it!

[jgriffin]

Ooops, sorry, just saw this.

This was my schedule when pumping:
-Wake up, nurse E off one side (dreamfeed)
-Pump other side with Harmony (usually ~15 minutes, 4-6oz; sometimes I would pump a bit off the nursed side, if I had time)
-At work, I double-pumped 3x with the PISA, ~20 minutes (longer if I had the time), usually got 4-6oz total each session (I was a somewhat low producer)
-Back at home, I exclusively nursed E. When he started sleeping through the night, I either did a dreamfeed or pumped again with the Harmony. Pumping was done in front of the tv or computer, so I pumped a long time (30-45 minutes, 2-4oz), but not with the speed of the morning session, if that makes sense. :)

My random thoughts on the PISA vs Harmony:
-PISA allows double-pumping, which is great if you're away from DD, but not necessary for occasional pumping
-PISA allows hands-free, but since the Harmony is small, I found it was hands-free part time (I could still browse with the Harmony, but not knit, kwim?)
-Harmony can be hard on your hands (one of the reasons my evening pumps took so long is because my hands would get tired)
-Harmony is quiet and *very* portable, and easy to set up or stop in a hurry; I could walk around the house and pump (e.g. go from the den to the office, get a drink of water, etc)
-I did try pumping with the Harmony while nursing, but was never successful; I believe it's possible with practice, though

Personally, if I had been staying home with E, I wouldn't have bothered with the PISA. In fact, the only times I used the PISA at home was when I was telecommuting. I think for me the only way that the PISA was faster than the Harmony is because I could double-pump. It still took 15+ minutes to have several let-downs, no matter which pump I used.

I bought a third Medela pump, the Single Deluxe (battery/electric). It was awful. It was loud, it hurt, and I wasn't able to pump as much as with the Harmony.

Hope this answered your question!

Jen

[EagerlyAwaitingBaby]

I have the Harmony and love it. I have a PISA as well. With my older DD, I'd leave the PISA in the office and use the Harmony at home. I'd get a ton of milk with the Harmony. I just had a new baby 2 weeks ago and I pumped for the first time yesterday and the pump I reached for was the Harmony, not the PISA.

I've never tried the ISIS so I can't compare. I originally considered it though, but I decided on the Harmony b/c it is compatible with my PISA. It uses the same white membranes, same bottles. Also, it has fewer parts to clean than the ISIS.