I only wish the Medela Pump In Style was available 8 years ago when I was breastfeeding my now 8 year old son! I believe that if such a product existed, he would have gotten the benefits of breastmilk much longer than the 4 months I nursed him. Now I have another son who is almost 8 months old and I've used my PIS almost from day one.

In the beginning, I used my Medela Pump In Style to build my freezer "stash" in preparation for returning to my part time job at 12 weeks postpartum. Freshly pumped breastmilk may be stored up to 7 days in the refrigerator and 3 to 6 months in the freezer. The 25 Medela Breastmilk Storage Bags included with the pump provide an adequate medium in which to begin a supply of frozen breastmilk. I say adequate as I've used much better. The "twist tie" design of these bags vs the "zip lock" type of others on the market make leakage accidents more likely and don't protect breastmilk from freezer burn as well. So I'd recommend using these Medela Breastmilk Storage Bags for short term storage at the most. Many breastfeeding mothers recommend storing milk in 2 to 3 ounce portions to decrease waste. You can always defrost more if baby is still hungry. This also facilitates the defrosting process as well, since larger volumes take longer to thaw.

DEFROSTING FROZEN BREASTMILK: One way to do this is to allow the milk to thaw in the refrigerator over night. Or for immediate consumption, simply place the frozen milk into a bowl of warm water to decrease thawing time. Defrosted breastmilk is good for up to 24 hours. NEVER microwave breastmilk as it will kill many of the antibodies and nutrients contained within.

Once I had several ounces of frozen breastmilk stored using my Medela Pump In Style, I began pumping during my breaks at work to keep my supply up and to provide breastmilk for my son to have in my absence. This breastpump provides enough suction to fully empty my breasts in 10 to 15 minutes, so it's fast as well as very convenient to use. As a RN working on a busy Medical-Surgical unit, I had little free time for longer breaks so quick pumping sessions not only were a luxury but a necessity as well. The PIS has been a lifesaver.

GUIDELINES FOR USAGE: (Please wash and sterilize all parts prior to first pumping session) The electrical cord plugs first into the front of the attractive black carrying case of the Medela Pump In Style, which contains the motor and then into an electrical outlet. Once the power source is obtained, attach the clear plastic tubing into the ports on the front of the bag for double pumping. Then attach the clear plastic "horns" to the other ends of the tubing after making sure that the yellow adapters with the white membranes are in position on the horns. This is especially important or suction will not be maintained. An extra set of the white membranes are included with the the Medela Pump In Style as they can easily become lost or damaged.

Once the horns on the Medela Pump In Style are attached to the tubing, the mini breast shield inserts may be inserted into the horns for those with small to medium-sized nipples. It helps to try pumping both with and without these to find out what is most comfortable for you (I personally got better results when I used them). Then attach 2 of the 4 included six ounce collection bottles to the horns. If breastmilk is being pumped for immediate storage, pumping directly into the Medela Breastmilk Storage Bags is also an option. I personally never did this but just know that they can be used that way also. Now you are ready to start pumping with your PIS!

ELECTRIC PUMPING: It's recommended to begin pumping on the lowest speed and suction level when using the Medela Pump In Style, then gradually increasing one or both to each individual's comfort. I personally found no problem with pumping on "5" (highest speed) and "max" (aka...."super suck!") almost from the beginning. I found these settings maximized my results in a shorter pumping session. A word of warning though...many women find this high setting very uncomfortable, so experiment to find what works best for you.

Insert both breasts into the horns of the Medela Pump In Style and turn the power on. Sometimes it takes several moments to get a good letdown, so relax and try to think about your baby. Looking at a picture or smelling an article of clothing belonging to your baby may help. Once letdown is achieved, try pumping with the PISfor at least 10 minutes. Many times, a second let down can be achieved in that time period, yielding at least another ounce or so of precious breastmilk per pumping session.

CLEANUP: Cleaning the Medela Pump In Style is quick and easy. Just simply wash all the parts in warm, soapy water and allow to air dry (they are also dishwasher safe as well). It's also recommended that the PIS tubing be washed at least once a week as condensation tends to build up inside them otherwise.

TRANSPORTING: To transport expressed breastmilk back home with me from work, I placed the included yellow plastic lids onto the collection bottles (which I labeled with my initials, time and date of session) and placed them in the refrigerator. At the end of my shift, I'd simply place the included cooling elements (stored in the freezer at work to keep them cold) inside the freezer compartment of my Medela Pump In Style along with the milk I'd pumped that evening. This compartment easily holds up to four 6 ounce bottles and will keep breastmilk fresh until it's transferred to my home refrigerator/freezer.

As my son started teething around age 4 months, he began biting me frequently during nursing sessions so I began relying on my Medela Pump In Style more and more as I breastfed less and less. I continued to build my freezer stash in preparation for a 6 day vacation my husband and I were taking without our baby a few weeks ago. I was worried at first that my supply would suffer while we were away, but my PIS came through for me and I'm still breastfeeding today. (If anyone ever needs advice on how/where to pump at the Atlanta airport, let me know!) My ultimate goal is to provide breastmilk for the first year of my son's life.

I know that with the help of my Medela Pump In Style, I WILL make that goal! After countless hours of use, it is still performing beautifully. Although it was a large investment in the beginning purchasing my PIS, it certainly was worth every penny spent and then some. What I've saved not having to buy formula is only one of the many ways the Medela Pump In Style has paid for itself. I highly recommend this product!!

UPDATE: Unfortunately, I did not quite make my goal of breastfeeding for 1 year, but the Medela Pump In Style is not to blame. Tristan self-weaned around 9 months of age, so I just stopping pumping and my milk supply dried up. I'm just happy that my PIS helped me to breastfeed as long as it did. Without this wonderful product, I know we would not have come close to breastfeeding for 9 months. I have no doubts weaning would have occurred much earlier without the help of my Medela Pump In Style.

For more information on the Medela Pump In Style and other breastfeeding products, check out their website at:

www.medela.com


**Need breastmilk storage bags? I'd recommend skipping the high priced Medela CSF 50 Count Bags. Please check out the following review to find out why:

http://www.epinions.com/content_51400904324


Instead, I'd suggest trying the Gerber Breastmilk Storage Bags as not only are they less expensive, but they are much better, too!

http://www.epinions.com/content_12925570692



Recommended: Yes

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