Medela Freestyle

Great breast pump, worth the price tag – I breastfed my daughter until she was 2. I use Medela freestyle everyday for 2 years and had no trouble with it. Never had problem of milk getting into the tube or anything, the motor worked well. When my daughter was less than a year old, I often woke up during the night with super heavy breast and drenched shirt and this came to the rescue when… Read more ·  1

the baby slept through that night or didnot want to eat. I dont have anything to complain with the noise because my baby could sleep right next to where I expressed every night. And I could expressed 250-300ml after 20 mins, 6 times a day for 2 years. It was in 2016. When my daughter was 2 and no longer breastfed, I cleaned the machine, removed the battery out of the socket and stored them in boxes. Now I use it with my second baby, I simply replaced the old bottles and the breast shields, basically replacing anything that had contacted with milk and the motor works like brand new. I also bought it as a gift for my sister in law and it worked for her two kids as well.

Overrated for the price you’re paying – I bought the medela freestyle double pump thinking that it would save me time to pump both breasts at the same time. Once I started using this product I realised that the pump works more effectively when you use one pump at a time (better suction, breasts are more drained) and the price differential between the single and double pump is quite… Read more

substantial. Even when I have to use the pump as a single pump, I’m very disappointed with the suction. I find myself constantly needing to massage to help the express process and this shouldn’t be required with the freestyle. Another thing to note, the pump comes with storage bottles and breast shields. The breast shields only comes in medium size which is unlikely to fit many breastfeeding mothers so you are guaranteed to need to purchase larger shields which will set you back another $30ish. I also thought I could save time by using the medela bottles as feeding bottles however I found their bottles leaked (leaking from the ring) which meant that I couldn’t use them as feeding bottles so save your money and don’t bother buying the teats. If I had a choice I wouldn’t buy this product again.

Never let me down – Worth every cent. Pumped every 3 hours for about 2 weeks and then quite regularly for another 4 weeks. Hand washed and steralised after every use. Pumping was effective and thought it was more effective than the hospital grade pump Show details

Great pump!!! – The pump is comfortable and effective and does the job well. It is easy to operate and the programming feature makes it easier as I don't have to select the function every time. I have been using the breast pump on a daily basis and few times a day. A great little pump that doesn't need to be plugged in to the wall. Has been a life saver as a new mom. Show details

Horrible expensive useless – Breast pump shut give comfort. This crap product gives me stress nothing else. Sometimes it works amazing, mostly not working at all. Every part it seems to be ok but when it comes to pump is not pumping with means it leaves you with full painful breasts Show details

Great for busy moms – I love this pump! I wish I had gotten it instead of my pump in a style that my insurance provided. I ordered this so I could pump easier at work, on the go, and at home. I was able to wash dishes and change a diaper all while pumping! This will really come in handy when I go back to work, I can pump while I get ready instead of sitting in one… Read more

spot. My pump in style will be my back up pump or I’ll just use it if I’m already watching tv. I will say though this has less suction (running on battery) than the pump in style. I use the suction set pretty low so it’s no problem at all for me. If you use a pump in style on full blast you’re gonna notice a difference. My main complaint is all the parts are different than the pump in style so in order to have spare parts I had to order them. It would be nice if all the pumps had the same standard parts.

Excellent product! – I love the freestyle! Has really helped me with my breastfeeding journey. The freestyle is super comfortable and easy to use, easy to transport. The freestyle has been excellent in keeping my milk flowing. I have used this everyday at least 3 times a day the motor/battery has never skipped a beat. Show details ·  1

Can not say enough good things about this pump – I love this machine! I love you can express both boobs at once, super convenient. You can adjust the suction to what suits you. What I hand pumped in 4 hours I got in 30 mins! Well worth the money. Easy to clean and sterilise. The only thing i would complain about is the noise but I’d still buy and recommend it 100% Show details ·  1

Great pump for home use – I have used the Medela Freestyle pump for both of my babies and have had excellent results. It is very simple to use and gentle but still gets ample milk, making expressing a stress free experience. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a pump. Show details

Love it! – I use this everyday and can honestly say it is one of the best things I have ever bought. This has been an absolute life saver for me and I have recommended it to many others who have been looking for a good pump Show details ·  1

