Our experiences:
When I got pregnant with my baby boy, I felt like my husband and I were all on our own where breastfeeding was concerned. We both come from fairly small families -- no one in either of our families had given birth in the past 15-or-so years, and no one had breastfed their babies. I work in a male-dominated profession, and certainly didn't feel comfortable asking my co-workers for breastfeeding advice. So, we turned to the web. We took a breastfeeding class at a nearby hospital, where our teacher highly recommended either the Medela Pump In Style or the Ameda/Hollister Purely Yours. My husband and I began our web-search, seeking out opinions, prices, and any information we could find (in fact, that is how I found Epinions in the first place). Both pumps were very highly praised wherever we looked, but when my husband found the Ameda Purely Yours on sale at an online retailer for $125, we jumped at the opportunity to get it at such a low price (apparently that place doesn't exist anymore though, I searched everywhere so I could include a link, but couldn't find it).

I must admit that I've never been able to get huge amounts of milk from pumping. Like the teacher at our lactation class said, the baby is much better at getting the milk out of you than a pump will ever be. I produced enough to keep our baby fed, and not much more than that, so in those early months when I was always with him I never could get much milk from pumping. I was a bit disappointed to not get the "freezer full of milk" that I had read about from other pumping mothers. Plus, since I tended to try pumping for extra milk whenever my little guy was asleep, I was a bit upset to find that my dog thinks the beeping noise made by the pump is something fun to bark at. At any rate, I didn't know if I was the problem, or the pump was.

When I slowly started returning to work the pump really pulled through and saved the day. I'm lucky enough to be able to work from home a few days most weeks, and to be able to visit with and breastfeed my baby on my lunch hour when I do go to the office, but I credit the Purely Yours breast pump with helping me keep my milk production high and enabling us to keep supplemental formula bottles to a bare minimum. I was finally able to get plenty of milk, and am so grateful that the Ameda pump made the job very quick and easy.

I didn't carry the pump to work it its own case, which just screams "breast pump inside!!!" to me. I was able to fit it nicely in the snazzy laptop carrying case I had gotten a few years ago, along with a cooler-bag (with ice-packs) we had gotten for free at the hospital for keeping the pumped milk cool. Only a few of my closest male co-workers ever figured out that I wasn't carrying my laptop in that bag -- and they only figured it out because I disappeared with it at approximately the same time every day. There is a designated "lactation room" off of one of the restrooms where I work, but I know that people in the restroom could hear the beeping of my pump (because I could hear other women with the Purely Yours pump when they were in the lactation room), however it never really bothered me. I mean, the door says "lactation room" -- what else would I be doing in there?

My boy is currently 11 months old. I used the pump occasionally during his first months of life, and have been using it once or twice anywhere from 3-5 days a week (depending on how many days a week I went into the office) since he was 4 months old. I'm proud to claim that he has been mostly breastfed for his entire first year, in-part thanks to this pump. So far I haven't had to replace any parts, and the pump still looks and acts like new. While I didn't use it much as a stay-at-home mom, I think it is wonderful for those returning to work. Great product!

Update: June 2005
I'm on my second child now and my Purely Yours is still going strong. I did want to add some comments on the pump's noise-factor. A bunch of the women where I work got pregnant at the same time, and now we're all competing for time in our office's single lactation room. It is only recently that I've started to really appreciate how quiet the Purely Yours is. I've heard other women's pumps and while I thought mine was rather noisy before, it is whisper quiet by comparison. The beep still seems a bit excessive to me, but the whirring of the motor is something I now really appreciate, having heard the racket made by competing pumps.
End of Update

