This post is a how-to guide on how to use medela breast pump, specifically, the Medela Pump in Style with MaxFlow.
One of the first introductions many women get to the Medela breast pumps, is when they get pregnant and have to choose their free breast pump through their health insurance.
Honestly, it almost feels like choosing your starter Pokemon, if I’m being frank.
You can go the Spectra, Medela, or Lansinoh route.
But if you are here, you have chosen or are contemplating going the Medela route.
Welcome!
How to Use Medela Breast Pump
Medela chooses to be different from other breast pumps in a very interesting way. Medela chooses their signature colors and style very carefully.
Not only is the look different, but many Medela breast pump parts are not interchangeable with other breast pumps, which means that it allows for their brand to stand out.
Furthermore, Medela takes details and thinks of them in a different way. For example, their most popular breast pump is the Medela Pump in Style with MaxFlow. They upgraded the original Medela Pump in Style, and they made the pump portable, have different breast pump parts, and made it lightweight.
These changes were a major upgrade from their previous style. Most importantly, these upgrades were done for the pumping mom in mind.
In this article I will teach you everything you need to know to effectively use your Medela Pump in Style with MaxFlow breast pump.
Why Should I Choose the Medela Breast Pump
The Medela Pump in Style with MaxFlow is totally beginner friendly AND user friendly. One of the biggest takeaways about the Medela breast pump and the brand itself is that the brand is dedicated to making pumping more accessible and convenient for mothers.
Below you will see many qualities of the Medela pump that sets it apart from the bulky standard average breast pump.
Furthermore, it is also hospital grade, which means that it is more powerful and effective than other personal-use pumps, such as the many that you may find on Amazon, as well as manual breast pumps.
List of the Medela Parts
Here are the following Medela Pump in Style with MaxFlow pump parts and their functions:
Breast Shields: Your pump comes with 2 different sized breast shields; 21mm and 24mm. Get properly sized to know your breast shield size, you may even need to purchase a different sized breast shields or inserts. The breast shield goes directly on your breast and the breast shield size should correlate to your nipple measurement.
Membranes: The membranes create suction within the pump to your breast to help pull the milk out. The membranes contract when you’re pumping.
Connectors: The PersonalFit Flex Connectors work to… connect all the part together. Inside the connector is the mebrane (which is the color yellow). The connector also works to keep the pump as a closed system, which means that breast milk does not go into the tubing nor does it go through the pump: it goes directly into the bottles. These connectors are what sets Medela’s brand different, mainly because the look and style is different from the traditional pumping parts.
Tubing: The tubing connects the breast pump parts to the pump motor.
Bottles: Once the milk is expressed, it is going into a bottle. Bottles can easily be replaced with bigger bottles depending on your milk output. The pump itself comes with 5 oz breast milk bottles, but Medela also offers bigger bottles, which can hold up to 8 oz of breastmilk.
What Are the Medela Settings
As seen in the image above, Medela Pump in Style with MaxFlow comes with four buttons. Below is a list of what each button does:
- Power button: Turns on and off.
- Vacuum Buttons (+/-): These buttons adjust the vacuum level, also known as the strength of the pump itself. There are 10 levels available.
- Stimulation/Expression Button (Letdown Button): What this button does is when you press it, you go between stimulation and expression mode. Stimulation mode is a quick gentle “suckling” to mimic a baby’s way to initial a letdown, which is when breastmilk begin coming out quicker. Expression mode is meant to mimic the slow and deep “suckling” of a baby when they are drinking milk through stronger suctions to draw down the milk.
How to Use Medela Breast Pump
Okay, you’ve made it this far and you are ready to start pumping!
First you put your breast shields on against your breasts. The pump automatically starts in stimulation phase. The pump does this because we want to start lighter with the stimulation phase. You can increase or decrease the vacuum level to your liking.
When you feel your letdown starting, it is now time to switch to expression phase. Press the stimulation/expression button (letdown button).
From there, you can slowly decrease or increase the vacuum level/strength.
If you are just beginning to pump (like ever), you may have to start very light. Increasing the vacuum level does not mean you will have more milk output.