Easy to use pump – I have used the freestyle double pump and found it to be effective. I was glad to have the double to make it more time efficient. It is easy to operate and stores in a nice bag. Show details ·  1

Gentle and easy to use – Great little pump held its charge really well and was easy to use and gentle. Great for being able to move around and do things when pumping with the use of a pumping bra of course. Show details

Double pumping not working!!! – I'm 4 months pp, breastfeeding. The 1st 3 months I pumped twice a day, but only as single. Pump worked great. Then I returned to work and began double pumping. Unfortunately it hasnt worked from day one of double pumping. Every session it takes me at least 10 minutes to get both sides working effectively. Sometimes it doesnt work at all and I miss… Read more

a session. When it does work, I get to level 8 power level, and the machine will have a continuous beep and will either stop producing milk altogether or slow right down. And I know there is milk there. This is a $400+ machine that i have to spend $60 every 3 months for parts. I have now gone and had my pump checked at the store where I bought it. twice. Twice they have replaced the connectors. Today was the 2nd time infact and guess what, it's working worse than before I went. Its the most frustrating thing I have experienced and because if this I am ready to give up on breastfeeding. Safe to say I will not be Recommending.

Great product mega expensive to maintain – We bought a freestyle breat pump from babybunting about 1.5years ago. It is a great pump however, now shows a battery sign on screen. Called medela said buy a battery for 150$ read online pump failure faults same symbol so now to repair or swap mega $$$. Not happy so far is very hard to make a decision on what to do. Only works plugged into the… Read more

power outlet. Now I am considering buying the Spectra since all I hear is good stuff and cheaper price. Hopefully medela costumer care will help me change my mind.

Good portable pump, pump parts are expensive and hard to find – I am an exclusive pumping (6 months and counting) and have been using Medela Freestyle for approx. 3 months now, before that I was using Medela Symphony (hire pump), I am also using Spectra S2 at the moment. Compared to Medela Symphony, Medela Freestyle’s suction and comfort is no where as near, and personally, am finding Spectra S2 much more… Read more ·  1

comforting suction wise and power wise. Although Spectra is much cheaper but It also has issues though (pump parts not as durable as other, similar pumps, and lacks portability, needs to be plugged in all the time, customer service is pretty average)

I purchased Medela Freestyle mainly for portability, for pumping at work/outdoors and it does the job.

It is expensive and so are the pump parts, which wear off very quickly with frequent use.There are too many parts to wash and dry.

I use the Freestyle as my second pump, use it 2-3 times a day, am finding that Battery runs out very quickly when pumping on high settings, motor unit heats up and feel suction is diminished, not as much when the unit had full power.

Outputwise, am getting the expected output, but need to pump for 15-20 mins more (than Spectra) as the letdown always takes more time (despite massaging, heat packs etc).

Customer service wise, I have had mixed experiences, it was great at times, issue resolved with one call and also not so great at other times, too many emails back and forth, so really depends on the staff I get on the call.

I’d recommend Medela Freestyle for its portability, and as a second pump if you’re an exclusively pumping mom.

Heaven sent – Best thing to have as a mum, less stress being that you can be mobile with this pump your joy stuck on the lounge attached to the machine with no free arms to do as you please. The charge time is great aswell enough to move around the house, pump on Long drives! It’s a great buy!  Show reply

fickle – This was purchased with little research done, but I had heard good things about Medela. On advice from a lactation consultant I was encouraged to pump to build my supply. I had previously had an Event but lost parts of it when we moved. My husband was at Baby Bunting and got one for me I wanted a double pump. However, for the expense of the… Read more

machine it is not worth it. I wanted a Spectra however couldn't wait for it on order. Whilst the Freestyle has good suction when it works it is so fickle that I am never sure what I am going to get. I can spend the first 10 minutes just trying to get it to suck. One side usually works but like others have said I am constantly pulling it apart and drying elements of it. It will then work and then suddenly stop again. Yes, double pumping is a lot quicker but with all the parts and the constant pulling it a part it is a stress that we just don't need. Trying to manage a toddler and a new born and then worry if the pump is actually going to work has just been too much.

