Mommy's Favorite Things: Ameda Review



Saturday, March 10, 2012

Ameda Review




Before I had Emerson I was sent a pump from Tommee Tippee. You all saw the review. It was a good pump, but it was single and it was a pain in the butt to sit down and pump multiple times a day. Since it was a single I either did one side at a time or did both and cut them short. It caused my supply to go dramatically down since I didn't have 45 minutes to pump. When I contacted Ameda about a pump for review I thought they would send me their Purely Yours breast pump which is the basic pump with no accessories and it is their cheapest electric pump. BUT It's a double so I was entirely happy. 
They never got back to me. BUT I was contacted by them a few weeks later about reviewing their Accessories Kit which included some nursing pads and collection bags and some other stuff. 

I asked about a pump since I had contacted them about one. Again thinking they'd send one of their cheapest electrics. But they surely didn't. I received the Purely Yours Ultra Breast Pump, which is indeed their most expensive non hospital grade pump!!
I was so shocked to see the pump they sent me. 

 The tote bag it all fits inside!
 Zipper pocket on the outside
 Inside the bag. Love the green color!
 It has a lot of pockets inside too.
 Nice elastic pockets
 Label on another large pocket. And there's a zipper pocket below this as well as another small pocket.
 There's a small storage cooler too. It comes with 3 ice packs which obviously freeze and then this is great for on the go. It keeps milk cold for a LONG time!
 Everything and YES it does all fit back inside the tote bag. EASILY!
It comes with 6 storage bottles with 6 lids. They are each about 5oz. They have a 4oz line, but then would hold at least another 1/2oz.
3 different sizes of breast flanges for the most comfortable fit. And then the tubing and valves which hook up to each flange.
 The valve.
 Hygenikit. The silicone prevents moisture from milk getting into the tubing. Which means you don't have to clean the tubing every time you use it.
Custom speed and suction means there's 32 different combinations for the most comfortable experience! LOVE this

This pump is AWESOME!! 
Since I was able to double pump I could go about 30 minutes (longer than I did each breast before hand) and get both done at the same time. I was able to get a little more with the pump. I really wish I had started with this pump as it would've helped to maintain my supply a lot better. 

This pump uses an AC adapter, Batteries OR a car adapter meaning you can pump anywhere and everywhere. Great for in the car if you need to or anywhere else. 

The tote bag is plenty big for everything needed and it's even cute as a purse. Put in the pump and cooler along with your wallet and keys and you're good to go. 

Every part that comes in contact with the breast is BPA free. It's also the only pump that is FDA approved to keep milk and outside air separate!! It's a piston pump which is more effective than a diaphragm pump.

When you start out with the pump it's best to have the speed at the highest level. It's a faster pump setting. I usually started out with the suction somewhere in the middle. As I continued to pump I turned up the suction and made it stronger. 

This pump also came with milk storage bags for the freezer and some nursing pads as well. It also came with a neat little card that says how long milk can be stored for in different areas. Freshly pumped left on the counter in an average temp room is 6-10 hours. In the fridge for around 3 days etc. It is cool. It's a great reference card. 
It also came with a manual option. You just hook it up to a flange and one bottle and you can manually pump as well. It works pretty well and allows me to get more stuff done as it's easier to take a break in the middle and continue on later.

When we all got sick it was REALLY hard to get in pumping time. Emerson was especially clingy and with him in the wrap I couldn't even get access. I tried to pump while I fed him on the couch, but it was SUPER hard. I was pumping just once a day! I knew this was a mistake, but it was so hard. 
My supply is gone! Before we got sick I was getting about 1oz at a time. LOW, but not too terrible as he was still getting about 4oz a day. After we got sick I was getting 1/4-1/2oz at a time. I tried to start pumping more, I even had a clogged duct and pumped 6 times that day (plus hand expressed a couple times too), I was still getting 1/4oz at a time... I could never get my supply back up after that. 
So it's gone. I have officially stopped pumping. I am hand expressing whenever I get the chance. It was still worth it beneficially to pump but the time just wasn't worth it for 1/4oz. To me anyway. I feel so bad that I quit so early, but I just couldn't get my supply back up there. 

This pump was really great though. It was easy to double pump and it got more out than my single pump did. I also love all the options which makes it more comfortable. I LOVE that it holds the bottles. I makes it super easy for me to store temporarily until I got the time to get everything washed up. 

Washing was SUPER easy. I just used a bottle brush inside the flange. Removed the valve and washed it and then washed the silicone and the bottles. By the time I went to pump again they were dry. 
It is really a great pump and I would recommend it to anyone. 

Ameda surely has some cheaper options as well. This pump has everything you need for $299. They also have the pump without accessories for $160. And they have one with a carryall bag for $200. They have a single manual pump for $35 as well. 

Overall: *****
*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Ameda in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*
A big thank you goes out to Ameda for allowing me to review this product 


1 comments:


EmotiBums said...

I had an Ameda electric double breast pump that I used for both my son's (I was a WOHM with son #1 so I pumped every day, 3-4x at work). It worked really well and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a double electric pump. Mine came in a discrete, backpack style carrier and everything was easy to keep clean. WELL worth the investment!