Medela Freestyle Flex Breast Pump Review

As a working mum, my time has always been precious. What follows is how the Medela Freestyle Flex breast pump has helped with my feeding journey.

Overview of the Medela Freestyle Flex Breast Pump

The Medela Freestyle Flex breast pump is a premium device designed for portability. It is compact for usage while going about your day. The pump also links up with Medela’s Family app to help track pumping volumes. Included in the package is:

• Breast pump
• Pump connector and hoses
• Breast shield (Small and Medium)
• Bottle bag and four bottles
• Bottle stands to help prevent spilt milk
• USB-C cable and charger

As you can tell, there is plenty included for the hefty price with the breast shield fitting up to a 20mm nipple. While these sizes were fine for me, it will disappoint some women they need to buy a larger size separately.

Thoughts of the Medela Freestyle Flex Breast Pump

The Medela Freestyle Flex breast pump itself is easy to use and does a great job of expressing in either single or dual mode. It is light and making travel less of a chore. While it integrates with the app for tracking, pumping can be as simple as turning it on and pressing start, particularly after your first use and getting your settings in order. Medela’s Freestyle Flex pump does a fantastic job with the ability to control the strength and tempo to suit personal tastes. A timer on the device will count the period so you can monitor how long you’ve pumped.

The built in battery lasts 3 or 4 pumps of 30 minutes before needing to be recharged. This is plenty of time to get through a day of pumping or at work. The cooler bag is a fantastic addition to the package and works well for those days when out and about. While I didn’t test exact timing, a combination of a frozen pack and storage in a fridge meant it comfortably lasted for a day in the office.

Cleaning the device is incredibly easy, as everything simple to open and designed to stop any spots where germs may accumulate. Sanitisation is easy and there’s no question, Medela knows how to make high-quality breast pumps.

My first pump needed to be replaced under warranty. I would not characterise this as ordinary as the replacement worked well, but the replacement did creak, which made it difficult to pump in quiet areas such as work. Remarkably, the baby seemed content to sleep through the noise.

I’d fault nobody for buying a Medela pump, but I’d certainly not hesitate to consider options should I be in the market again.

Medela Family app

It is impossible to not include the app in any review of the Medela Freestyle Flex Breast Pump because of the integration. There’s a lot to appreciate in the app, but it was the most disappointing part of the Medela experience for me. This review is from a point in time, so enhancements may occur after publication and we may revise it at a later date.

Medela was a critical part of helping me build milk production in the early stages as I was forced to start my baby on a bottle and then moved straight to hybrid feeding (combined breastfeeding and pumped milk in a bottle). This approach let my husband feed once per day to give me a break and meant later there were no issues tied to transitioning to a bottle. My religious tracking of production early helped build a healthy supply despite some early challenges.

There is plenty to like about the app, however. First, it is a phenomenal tool for learning. Medela collates various breastfeeding articles for mothers on their breastfeeding journey to access and prompts at key times. Second, it also helps with every part of tracking your breast feeding journey. The app allows you to track several key metrics in one location for your child and compare it to others of a similar age, but this is where the issues start. While a simple concept, the app feels more complex than it should be. The fundamental goals are admirable and there is a lot to like with the app, unfortunately a few glitches spoil the package.

For instance, after a dual pumping session, you could find the app clears the total. When you go to re-enter the total, it’ll wipe the individual amounts.

After the second time losing all my data, I gave up on the app. I’d enjoyed the app during the early stages of my son growing up, but it simply wasn’t as necessary as the growth slowed and I was on top of my pumping routine. Just know even without the connectivity, the pump is an excellent addition.