Worth it?

Spanchez · September 2013

I'm doing my research on breast pumps and need a little help from some working moms.

A little background... I am a sales rep. I mostly work from home, but do go out several days a week for appointments. Some of my customers are close to my house while some are 2+ hours away. I'm planning on spending the first 3-4 months home with LO, but then will be back on the road and would like to pump - most likely will have to happen in the car.

Through my insurance I can get the Medela Advanced Personal Double Pump at no cost - which is great! The only thing with this pump is that it is not very mobile (from what I can see). On the Medela website they have a Car adapter, but I'm not sure if that is compatible with this pump. Anyone know? I sent an email to customer service and am waiting for a response.

One of the suppliers for my insurance can get me the Medela PISA or the Medela Freestyle at the retail cost. The PISA would cost me $83 and the Freestyle is $150. These two seem much more mobile with different options.

My question....
Is it stupid to pass up on a free pump and figure out a solution for when I begin working again or is it worth it to spend the $83 for the PISA?

https://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/wic-ma-pumps

Thanks!

EMOmamma · September 2013

Your free pump will still cost you $30 for the car adaptor plus $30 for a hands free bra. (Plus I'm betting it doesn't come with bottles, cooler, etc - which the others do). In your position I'd spend the $150 for a Freestyle.

aglenn · September 2013

Yes, $150 is worth it for the flexibility of the Freestyle, in my opinion. I used mine for both kids (and paid full price for it) and it was great. I am a consultant and did use it in my car frequently when visiting clients. It was super easy and I was glad not to have to lug around a bigger pump.

daisy662 · September 2013

I wouldn't buy a pump until after the baby is born. The hospital will rent you one for low cost. I say this because for me, I tried very hard for several weeks to breast feed but just was not making milk. I was very glad I didn't spend a lot of money on a pump I wouldn't get to use. I hope you have better luck than I did!!

jnnfrrose6 · September 2013

I agree with PP to wait until after baby, especially since you'll be home the first 3-4 months. From there, though, I have the PISA and it's worked well for me. I've used it at home, at work in my mother's room (ie closet), in my car, on a plane, in a hotel, etc.... I've found it easy to get around with and convenient for my needs.

PunkyBooster · September 2013

Our hospitals charge $85 a month to rent.

I started pumping right away. My chest would have exploded otherwise. I did have oversupply but that paid off when I returned to work.

I liked my PISA and recommend it.

jf198400 · September 2013

I don't know enough about the model that you can get for free, but I do know I was very happy with the PISA. It comes with a battery adapter but you could also get the car adapter separately. $83 is an awesome price, mine was $250 totally worth it.

mrskelly731 · September 2013

I agree with renting over buying. We can rent them locally for $50. I bought one and it just didn't do what the one I rented did. Both were modela brand, but the one I rented was more 'industrial' I guess.

cedenton · September 2013

If I recall correctly, the new health insurance guidelines actually covered pump rental and I think the companies just got on board with it being cheaper to buy them for people and that's why they're covering buying pumps. So...you should be covered to rent. I pumped in the car with our hospital grade pump for 6 wks until my supply dwindled to the point where I gave up. I wasn't just pumping in the car, but in trying to get my supply up I was pumping in the car on the way to work and in the car on the way home from work. I actually used a car adapter that wasn't specific to a pump that I already had.

EMOmamma · September 2013

Renting must be way different regionally. Here it would cost $40-50 per month plus a $30-$50 start up kit. So after 2 months it's not worth it at all.

Spanchez · September 2013

Thanks for all of your input! You've given me a lot to consider!

MoreThanABride · September 2013

I think you should get the free one. It comes with bottles and the bag has a cooler compartment in it. I have a pisa I bought a few years ago and my sister has the one you can get for free. The only difference is the free one has the cooler inside the bag instead of separate and the bag is uglier.

Karla CS · September 2013

I paid out of pocket for the PISA since our insurance has a "free" pump, but it's the hand pump! YIKES!

I put it in perspective of the fact that if I wasn't pumping, once I got back to work, the baby would have to be fed formula - so totally worth it. It sounds like you can get a PISA, which is REALLY portable for a great price. I would buy it and not look back.

AllieMag24 · September 2013

I haven't tried the others, but my PISA has been fantastic - and as PP mentioned, the battery pack is great - pumped in the car this week while driving. I got it when DD1 was born so I paid full price for it (wasn't covered by insurance) but it was totally, totally worth it and still going strong after 2.5 years.

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