Medela Freestyle vs Medela Advanced Pump In Style (PIS) vs the Ameda Purely Yours

[orchid]

I've been doing lots of research and trying to decide between the Medela Freestyle vs Medela Advance Pump In Style (PIS) vs the Ameda Purely Yours. My baby is 12 days old today. I initially had some problems with late onset of milk production and rented a Medela Symphony to increase my milk supply. Everything is going well now. I am planning on purchasing a pump because I will be going back to work in 2 months.

I already have the Expressions Bustier for hands-free pumping and it has worked well so I'm not even sure if I will try those attachment clips for the Freestyle. However, I really like the fact that the Freestyle is smaller and lighter to carry and can clip to a belt so I would be able to move around the house/office and it's easier for transport.

I hope that maybe someone on this board can help me decide by answering the questions below:

1) I was originally going to buy the Ameda Purely Yours double pump due to the fact that milk cannot back up in the tubing system and because the Medela pump tubing can have condensation problems. Does just running the Medela Freestyle and/or Pump In Style (PIS) for a couple more minutes while I wash the pump accessories help fix this issue? Would I be able to use either Medela pump for my future babies even if milk did back up into the motor/pump?

2) I really hate all washing of the breast pump accessories after each session. I usually rinse with cold water and then run it through really hot water; occasionally I rinse with with soap/dishwashing soap). One of the reasons why I'm considering a Medela pump (rather than Ameda) is because I have many spare parts from a manual Medela pump and my Medela Symphony kit -- which I hope can cut down on washing frequency... will the horns and collection bottles from my other Medela pumps be compatible with the Freestyle Pump (I believe they are compatible with the PIS)? I understand that the Freestyle has a "spare parts" kit that has Freestyle shields and membranes that are not compatible with any of the other Medela pumps such as the PIS.

3) I know the lithium battery can last for up to 3hrs when fully charged. Do you know how long the lithium battery will last in terms of years or number of charges/cycles? I think the replacement battery costs about $70. And if the battery is dead, can you still use the pump if connected via an AC adaptor?

Thanks for any advice/recs!

[purple]

I have only used a Freestyle and a Symphony, so I don't have any knowledge about the PIS or Ameda. But I will give your question a shot. I do love the freestyle, and highly recommend it. (I absolutely hated pumping with the symphony). I think the freestyle's best advantage is its portability and small size. The hands free is nice, but you can get that with a hands free bra, like you have done, so I don't think thats the main selling point for the freestyle.

1) I've been pumping with the Freestyle for 3 months, and I've never had any moisture in the tubes at all. When I had the symphony, I did have moisture occasionally. It could be that I am more meticulous about keeping my pump pieces dry, so I think that if you just make sure to keep the pieces dry, you won't have a problem. I am not sure if this is different than the PIS or not, since I never owned a PIS. However, the instructions do say that if you do get moisture in the tubes, you can just let it a few minutes to clear it up.

2) The Symphony horns and bottles are compatible with the Freestyle. I do much prefer the Freestyle parts (the horns are more comfortable, the collection bottles are nicer), but I have the old Symphony ones on my shelf as emergency backups. Also, I find the Freestyle parts (the newer membranes and adapters) to be much easier to clean than the Symphony's.

3) I don't know how long the battery lasts. But yes you can pump with it plugged in, although if it is completely dead I have heard the pump might not be as strong.

[orchid]

Thanks for answering my questions! That was really helpful. I decided to order the Freestyle and will keep my fingers crossed that it works out as well as it did for you.