I got my Playtex Embrace today to test on five moms. But the informational 
booklet says it is for one mom only and use by more than one woman voids the 
warranty. They also call it a hospital grade pump but it clearly isn't.

It is very noisy. Sounds like a Purely Yours but louder. This would not be a 
discreet pump if one was trying to be quiet.

The flanges have a soft plastic insert. The soft plastic insert makes a 
crackily noise. It claims that it doesn't pull or tug on the nipple but it 
does (I tried it just to see and I am have not nursed for 11 years but it 
pulled my nipple -- just less than I have seen on Medela or Ameda pumps). 
The flange also has a ridge that sucks in around the areola (massaging 
action), it felt odd to me but might work for someone with milk. I could 
feel the ridge pushing into my breast tissue.

The flange tunnel seems to be about 25 mm wide and shorter than Medela or 
Ameda which might not work for some mothers.

The vacuum gauge read 180 mbars of mercury at full speed and full suction 
for double. It read 250 mbars of mercury for single -- WAY TOO HIGH.

I also tested a Purely Yours, same vacuum  (180) at double, and I forgot to 
test single. The Elite that I also tested was 200 mbars of mercury at double 
maximum vacuum, speed. Both were much quieter.

So I am playing around with the Playtex and I put on Ameda tubing and the 
vacuum shot up to 260 mbars of mercury double! I hope moms don't try other 
collection kits with this thing.

I didn't notice that much change in the speeds using the vacuum gauge. 
Seemed like they were not that different from slow to fast but the noise of 
the pump is greater on the high suction -- I am used to testing Ameda Elites 
and PY, which change speeds with a variation from slow to fast.

The Playtex comes with a booklet about breastfeeding. It quotes Dr. Newman. 
Seems like ok information. The whole Playtex bag with everything inside is 
heavy to me, heavier than the Purely Yours bag. But the Playtex has more 
little bags inside.

My concern with testing this on five moms is that it is a personal use, or 
single user pump. It does appear to have a closed collection kit.

Kathy Eng, BSW, IBCLC 

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html