I am a practicing LC at a major hospital in Anchorage, AK.  Besides making daily rounds on the patients, I also manage a small lactation center for women located right on our maternity unit.  Our hospital provides this open door center for all patients to return for assistance with breastfeeding.  My private business provides pump rentals and pumps for purchase at the center.

I work with mothers on a daily basis who wish to continue pumping when they go back to work.  I am one of those LC's that believes no mother should ever just be handed a pump (or be buying them on EBAY!) without being taught how to use it.  I have been teaching mothers for years how to go back to work and pump with either the Lactina Select(rental) or the Pump in Style.  I have been carrying the Purely Yours for about a year now.

In my experience comparing these pumps I feel the Purely Yours meets the needs of working mothers far beyond the Pump In Style.  Medela is such a great company but they have just missed the boat on this line.  Women need a pump that can go on batteries...not have to be plugged in.  So many women have to pump in a closet, an airport (where the plugs are in the hallways of the main terminal) or even in a bathroom.  By allowing their pump to run on AA batteries and still maintain a 42-60 cycle rate with 80-240mm Hg suction level, the Hollister people have truly designed a pump that out ranks the Pump In Style.  Hollister also lines this PY pump with material that can be wiped off easily (versus nylon lining in PS) and allows room for 6 bottles to be stored instead of just 4 (in PS)...many women have to stay late at work for a staff meeting or whatever and 4 bottles is just not enough.  I have had nothing but wonderful experiences with this PY pump and was quite nervous when it first started going out of my office.  I gave mothers an extra discount if they called me back to tell me how they were doing.  So far about the worst drawback is Hollister uses the more rigid plastic and when I have moms that have to travel they have had the flange break if not packed well.  Some moms who have used it who are not BFing but pump and give to baby say that after about 6-8 months they have to replace the diaphragms (about $8 each)....but these are few and far between.  

I think Medela is a great company and I still carry the PS - but I was so disappointed when they came out with their line of three new pumps and none of them can go on small batteries.  What were they thinking?  The battery you have to attach to a PS or Lactina is almost as heavy as the pump...plus extra cost to rent the thing.!  The PY is comparable to the PS in every way in warranty, back-up and effectiveness.  It cost less (Hollister allows you to sell it for any price) and it is difficult for me to recommend the lesser Medela PS pump when mothers come in to me for help.  

Hollister is running a big campaign about the milk not flowing back into the pump and filtering pollutants - but I think it is all beside the point.  Breastfeeding and pumping will never be a sterile technique...we need to teach these women good clean techniques that they will realistically use on a routine basis.   

I would really like any other feedback from other LC's who work with women and pumps.

- Martha Olson, RN, IBCLC
Anchorage, AK (Here Comes Winter!)   

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