I would not recommend this pump to people. It is a purchase that we regret. it is way over-priced, has too many parts and not reliable at all.

Temperamental and unreliable – I am writing this at 4am after this pump, yet again, has decided not to work. This is one of the worst products I have ever purchased and has caused me and my husband endless frustration. The price is in no way justified. The component parts are so temperamental, that either one or both sides of the pump decided not to work at any given time and… Read more

for no apparent reason (we are drying the parts constantly to ensure no water is in the system, and have even resorted to using a hairdryer to ensure no water remains in the pump system but to no avail). It is fortunate that that I have not been able to exclusively breastfeed because this pump is fundamentally unreliable. I am extremely disappointed in this product and will likely be forced to purchase another pump. Rest assured it will not be Medela.

Love this with the pumping bra quick and efficient – Easy to use portable if you pair it with the pumping bra can still do work etc I use it with the tommee tippee express and go bags with adapter and it has just taken this pump to another level. I have used many pumps over 5 kids and this current set up the freestyle plus tommee tippee express and go kit I wish it was around 9 years ago!  Show reply

Great product all round – Exactly what you need in a breast pump. Efficient, comfortable, easy to use and does the job. It wasnt too loud either which is great when you have a sleeping baby next to you. I also liked that it was portable! The only negative would have to be the fact that milk would spill out when i would lean forward too much (eg. to pick up baby), but that was a fault of my own (would be great is the design did allow for this though).  Show reply

Efficient pump, like the colour – I got the double Madela Freestyle at a Sydney baby expo. It was the best looking one I can find while I was shopping around. The pump is on the expensive side but it does a great job. I also brought the pumping bra and it’s great that I get to walk around while pumping. Although it’s hard to avoid milk getting onto the bra when I take the pump away. So it’s recommended to invest two of those bra but they are not cheap.  Show reply

Worst product ever!!! – I'm very disappointed with the medela products. Any by PRODUCTS , what I mean is that I've use two different products of medela and found both useless. 1st I bought medela swing which lost its suction in a month so I had to contact the customer service where they took forever to respond and I was getting mad because my newborn is having only… Read more

breast milk no formula and he doesnt latch on so im a exclusive pumper and it's very difficult to expressed by hand once you get used to of pumping.

Than I bought medela freestyle, which I've been recommended by one of the medela customer services staff. 1000 times worst because it's just been a month and half and it lost its suction again. What s the point of double pump when the suction on the one side don't work. It takes forever to start milk and you gotta keep on trying until you feel yeah it's finally working but when you check next mins all you see is not even a drop of milk came out. I'm very annoying and disappoint with medela.

I wouldn't recommend it to somebody, never ever.... now once again I'll have to contact the customer service where once again I'll disappointment. But I'll have to contact because I need milk for my son and for that o need pump which has some good suction facility...

Do not waste your money for medela freestyle – If i can i would give 0 star for medela freestyle, expensive and useless it is not powerful even you use for single pump and worse when you use for double pump. Don’t waste your money!! I end up buy new pump which it cheaper and much better recommend for spectra s1 and if you want smaller size Breast pump go for unimom minuet. I am so regret that i bought medela freestyle from the first place.

Horrible, absolute joke of a pump – I purchased this pump online brand new from nursing angel. Within a week it began to play up and have similar problems as someone listed below. Constantly needing to pull apart and put parts back together and they continue to not work properly. I'm beyond tired sitting up late at night pumping and pumping on my breaks at work are a nightmare as i… Read more

end up having to hold this "handsfree pump". I end up having to use it as a single pump while holding it in a specific way and it'll sometimes work, usually not. Beyond sick of dealing with this. Replacement parts were just as bad. Nursing angel doing nothing to help. I ended up being hospitalized with mastitis as this pump doesn't let me pump properly. Tired, frustrated and at the point of a breakdown due to this pump. Don't buy it.

