Are some bottle systems more compatible with the Medela Freestyle?

[bem3231]

Hi there -

This is my first post - I am expecting my first in May and am trying to get all of my shopping done now. I am a little overwhelmed by the options for bottles and breast pumps. I have been searching past threads and have found some comments that some bottle systems are more compatible with certain breast pumps than others. Never having used a breast pump (yet) I am just so confused.

After reading many reviews I am thinking of the Medela Freestyle breast pump. I plan to breastfeed and pump for bottle supplementation - although I realize that things don't always go according to plan.

At first I was looking at Avent bottles, but have read many less-than-glowing reviews. I was considering Dr. Brown's, but again there seem to be many detractors. I am now considering the Born Free line.

Any advice for a first-time mom about what might prove most convenient would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!

[catsnkid]

I use a Medela PIS- I think the parts are the same. I have no problems with AVENT bottles.. I know that Dr. Browns are compatible, with Medela, Gerber, Evenflo (I think) and most "generic" bottles..

[WatchingThemGrow]

The deal is that bottles are either wide-neck or standard. My Medela PISA used standard sized bottles, but there was an adapter kit sold by Avent that made it so you could pump into wide-neck bottles. The common thing is to try out the different kinds of bottles with your baby to see what kind they prefer, then you can get more of that kind.

[TwoBees]

I decided against the Freestyle because it seems that it is not compatible with many bottles and bags. I went for the PISA and haven't looked back. It's fabulous, and $100 cheaper. Is there a specific reason you want the Freestyle over the PISA?

[Andi98989]

As someone who only pumps, I am really wishing I had a Freestyle instead of a PISA, but my insurance covered the PISA, so I went with that. If you can get the Freestyle, I'd go for it. The portability looks awesome.

Personally, I don't care what I pump into. I don't feed directly out of those bottles. I currently pump and then actually pour everything into a pitcher for the day and that night make up the bottles for the next day and pour the rest into bags and freeze it. Even at the beginning when I was pumping just enough to keep up with DS, I would pump and then pour into the bottles that we were feeding him from. We've used both Born Free and Playtex Drop-Ins for that.

With the PISA, I started using just the Medela bottles for pumping, and then bought some cheap Gerber bottles so that I've got enough bottles to get me through a full day. I just run them all through the dishwasher at the end of the day. Very handy.

[pharmjenn]

I started with a PIS, then bought the Freestyle when it came out. Loved the portability for work (I had to continue working while I pumped, and be able to move around, plus I used it as a tax deduction since I was required to be available so it was a work expense!)
Anyway, I usually pumped into either the Avent bottles or a freezer bag. The convenience of the bag was great, even if it wasn't going to get frozen. Lighter to pump into than a bottle, and easier to store when done. Also, then you can use any type of bottle you want. Some of them also can be used with the drop-in bottles if you go that route.