As a first-time mum, I had made it my mission to find the most ideal ‘on the go’ pump that would enable me to pump efficiently and discreetly whilst maintaining an active lifestyle, and to eventually support my continued breastfeeding goals when I return to work.
I couldn’t wait to try out the new Medela Freestyle Flex!
First look
When I received the package (seriously, it felt like Christmas had come early!) I was very impressed to see that it truly included all the essential items (and some great extras) to really set you up for collecting and storing your expressed milk – including varying sized breast shields to ensure optimal fit and comfort, bottles and lids for collection and storage, a compact cooler bag and ice pack for safe storage on the go, great sized carrier bag and the ultimate – a lightweight and sleek Freestyle Flex pump itself. Its rounded design is comfortable to hold in your hand and digital display is easy to view and adjust as required.
Ease of use
I found the Freestyle Flex to be a true plug and play solution, with well-designed and easy to assemble components (much less fussing over bits and bobs like I had with other pumps and accessories especially when cleaning up afterwards).
The pump is discreet and easily portable to enable pumping in varying environments for the time poor mum, but I did notice that it has a strong vibration so can be heard when placed on a bench or hard surface. This wasn’t an issue when placed in my pocket or carried in the provided carrier bag.
Useful features:
The pump easily converts from a double to a single pump, enabling fully tailored personal use.
The fact that it easily pairs with the MyMedela app for complete tracking and monitoring of each session was a massive tick for this tech nerd. The App itself has some great features including tracking of not only your pumping sessions, but all the other daily feeding, sleeping, growing requirements you may want to monitor, and some fantastic FAQs and articles with helpful tips for a new parent.
Effectiveness:
If you’ve used a Medela pump before, like I have, the Freestyle is consistent with their other products with the two-phase expression and varying available suction levels; mimicking a bub’s natural sucking action and enabling an efficient pumping session to your personal comfort – whether it be around your house, in the car (#gamechanger) or out and about.
I really wanted to ensure the battery life was as good as claimed, and indeed the Freestyle Flex stood up to 6 x 15 minute double pumping sessions, with plenty of juice to spare! It’s also great to know that if needed, you could easily charge it via USB in the car, or even at work if needed.
I also noticed that after some initial trialling of various settings to my comfort level, I have been able to consistently pump some of my highest yields, all whilst drinking a hot cuppa, playing with my baby and even hanging out the washing!
Recommendations:
I’d be happy to recommend the Medela Freestyle Flex pump and full support kit as a solid investment to Mums who want the ultimate freedom from the confines of a single location when pumping – you truly can do things around the house, and go out knowing you can pump when and where required and safely transport your golden liquid safely.
Suggestion for the design gods at Medela: If a lanyard or clip was included that would make it the ultimate portable pump (but now I am being rather picky aren’t I!)
By Genevieve Williams 
