Medela Pump in Style Advanced Backpack

The Medela Pump In Style Advanced is an outstanding breast pump. It is effective and easy to use, and for a busy mom who has little free time, easy and effective are key!

The instructions are clear and easy to understand. Setup is simple. There are quite a few parts that need to be cleaned regularly, but that is the case with any electric pump.

To control the speed and level of suction, you use a dial that allows you to adjust how hard the pump suctions. Bottles are attached to the pump, so the milk goes directly into the bottles for feeding or to pop in the fridge for later. If you choose, the milk can easily be poured into freezer bags for storage or into another brand of bottle if for some reason you don’t want to use the Medela ones.

The pump comes with four bottles, and it also comes with a freezer pouch and an icepack to use to keep the milk cold in the bag—for those times you don’t have access to a refrigerator right away. The freezer pouch fits easily into the backpack, which makes things easy for transport. The pump also comes with a handful of breast pads, which is a nice little addition for breastfeeding moms.

I always plug the pump into the wall for use, but it does have an option for battery power and can also be powered by the AC adapter in the car. I’ve never found a need for the battery or AC adapter option, but in talking to other moms who pump, they use these features frequently—so it’s nice to have them as an option.

The pump makes a sound that any mother who has pumped before is likely to recognize. It’s a rhythmic humming noise that can get into your head and sound like it’s saying actual words. (My son, who is 4, walked by me while I was pumping recently and asked why the pump was saying the baby’s name!) While I don’t think anyone would mistake the sound for something other than a breast pump, it doesn’t bother me. It’s not too loud or disruptive.

One thing I’d suggest is that you might want to purchase some kind of pumping bra. Without one, it is difficult to use on both breasts at the same time because you have to hold the shields in place, which leaves no free hand to turn the pump on and adjust the level of suction. It also means that for the duration that you’re pumping, you can’t do anything else except sit and watch milk squirt out of your body. With a pumping bra, on the other hand, you can easily strap it on, set the dial and then do something else to distract yourself for 15-20 minutes. Once I go back to work, I can easily pump while writing/reading emails in my office, and I am not too inconvenienced by having to pump several times a day.

Overall I think the Medela Pump In Style Advanced breast pump is one of the best on the market. It works efficiently and reliably. The price point is fair when you consider how much use the pump will be getting, especially for working moms or exclusive pumpers. If I were to recommend a breast pump to a friend, it would definitely be the Medela Pump In Style Advanced.

Price: $300

Where to buy: medelabreastfeedingus.com