Breast Pumps: A Personal Comparison!

In the eleven months of nursing Ezra, I have only used my little hand-powered Medela Harmony. Yesterday, after being in the middle of our third or fourth nursing strike, I resorted to borrowing a hospital-grade rental pump - the Ameda Elite. I bought the tubing set but am only borrowing the Elite for a few days. OH. MY. GAWD. I can't go back.

1. I was damaging my nipples by pumping with the Harmony. I don't know if it's just that the "SoftFit Breastshield" was too small a horn for my nipples, or that I was applying too much pressure/suction, but ouch. The Ameda pumps come with a slightly larger phlange horn (25mm), and is more comfortable. Here is some info on a proper phlange fit. I like that Ameda has really helpful information, easy to read and also very accurate.
Also, even the HIGHEST suction with the Ameda hospital grade pump (!!) is more comfortable that all the pumping with the Harmony hand pump. Wow.

2. I let down easily. Basically, the Amedas (all of their lines, and remember the Lansinoh-branded pump is the Ameda Purely Yours) are completely customizable to comfortably get the most amount of milk. The suction/pressure is variable, and so is the *speed*. As they say, you can "adjust suction strength and cycle speed independently". Do you know how Medela markets their products with the "2-phase expression"? It's a big deal, because it starts with a fast frequency of suction/release, and a shallow/low pressure, to mimic baby's initial suckling pattern to stimulate letdown. Once you let down (most Medela products will switch off of letdown cycles at two minutes), the pattern changes to long, slower, deep sucks and (for a baby) swallows. The Ameda allows you to quickly turn two dials and switch from a) fast cycles and lighter pressure to b) slow cycles and deeper pressure. It is really easy.

3. Expressing milk was so much faster with the electric pump! (duh, right?) especially since it was a double pump. But even if I doubled the time I spent getting 4oz from the Ameda, it doesn't come close to the time it takes to get 4oz from the Harmony. And that doesn't even address the nipple/areola discomfort with the Harmony.

4. Easy to clean, and a "closed system" so I don't have any concerns about milk powder, viruses, moisture (and mold) from entering the tubing and then the pump internal workings and motor, and coming back out. Medela consumer products are "open systems" and don't have a filter to keep anything from entering the tubing and therefore the pump motor. Their hospital-grade pumps obviously do have a filter and are safe for multiple-users. In comparison, every single Ameda pump, whether consumer or rental/hospital-grade, is a closed system and no milk can enter the tubing and motor. I know you've been tempted by friends, family, or CraigsList ads for barely-used pumps at a fraction of the price of a new pump. But if you've seen mold in tubing, or photos of pump motors full of mold, you might think twice about it. After using the pumping kit, I love that I don't have to worry. It is the cheapest of parts - an Ameda has a solid diaphragm that ensures that you don't have to worry about contamination.

I know this isn't a true comparison. In many ways, I am comparing apples to oranges - a premium rental product (the Ameda Elite) to a hand-held, occasional-use product (the Medela Harmony). But the experience is night and day. I had to write about it.

And, FYI, Ameda has been owned by Evenflo since 2007, and with Ameda's acquisition, Evenflo became and is STILL the only US bottle-manufacturing company to become WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes-Compliant. GO Evenflo! (Ameda was already WHO-compliant, and is the only breastpump manufacturer in the US to be compliant. Go Ameda!!)

And, the no-brainer disclaimer: I am not a representative for Ameda or Medela. These statements are my personal opinion and experience and may not be reflective of the general public.