Philips Avent Isis Manual Breast Pump

I bought this pump after reading quite a few other reviews. I've been using it for several days. The handle does squeak a bit, but other than that it works really well for being such a low priced pump.

I highly recommend this breast pump. It works faster than the Medela electric pump that I have. The only complaint I have is that sometimes the pump loses suction but the spare parts quickly fix that problem.

I can't believe all the great reviews. Maybe its just me, but I think this pump is so overrated. The pluses: it is small, it does work OK sometimes. The negatives: it takes a long time to pump even a small amount, it has a lot of parts.And the worst one is that the plastic star valve keeps coming off, which requires taking it apart in the middle of pumping,while its leaking everywhere. I rented the Medela for 2 months before using it and believe me this thing does not compare, not even close. I use it only occasionally and it drives me crazy even than. There has to be a better hand pump out there. This is my personal opinion, so your resluts could be totally different

I have used the Avent hand pump to exclusively feed my son for medical reasons since he was born 4 months ago. While we were hospitalized after his birth and again a week and a half later when he was rehospitalized I used the hospital grade pumps, which were very effective. Once returning home I switched to the manual Avent pump and I can say, 4 months later, that it works just as well as the hospital grade pumps I used. It truly does. I highly recommend this pump. Also, I like the fact that I can use it anywhere anytime without needing an electrical outlet. It is very easy and quick to clean....which is important when you are pumping 8 times a day.

I did take off the massaging cover because milk got trapped behind it and it was a little leaky. The pump works just as well without it so it wasn't a big deal. I haven't had any problems with the pump stopping working as long as I'm careful with the infamous "star" part. Just make sure it's seated properly and there are no issues. I also recommend the Avent sterilizer....it has slots designed just for the pump (and bottles, etc.). The whole setup is so fast and easy to use which, for me, was critical since I am sleep deprived as a new first time mom! :)

I initially bought this pump only to use when & where I would find it difficult to use my Medela Pump in Style Advanced (double electric). But instead, I have found it so much more effective that I'm using it all the time now.

When I bought it, about 5 weeks after my daughter was born, I had a very very low milk supply, and was pumping in an effort to increase it, but the double electric didn't seem to be helping. When I started using this pump, my supply began to increase, slowly but steadily.

I think the reason that this pump seems to be helping my supply, while the electric wasn't, is that it actually generates stronger suction, and I can tolerate that stronger suction because I'm in control more than with the electric. Also, since it only pumps one breast at a time, I can use my free hand to do breast compressions, which really helps empty the breast.

Some other advantages of this pump is that it's quicker to clean compared with a double electric, mostly because it has fewer parts. It's much lighter - a few ounces instead of 10 lbs. And it's quieter, although once in a while the handle makes a squeaking noise.

It does take a little bit of practice to get used to this pump, but it is very much worth the effort.

I have found that the massage petals help somewhat, but they also make it more difficult to get the nipple positioned so that it doesn't rub against the side; the pump works just fine without that part.