Product Description:
- The pump:
Lightweight and compact, the pump consists of a small base with a place to put 2 collection bottles, a "cycle" dial, and a "vacuum" dial. You can power the pump via the AC adapter, 6 AA batteries, or a car adapter (only the AC adapter is included). I only used batteries three or four times in mine and never had to replace them. The collection portion of the kit involves a 4 ounce bottle, the piece that fits over your breast (which I'll call the cone for lack of a better term), a small plastic diaphragm, a small white valve, and the hose & cap that connect everything to the pump base/motor. I mention all the pieces because I found cleaning so easy. Because milk never gets into the hose the only pieces of the kit that must be cleaned (with each use) are the diaphragm, valve, and the cone; all of which can be put in the dish-washer (although the diaphragm and valve are small enough that they should go in one of those dishwasher baskets to keep from getting tossed around and lost in there)
- Use:
I found the workings of the pump to be rather ingenious. The pump works by causing the diaphragm to contract, forming a vacuum that pulls the milk from the breast. The extracted milk then falls through the valve into the collection bottle. The diaphragm is also what keeps the milk from getting into the tubes. I really found the design to be quite clever. The strength and duration of each cycle is controlled by the "cycle" and "vacuum" dials. The manual advises adjusting the dials until they mimic the natural speed and strength of your baby's nursing. The manual says you can pump both breasts at the same time and includes a diagram for showing how to hold the cones during dual-pumping (it involves holding them with your arm across your chest), but I always did one at a time (that way I could use one cone/valve/diaphragm for morning pumping, and another for afternoon pumping, and wait to wash everything after I got home).
- What you get:
I know that there are various options for buying this pump, but mine came with the carrying case, 6 bottles, 2 cones, 2 diaphragms, 4 valves, and freezer packs (for keeping the bottles cold). The valves are easily the most delicate pieces, I believe that's why four are included (you only need 1 per pumping session, 2 if pumping both breasts at once). Although I can tell that two of my valves are starting to loosen up a bit, they are still working fine for now. The bottles come with conventional bottle lids (with the removable piece for inserting a nipple), however the nipples weren't included and we didn't have any that would fit the Ameda bottles (since we usually use Avent bottles). The manual does come with information on ordering additional pieces, which can all be purchased individually. Along with the user's manual, there is also a nice booklet with various breastfeeding & milk storage tips, information, and of course other Ameda products. I didn't use my case for much other than storage, but it is nicely put together. The pump itself goes in the top part along with the adapter, and everything there can be snapped down to keep them from rolling around. The two lower sections are insulated and can be used with the freezer packs for milk storage on-the-go. The tubes, cones, diaphragms, and valves can go in one side, and all 6 bottles and the freezer packs fit in the other side.
- Other accessories:
My user's manual is also full of other items you can purchase to further enhance your pumping experience. Items include the "flexishield", which is used with the cone to help simulate a baby's nursing and to help with let-down. You can also buy a kit to allow you to pump manually (so you use the kit with pieces of the "Purely Yours"). A car adapter is also available as a power source for your pump. I personally didn't get any of the extras, but it was always nice to know that there were other options available if I had trouble or needed them.

Quickie summary:
Pros:
+) Milk cannot get into the tubes
+) Lots of speed/suction options (each are controlled by a separate dial)
+) Very small and lightweight - not at all a hassle to carry around
+) I know that other pumps can't be removed from their carrying cases -- I'm glad that his one was removable (as I never carried it in its case).
+) Pumped milk collects into an actual bottle for easy storage and use.
+) I found it to be quite comfortable (all things considered) and easy to use
+) Plenty of extra pieces included (6 bottles, 4 valves), and others available for purchase
+) Quick and efficient pumping

Cons:
-) The bag is nice, but it just looks like a breast-pump bag to me, so I never carried it in public.
-) It is a bit noisy -- I can understand the sound of the motor whirring but you would think they could find a way to lose the accompanying "beep"
-) It would have been nice if some nipples were also included with the bottles -- not a big deal though
-) Not as good as the baby at getting milk (of course)

Final thoughts:
I really liked the pump a lot and would highly recommend it to anyone who will be pumping frequently or going back to work.

Ameda's web site can be found at:
http://www.ameda.com


Recommended: Yes