Breast Pump Review - Avent Manual Pump

I am using two pumps at the moment – Avent manual pump and Medela Swing. My cousin also lend me her Avent ISIS motor, which can be attached to the manual pump as well. I use this every day during my first pump in the morning.

Here is my review on Avent manual pump : 

 Features (per Avent website)

• Patented soft 5-petal massage cushion - The unique active massage cushion is intended to help stimulate natural let-down

• Clinically proven results - The gentle-draw vacuum of the Philips AVENT breast pump mimics a baby's natural suckling action and gets more milk than a hospital grade double electric pump*

• Easy manual operation - The manual breast pump is ideal if you express milk occasionally and value compactness. Easily operated with one hand.

My Review

Assembly

The pump was easy to assemble after referring to the instructions. 

Experience
My first pump session using the Avent manual pump was probably on day 5, when I was so-called pressured to pump out milk, else the confinement lady will insist of feeding baby with formula. 
 
The first few sessions were painful due to sore nipple, but after three days I can already see the milk flowing into the bottle. I like how the petal cushion massages onto the breast, which simulates the ducts and for the milk to flow. 

The manual pump gives me control on how fast or slow I want to pump. I can also rotate and control the angle of the pump as well as I sometimes need to change position so that can pump out from the milk ducts which are still full.

There were feedbacks from some mothers that it is very tiring using a manual pump as they have to keep pumping, which can be tiring on their hands. One trick I learnt from a mother is that instead of pressing the pump multiple times, I can just press and hold till the flow slows down. Thankfully I have a good flow so  usually I just press and hold for 2 – 3 minutes each time before repeating.  

Washing and maintenance

Washing the pump can be a little bit more meticulous as it has more parts (as compared to Swing) but is not an issue for me. The rubber bits are prone to wear and tear (maybe sterilizing it too often) though so is advisable to change once it becomes loose. I purchased the spare parts from Kinderdijk service centre in Plaza Damas. 

Yield

On a good day, the Avent manual pump gives me a very good yield as compared to Medela Swing. Otherwise it produces the same yield but within a shorter period. My average yield is 5oz per 20 -30 minute session when using Avent. With the Medela Swing it will take around 5 – 10 minutes more for the same yield. 

Time

I do not have an issue with letdown, so within one minute of pumping the milk can already be expressed. I can complete both sides within 30 minutes or less on average.

Conclusion

To date, it is my preferred pump. My Avent pump comes with a compact bag which I can bring it along to shopping malls or during trips. Sometimes I even pump in the car during long distance journeys. A definite two thumbs up for this pump!