Brief Start/First Impressions
My breastfeeding journey has been an easy one compared to others stories I have read, luckily! Tobias took to breastfeeding like a duck to water, it was instinctive and he didn’t need any help from me or the midwives. I stayed in hospital for two days when he was born to establish breastfeeding and make sure all was going well and we’ve never looked back since. However, it took us over three months to use a bottle and now he has one bottle of formula before bed, every night. Because of this, I didn’t need the expressing machine. However I can see the full advantages of being able to use one and wish I had continued with trying to use it as it does give a person the ability to be flexible, to help the father establish a bond and to give yourself a break every so often.

The Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Pump is an electric pump with a two phase expression function for expressing breast milk, that allows you to collect more milk than single pumping. Short, stimulating patterns are followed by longer ones to ensure optimal milk flow for collection.

Included in the box is:
1x Swing maxi motor unit
2x Connectors
2x Bottle 150ml
2x Bottle stand
2x PersonalFit breast shield
2x Multi-lid
1x Swing maxi tubing
1x Mains adapter
1x Calma solitaire

You can also buy:
• Different sized nipple shields for comfort.
• An expressing bustier bra.
• Nursing pads.
• Pump and save bags.
• Quick clean microwave bags.
• Cooler bag.
• PureLan lanolin nipple cream.
• Nipple shields

Features and Benefits
Simple and comfortable: easy-to-use pump with four buttons
Small and portable
Double pumping, shown to express more milk
Saves up to two hours per day when frequently pumping

What I Think
The instructions and assembly are easy to follow and you literally just put the parts together in a couple of minutes and you are good to go. The settings are very comfortable and apart from the noise (which is quiet compared to other brands) this product is pretty brilliant. You can control how strong the suction is and suit it to your needs, and match it to your baby’s suck. I found that I was able to build up a tolerance to the stronger suction settings as time went on. The pump can be plugged into the wall to get power, or it can can use batteries when you are out and about. Meaning you could pump and drive (I think this may be illegal though)! I thought it would be a good idea to note this can be used as a double or a single pump easily and is changeable in seconds.

We struggled with the Calma bottles included and Tobias didn’t get the concept of how to extract the milk. However I have been told that these bottles help to establish breastfeeding which normal bottles don’t do.

Pros
Light and portable
Easy to use
Double function
Collects milk well

Cons
Noisy (however I have been told this is one of the quietest)
Price

Overall Feedback
It was a great pump to use when i got a bit engorged overnight and Tobias wasn’t hungry. It is a pretty steep price tag but, for me, it’s worth every penny as it’s a life time product and I can use in the future. The performance of the pump makes it worth the money as well. It’s a great way to express milk quickly and efficiently and it will massively improve your breastfeeding journey if you find yourself needing to express.

I thought it might be helpful to share my breastfeeding essentials with you as well:

Breastfeeding Pillow – I went for a cheap and cheerful one, which I fell in love with and ended up buying a second.
Maternity Bra/ Vests – I’ve found it really hard to find nice nursing bras and I ended up using vests instead.
Nursing Pads – an essential for most breastfeeding mamas to prevent those embarrassing leaks through your clothes.
Nipple cream – helps to soothe cracked or sore nipples. I used it a lot in the beginning. I opted for the type that didn’t need to be removed and reapplied at every feed.
Hydrogel Pads – You get immediate relief from any cracked or sore nipples, and they feel like heaven if you get mastitis.
Water Bottle – I had drinks on every level of the house when Tobias was first born, now I just carry one bottle around with me, everywhere.

If planning on expressing for combi-feeding, these are my added essentials:

Breast Pump – Having a pump that is electric can make life that little bit easier.
Bottles/ Storage Bags – I opted for the bags as I thought this would be easier storage in the freezer but some kind of “collector” of the milk is required.
Steriliser – weather you opt for steam or cold water, electric or microwave this is a necessity for any type of bottle feeding.

Medela Swing Maxi breast pump – double electric breastpump

Much love
Rebecca