Medela are known for their breastfeeding expertise and products (over 50 years of business!) and their breast pumps are often spotted on maternity wards - 94% of UK hospitals have them! The Medela Swing Maxi Flex is perfect for mums who need that extra bottle in half the time as it has a clever double pump.
How did this product make your life easier?
Eleanor: The Medela Swing Maxi Flex is amazing and makes life as a breastfeeding mum so much more easier. I have struggled before to express when breastfeeding, but this pump has been easy to use and enabled me to pump. The double pumping technology allows you to express two bottles of milk comfortably and quickly. The breast shield is great and can be adapted to fit you, so is personalised to you.
Jenny: This product is great for me as a mum because it means I can pump more milk in less time. This is both from the internal mechanism and the fact that it is a double pump. This is handy for me as a mother of 2 as it means I can spend more time with them rather than being stuck sat down pumping. Another good thing about the Medela Swing Maxi Flex is that it is easy to clean because it has fewer parts in comparison to other pumps.
Abi: This breast pump is amazing! Being able to express from both breasts at the same time saved me a lot of time! As a mum of a toddler and a baby time is very precious and this product gave me more time to spend with my babies. It’s easy to use with no faffing around trying to get the pump position correct as the funnels are perfect size and shape. The pump is quiet in comparison to another I have previously used too which meant when I have pumped in the night I haven’t woken anyone up with the noise which has also been a brilliant feature.
Would you recommend this to other mums?
Eleanor: I would recommend the Medela Swing Maxi Flex to mums as it's truly changed my breastfeeding journey. I've struggled previously with other pumps I have used and hardly got any milk out. This Medela double pump has been easy to use, quick to pump and the amount of milk that I can express has been amazing. The phrases of expressions from the pump mimics a baby so it is so comfortable expressing no pain or discomfort. Fantastic on hygiene really easy to clean, and safe with the closed system to protect from overflow when expressing.
Victoria: I would recommend this product to any mum who is pumping, to save on time and to express more milk with each use. The colour isn't to my taste but I love the little circular motor that is lightweight and very easy to carry around. I like that there is just one tube that splits and isn't crazy long to prevent tangling, that would drive me mad half asleep in the middle of the night!
Claire: I would recommend this product because I find the pumping action more effective than other market leaders. And the double pump feature allows fast efficient pumping. The pump comes with two sets of flanges in different sizes this is an incredible feature which contributes greatly to comfort as the size can vary throughout your journey or even between breasts. The product is easily transported it isn’t bulky and is easy to sterilise.
Would you choose this product to win?
Eleanor: Yes absolutely!! This Medela Swing Maxi Flex pump has been the only pump I have managed to successfully express with without pain and discomfort. It's really simple and easy to use, can be used in a lot of positions to make expressing easy. It's also extremely quick to see the milk filling up. The shields are soft and flexible to fit each person individually. The product receives fantastic reviews and is a trusted choice for worldwide healthcare professionals. It is expensive but certainly worth the price in time and comfort. Fantastic buy if you afford it.
Emma: Normally I would not have chosen this product given its price against its competitors (although the single pump would be a cheaper option) however, having had the opportunity to test this product I would choose this product over all others. With my first child, I used a different well-known brand breast pump and I didn’t really get on with it and resulted in using a hand pump, but the Medela pump is so much more comfortable it is definitely worth the extra cost.
Abi: For me, the fact our local hospital uses and recommends Mendela as a brand made me very happy to have my own to use as it’s a trusted and reputable brand by our local midwives. I do think £249.99 is expensive for a breast pump and that would have perhaps put me off should I have been purchasing it myself rather than being gifted it to test. When you are having a baby there are a lot of more essential items required which also cost a lot so if you are on a budget this isn’t ideal.
What changes would you make to this product?
Emma: The main thing that I would change about the Medela pump is that the pump can be quite loud depending upon the type of surface it is on. Whilst this has no effect on the performance of the pump I am sometimes conscience that it may wake my baby when sat nearby. I would also like it if there was a longer power supply lead and/or airline to the pump so that I wouldn’t have to rely on the battery power supply if my seat wasn’t close enough to a mains outlet.
Victoria: I'm not the biggest fan of the colour, but others may love it and it doesn't affect the quality of the product. I do wish it was a little quieter. I don't know if I find it louder as I pump in the middle of the night when there are no other sounds but I feel that I can't pump in bed so not to wake my partner or baby, so I do have to get out of bed and go into another room.
Claire: If I could change one aspect of the pump I would reduce the noise or aim to make it silent. I understand that may not be possible. When pumping during the night the whomp whomp sound seems really loud in a quiet house. In fairness, it isn’t as noisy as other pumps I’ve used. I also wish it came with some sort of garment or attachment to allow hands-free or one-handed pumping, as holding both pumps can be awkward. I have two one-year-olds and a new baby and rarely get quiet time to pump.