Medela Breast Pump Question

LovingStepMom · January 2011

I want to buy a Medela PISA breast pump and always hear of people getting good deals on their pumps.

If you got a good deal (or know of one)...can you please share it? I am looking to save some money if possible.

TIA!

flypink · January 2011

have you looked on craigslist? I live by a Navy base and those ladies are always putting great things up. I usually see a Medela once a week. All you need to do is go out and get new attachments.

Jenniferk08 · January 2011

I bought mine at BRU. They had 15% off their breast pump coupon and then used my 15% completion coupon, so it went from $279 down to 200.

bikernun · January 2011

Fill me in on where to find one to. I got rid of mine after Cyrus was done with breastfeeding and I never looked back. I thought we were done after all. Now here I am stationed in a small base town and the closest I can get to a pump is a hand pump which I hate.

PinkGrapefuit · January 2011

flypink:
have you looked on craigslist? I live by a Navy base and those ladies are always putting great things up. I usually see a Medela once a week. All you need to do is go out and get new attachments.

Do your research, this is not true.

New attachments, tubing etc does not a clean pump make. Medela makes single use pumps (unless you rent from the hospital which are closed systems), other brands make ones designed for multiple users. Would you want a pump from a mother with some sort of illness? I doubt it. Any of the milk, germs, bacteria from the original user cannot be cleaned from the actual pump housing, regardless of your new tubing and accessories. The air passing within the tubing can pick up microscopic drops of milk, which includes all the nastiness that can come from a stranger as well.

Check Amazon for pricing, compare to BRU+coupons, there are other websites as well but you will have to call/email as Medela doesn't allow legit sites to post their pricing. At least the didn't two years ago when I was shopping for mine.

psychgalbride · January 2011

I bought mine at Target - regular price was 279. There was a $ 20 off coupon in the back of the Target registry booklet. Then stacked my discount coupons from using my Target charge and registry completion.

Also check with your hospital- mine sold the PISA at a discount from Target/BRU but I got a better deal with all my coupons and discounts.

Born2Fly · January 2011

Try Ebay. I purchased mine from a mom who's milk never came in so she never used it. BUT she had purchased all the 'extras' for it and by the time she realized she wasn't producing then it was to late to return. So I ended up getting the pump and lots of accessories like bottles, breast pads, ice packs, etc (all still in the original unopened packages) for a great price.

If you do buy used (from anywhere) I would suggest asking how old the pump is. That will tell you a lot. If it is only a few months old then you can pretty much tell if it got little or no use (which is what you want). Some people still have their original receipts. If someone says they had it for years then...i'd skip it.

You also have a right to ask why someone is selling their pump. So ask.

virginiagirl11 · January 2011

Check around for those sites where you call in for the price. Medela doesn't allow them to post their super-low prices online which is why you have to call but if you google the company's name and read up on their customers' experiences, you can determine whether they're legit. My SIL got her PISA this way for $219 plus free shipping.

ToBeClements · January 2011

**lurking from 6-9**

I've got one that I used for only 2.5 months, if you're interested, PM me.

PinkGrapefuit · January 2011

kdodge423:
PinkGrapefuit:

flypink:
have you looked on craigslist? I live by a Navy base and those ladies are always putting great things up. I usually see a Medela once a week. All you need to do is go out and get new attachments.
Do your research, this is not true.
New attachments, tubing etc does not a clean pump make. Medela makes single use pumps (unless you rent from the hospital which are closed systems), other brands make ones designed for multiple users. Would you want a pump from a mother with some sort of illness? I doubt it. Any of the milk, germs, bacteria from the original user cannot be cleaned from the actual pump housing, regardless of your new tubing and accessories. The air passing within the tubing can pick up microscopic drops of milk, which includes all the nastiness that can come from a stranger as well.
Do you even know how a PISA works? Honestly if you replace the parts, NOTHING touches anything that the prior user would have touched. It's simply a motor. If you are so out of it that it is backing up into the system where it could potentially mix with anything, the motor would short out and anything that went in there would be worthless and unsalvagable. The part that went into the bottle or bag would be fine.
I was concerned about cross contamination until I tried out the one I had because I couldn't figure out how the tubing played into it. It transports air. That's it. No milk ever passes through the housing. New shields, membranes, tubing, and bottles are sufficient. I am reusing the tubing for now as I sterilized it with both boiling and alcohol.
Then again I'm not a germaphobe. Perhaps you are.

Yes I do know as I used one for over a year. I never once said milk passes or backs up into the tubes. What I said was that the air passing through the tubes can pickup microscopic amount of milk as there is not a real barrier between the membranes and the tubes, like a closed system has. All nastiness that a stranger might have will be in those mini drops of milk and will pass into the motor housing and sit. There is a reason for the Medelas to be listed as single-user. There are plenty of other brands, in the same price range, that are closed systems that have designs to prevent this.

Then again, I'm not ok with buying a nasty festering Medela from some rando on the internet. Perhaps you are.

kmwiegand · January 2011

If you don't have coupons and stuff, BestBuyBaby.com has great prices. They are unlisted and you have to call, but there is free shipping too. DH and I registered for the PISA, but ended up getting the Freestyle at BestBuyBaby because the price there was the same as the regular price (no coupons, ect) as the PISA everywhere else. And of course the PISA was a great low price too!

nevjcu · January 2011

1. Check with your insurance. My insurance covers it with a doctor's prescription.

2. Call around to the hospital pharmacies in your area. We are lucky enough to live by the Cleveland Clinic, which is particularly large, but I just got one from the pharmacy for $189 which included tax (which I should get reimbursed for from my insurance but just in case, I'm confident I got a really good deal).

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