It will take a bit of trial and error to find what works best for you. Some women only like using stimulation phase and claim they get more milk like that.
You can also go back and forth between both stimulation and expression phases every couple minutes to help stimulate your breast differently to signal your body to produce more milk.
How To Clean and Sterilize Pump Parts
Before their first use, you should sterilize all pump parts, with the exception of the tubing.
After every use, the pump parts (with the exception of the tubing) should be washed in hot soapy water. Or, if you use a dishwasher, the bottles, connectors, and breast shields are dishwasher safe and need to be placed on the top shelf.
The membranes of the connectors must be hand-washed.
Do avoid sterilizing your pump parts often because that can result in deterioration and damage.
How Often Should You Replace Your Pump Parts
When it comes to replacing your Medela Pump in Style with MaxFlow breast pump pump parts, it depends on how often you use them. When I was exclusively pumping, I found myself replacing some of my breast pump parts every 4 weeks since I was pumping every single day, multiple times a day. If you use your breast pump more sparingly, you don’t have to replace them as often.
It is important to replace your pump parts often because when the parts wear out, they begin to lose suction, which results in lower milk output.
Here are the signs that your pump parts need to be replaced:
- You are getting less milk than what is considered normal for no apparent reason
- You have not replaced your membranes in 4-6 weeks
- There is a crack in your connectors
- There is moisture in the tubing
Below I have listed all the pump parts with how often you should see into replacing them:
| Pump Parts | When to Replace |
| Breast Shields | Every 6 months |
| Membranes | Every 2-3 months if you pump > 3x/day; or every 6 months if you pump < 3x/day |
| Connectors | Every 2-4 months if you pump > 3x/day; or every 6 months if you pump < 3x/day |
| Tubing | When you find moisture, or see any wear and tear |
Maymom is a great alternative to replacing your pump parts at an affordable price. They also have items to “hack” your Medela breast pump to use cheaper alternatives than the connectors.
Extra Tips to Use the Medela Breast Pump From an Exclusively Pumper
- Include one power pumping session a day to help you increase your milk supply.
- The portable feature of the pump is a game changer!
- Invest in the Legendairy Milk Cups or in the Medela Hands-Free Collection Cups for a hands-free and slightly discreet option while still getting the benefits of the Medela Pump in Style. Using collection cups was best purchase I did for my exclusively pumping journey.
- Due to the price, I opted to buy them through the Mercari app “secondhand.” I browsed Mercari often to find people posting the Legendairy Milk Cups at a discounted price, and would only buy those that had never been used – that is something that you should note when buying secondhand items, specially breast pump parts. Many moms invest in many products while they’re nesting and find themselves never using them, which is why you can find many great deals on apps like Mercari, Poshmark, and Facebook Marketplace.
How to Use Medela Breast Pump
The Medela Pump in Style with MaxFlow is many women’s favorite pump for a reason. It is my hope that you found this article useful. And let me know down in the comments what was your personal experience using the Medela breast pump.
If you are still not 100% sold on the Medela breast pump, I recommend reading next Spectra vs Medela (Spectra S2 vs Medela Pump in Style Review) and Best Portable Breast Pumps.
P.S. If you would like to know more about what to include in your baby registry, read more here: Baby Registry Must Haves (Free Checklist Printable).
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is the Medela Pump in Style with MaxFlow Best for Working Moms?
I 10/10 recommend the Medela Pump in Style with MaxFlow. For me, despite working from home, as a working mom, my “office” would change places often around the house, so it was convenient to always have a portable breast pump like the Medela Pump in Style available at all times.
I am on a budget. How Can I Make Pumping Affordable?
I personally found many great deals on Mercari. I bought breastmilk bags and even the Spectra S1 through the Mercari app. This app single-handedly saved my wallet and my exclusively pumping journey. I was able to get many pumping necessities through this app whenever I ran out. I highly recommend you browse through the app to see if you find any good deals.
Other Breast Pump Posts:
- How to Use the Spectra S2 Breast Pump
- Spectra S1 vs S2: Which is Better for You?
- Spectra vs Medela (Spectra S2 vs Medela Pump in Style Review)
- Best Portable Breast Pump
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