Great pump – My daughter was born at 32 Weeks so I was pumping every 3 hours from home and whilst at the hospital. I found that I loved the ease of double electric pumping but I would recommend buying a pumping br as well to maximize your ability to complete other chores whilst pumping. The suction was good and although I had an oversupply it still pulled out so much milk. Only pump I’ve ever owned so can’t comment against others.  Show reply

Not worth the money – This week I purchased the medela freestyle as I was in need of a double pump. It works great......as a single pump! As a double it is absolutely shocking. I have gone through all the trouble shooting, pulled apart and put back together, tried running on battery or mains but there is barely any suction on one side. It doesn't even suck strong… Read more

enough to get a single drop out of one side, yet is perfectly fine on the other? I wish I had read the reviews and purchased another brand as it seems I'm not the only one with this problem and not one person has had it resolved so that they can effectively use it as a double, just a ridiculously overpriced single

Good in theory, not in practice- overall disappointed – Purchased the Medela freestyle as I needed a double pump to exclusively bottle feed using breastmilk as my newborn has an overbite and can’t latch properly (confirmed by the paediatrician, paediatric dental surgeon and lactation consultant at the hospital). So from 4 days old it was pump, pump, pump 8x per day. So I needed something reliable… Read more

and went straight to the top of the range at baby bunting, directly from the hospital.

Since the beginning it frequently needs to be stopped, connections and seals reckecked (taken apart and put back together) multiple times during each pumping session, and then restarted, as the suction is suddenly lost, or doesn’t quite get there after the initial 2 minute ‘massaging’ stage. I can see it’s not correctly aligned as I can see the rubber yellow seal either moves unevenly, doesn’t move at all, or moves very minimally (proving the loss of suction is due to the poor quality connectors).

This means double pumping for 20 minutes takes 50-60 minutes.

So I’ve been using single pump setting, not both, in an attempt to reduce the number of times I have to do this and it means in doing 20 minutes on each breast separately rather than together (as the product is intended), together with stopping, disassembling and reassembling multiple times, I still spend around 50-60 minutes pumping.

This means less time spent cuddling and caring for my baby which is very distressing.

I am diligently checking the parts before beginning pumping ensuring they are super dry (I dry each component with tissues to ensure this) and clean using very warm water and Pigeon detergent (which I strongly recommend). And I ensure the seals, connectors, tubes, bottles and breast shields are all assembled correctly.

I contacted Medela 2 weeks ago and they sent me new connectors and a new tube (6 days to arrive after a couple of back and forth emails). Excitedly, I put them to work... however the issue is the same :(

I contacted Medela again to notify them of this and they said,

“We have tested the parts before sending out with no issues.

If you continue to have issues, please take the pump back to its place of purchase with your receipt and there it can be checked and a solution provided.”

My issue is I cannot be without a pump as how will I feed my baby when I only have 2 free hours between pumping sessions to get to a shop, return the item for inspection and repair (I’m assuming)? They will not give me a new one on the spot so what do I do?

I have invested quite a lot of money in Medela ($750+) and am disappointed this is all they can offer me.

The pump was $500

Bustier for double pump usage $50

Extra bottles $60

4 x Calma teats $100+

2 x extra breast shields $30

Freezer bags $20 (haven’t got to use these yet as I’m not yet producing enough milk to save)

Both my sister and sister in law told me they wished I’d asked them before I’d made my urgent, rushed purchase on the way home from hospital as they both had a Medela (both we able to breastfeed but pumped to build up extra for return to work) and both quickly purchased a ‘Spectra’ instead which they found to be far more reliable.

Unfortunately they both have given their Spectra pumps away as they finished having kids a couple of years ago.

I would not recommend the freestyle. It’s failure to do what it promises to do effectively is tbh the cause of daily frustrated tears during pumping sessions. Ineffective pumping is also causing me to have recurring blocked ducts and ‘nipple white spot’ according to my GP. She recommended I have to hand express after each pumping session to reduce this risk and said I should get rid of this pump and try another brand.

Perfect! – I love this breast pump!! I previously bought the spectra S2 which didn't work for me at all as it wouldn't drain my breasts, so I purchased the Medela freestyle from baby bunting and it has been able to empty my breasts so much better and quicker. I love that it has a rechargeable battery, I love that if I need spare parts then I can just pop… Read more ·  1

down to my local chemist and I love how easy it is to use. The only downside is the price as it is quite expensive so I would suggest trying to wait for a sale before purchasing.