Thursday, September 10, 2009

Philips Avent ISIS Manual On the Go Breast Pump (BPA Free) Review

This set includes:

- One Insulated Shoulder Bag (about the size of a lunch box)
- One ISIS Manual Breast Pump
- Two 4-oz BPA-Free Natural Feeding Bottle (with Stage 1 teats) [as opposed to the pic above which has two 6oz bottles)
- Two 4-oz BPA-Free Bottle with Sealing Disc
- One Insulated Micro Fiber Tote
- Two Cool Packs for breast milk storage
- Eight
Ultra Comfort disposable breast/nursing pads
- Spare parts

** BPA-Free bottles, made from Polyether Sulphone (PES) - a BPA Free material with a natural honey color


I got this Philips Avent ISIS Manual On the Go Breast Pump about 2 weeks ago when there was a 20% sale. It was just in the nick of the time to try it out - one day before I left for my KL trip.

This manual pump is invaluable during trips because of the ease of use and the quietness during use. I was expressing away in the car on the highway (with car shades) and in stores' changing rooms, and even in restrooms during the few days I was in KL. Thank goodness the KL's malls' restrooms are way cleaner than Penang's.

With this pump, I was really amazed with the results. It proved to be as effective (or even more so) as the Medela Mini E I was using. I managed to express 4-6oz every 3-4 hourly.

I find the Avent's soft massage cushion 'petals' as effective as advertised as I find that it helps to stimulate a natural let-down reflex.

And I totally was surprised to find that my hands aren't tired at all with all the manual pumping. The handle was easy and light, which required little strength to operate.

I really recommend this pump to anyone who is looking for a manual breast pump.


Review:

Pros
- Soft massage cushion 'petals' helps to stimulate a natural let-down reflex
- Hands are not tired (as opposed to what the public says about manual pumps)
- Easy to Assemble and Use
- Able to control suction (depending on how you squeeze the handle)
- Portable and light
- Very quiet

Cons
- Is manual, thus requires a little more time compared to electric breast pumps
- The ice-packs provided is not enough to keep milk cold. I recommend to add ice-replacement such as (eg: blue ice from Rubbermaid or Brite Ice from Coleman)

Rating: 9/10

3 comments:

Serenely said...

Hey Shuyin. Hope you're setting down well after your holiday. I'm commenting on this old post because I was trying to find some info/reviews on manual pumps. having some issues with my electric breast pump (you might had read that on my blog). did you find it more effective to use a manual pump in general? how much are you able to express each time on average? if you've tried other manual pumps besides avent, which would you recommend? or is electric still the way to go?

tanshuyin said...

Hie Serene,

Not sure if you have read my electric breastpumps review (http://tanshuyin.blogspot.com/2009/07/breastpumps-reviews.html).

Like you, initially I thought electric breastpump is the way to go because manual seems like so much work. So I was using Medela Mini E that I borrowed from my cousin. It serves the purpose, I managed to pump out milk but I did feel uncomfortable because the suction was kinda strong and after 10 minutes, it goes all red. Not painful, but uncomfortable. And I hate the very noisy motor. I cant pump discreetly. Everybody hears me!

And then all things changed when I switch to Avent Manual. I got this as a pressie and it was fabulous. Surprisingly, it does not take any strength to pump and is actually very easy and light to pump manually. And another surprise is that I actually pump more with this. Not sure if my milk supply suddenly increases. But I think is the petal reflex thingy that gives me a good letdown. I pump 4-6oz every 3 hourly (I am not someone who has a lot of milk)

Furthermore, since it is manual, it has no noise at all. Perfect for discreet pumping in malls, etc.

I think is the Avent brand which suits me. Not sure if the Avent Electric will be as good. But a plus thing to note is that the Avent Electric can be converted into manual. 2-in-1. But is rather expensive at more than a thousand ringgit i think. So if you have the cash, go for it. If u r on a budget, Avent Manual is really not bad at all!

p/s-it may suit me but not suit u. so pls take note.

Serenely said...

Hey thanks so much for the detailed feedback. I find my Medela one is also very noisy... maybe even noisier than the one you used previously as it's a double pump! I think I might get an Avent one for a change and see if another brand makes a difference. And noted that every mother/woman is different but still good to get different opinions to evaluate :)

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