For new breastfeeding mothers who think that they have little or no milk, don’t be so quick to blame yourselves.
The problem may not be you, it may be the breast pump.
The Medela Mini Electric breast pump was actually my first pump to help me continue breastfeeding when I returned to work.
Retailing at RM250+ then, I bought it because many breastfeeding Mums recommended it highly.
Made in Switzerland, I liked the fact that normal sized bottles fit into the pump. Although it was easy to assemble, I found that:
a) the little “rubber flap” or membrane fixed to the head of the pump needed gentle handling (a spare one is given) and
b) milk stuck in the neck of the pump is hard to clean unless you soak the pump in soapy water for a while (a hassle for busy working Mums!)
I didn’t mind all but the trouble is: the pump DID NOT WORK for me!
First, the funnel was too small
for my boob and nipple, which I later realized is the reason why the breast pump didn’t work for me.
Then,
the motor was VERY, VERY NOISY
as it pumped. Since I used the janitor’s room, the loud announced to the entire office that I’m expressing breastmilk! Really, really embarrassing.
The suction wasn’t strong enough.
Needless to say, it wasn’t a relaxing pumping session…
Even after trying for 20 minutes, I could only get about 1-2 oz of breastmilk. For a working mother about to start work in two weeks’ time, I was frustrated when I couldn’t even express enough milk for one feed.
Because it’s an electric breast pump, I always had to look for a plug point to express milk. The pump could also work with 2 AA batteries but that means I had to pack:
a) spare bottles
b) cooler packs
c) the breast pump and stand
d) the motor and the power adaptor
e) spare batteries
Since I had to carry a laptop, I hated the idea of carrying such a HEAVY pack, which seemed to make the chore of expressing milk even more of a hassle.
Despite several tries with the Medela Mini Electric and talking to other Mums, I was still unsuccessful with it. In the end, I bought a second pump i.e. the AVENT Isis Manual Pump, which renewed my hope of continuing to breastfeed at work.
Lucky for me, another Mum (whose sister’s Medela Mini Electric pump broke down after passing it on to her) bought it from me for RM200. 
In conclusion, if you’re thinking of getting a Medela Mini Electric, do check your boob and nipple size first before buying it!
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- REVIEW: Avent ISIS Manual Pump set
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I couldn’t agree more on the motor sound. Hate it!!!
Agree with you that the problem may be because of the pump. Like me, I can’t use even the Avent manual pump. Very little BM or none sometimes. I was using a very manual cylinder pump and I managed to get 8oz of milk most of the time.
I rather not get an electric pump which costs so much unless there is a refundable policy or trial pump.
Yvonne – Hehehe I felt like a a cow on a production line
Julie – I think we were lucky to find pumps that worked for us. I hear of many Mums who give up breastfeeding when they return to work because they fail to express milk. Hope that this post will encourage these Mums to keep on trying…
Same here, the Medela electric pump didn’t work for me, and I converted to Avent manual pump. Liked the fact that I could control the pressure and rhythm.
A Mom’s Diary – You too? I like the exact same features as you do…
I’ve used the Mini Electric when I went back to work too. Apart from being noisy, it works ok for me. I guess this is personal preference. I still ended up upgrading to a double pump (PISA) cos it’s faster & easier!
Janice – Lucky for you it worked
yes agree about the noisy motor, its more like lawn mower.. huhu. however the milk production is still good.
Kambingbujang – I’m using the Medela Freestyle and loving it a lot! Really quiet and it’s slowly helping to stimulate the inactive side too…