How to use spectra s1 plus breast pump

Update: I bought a second one after having my third child. My first two days back at work I pumped 12 oz and 15 oz. The baby only needs 9-10 oz while I'm gone. This pump is the best. I know my review is super long but the short version is you will not find a better pump. It is effective, gentle, and what more could you want? The price has even gone down since I bought the first one.

I bought a second because all pumps eventually lose suction. I think I paid about $130 for my second one. I'll use it for a year, so that's a little over $10 a month. Well worth it.

------

This pump is amazing. When it comes to something that you're probably going to be using several times a day, almost every day, for about a year or so, you want to like it. The best you can hope for is a love-hate relationship with the pump, because you'd probably rather just be nursing the baby, but at least you can still pump and that's the next best thing. So, you want one that won't make you hate the entire process even more, right?

I pumped with my first, who is now 2.5 years old, from day 2 until he was 1 year old. I just had my second baby (1 month now) and have used this pump 4 times so far, 3 times as single, once as a double. As with my first, I plan to return to work at 12 weeks and will be pumping until she is 1 year old as well.

I love this pump. With my first baby I used a Medela single electric, then got a Hygeia double electric. Honestly, I hated them both. The suction had to be super high, and the flanges that came with them were not big enough for me, so I had to spend more money on new flanges. The flanges that came with the Spectra are larger than the default Medela ones, and are comfortable for me. I was using the XL Medela ones before. These are slightly smaller than those.

The Hygeia would constantly lose suction and I had to replace tubes and valves every week or so, and keep increasing the suction. By the end of the year, my nipples had basically lost all feeling, except when I was pumping and they hurt. I also had to pump longer and longer, so I was spending 3 sessions of 1 hour each pumping at work, to get the same amount. So, 1 hour to get about 3-4 oz.

With the Spectra, under the same conditions, I can pump 6 oz in 10 minutes, with very low suction. The mechanics of this pump are just so much more effective. The letdown cycle actually works for me. With the Hygeia I would try to change the settings to get a letdown, and it would still take 10 min before it happened. With the Spectra, it's usually less than one minute. Reducing the pumping time to only 10-15 minutes is not only more convenient and comfortable, it makes it much easier to pump at work, and it's much healthier. When you pump for more than 20-30 minutes at a time without a break, it can actually damage your nipples and breast tissue. So an effective pump is not only easier to use, it's better for you in the long run.

I did notice I had to increase the suction when I plugged in the second tubing to use it as a double, so I went from using suction levels 2 & 3 to using 4 & 5. I did not increase the cycle. The vacuum goes up to Level 12, so if the pump does lose suction over the year like my Hygeia did, it looks like there is plenty of power to take up the slack.

Someone in another review said they don't know what the "cycle" numbers mean. When a baby is suckling, they typically suck between 60-80 times per minute to get a let down, then between 40-60 times per minute when drinking the milk. The numbers on the cycle setting reflect that. The letdown cycle is 70, meaning in one minute it will "suck" 70 times. Then you can pick from a wide range for your regular pumping. If your baby sucks faster, your body will probably respond better to a higher number. I personally have been pumping on the lowest cycle for comfort, and it seems to draw out more milk for me.

I love that the pump remembers which settings you had it on. The only flaw with this is that no matter which setting it was on (regular or let-down cycles) when you turned it off, it turns on in regular mode. I would much prefer it turned on in let-down mode, since what I do is get the flanges positioned in my hands free bra, then turn the pump on with it already attached to me. I have to hit power then quickly hit the let down cycle button to switch it to what I need. Just a slight inconvenience. Since there's no way to adjust the vacuum or cycles while it's off, if you find yourself using the higher levels of suction you definitely want to turn it on and check what settings it's on BEFORE you put your nipple in the flange.

I also wish you could see the battery indicator without having to turn it on. Basically, it needs an option to interact with the LCD screen without actually turning on the pump/suction part. A way to view and change your settings before actually starting trying to pump.

The only other thing I dislike so far is the timer - I actually love the timer, but there's no "pause" button. So when I was using only one flange and pumped one side, then wanted to switch to the other side, I had to turn it off to do my switch, then when I turned it back on the timer started over. I appreciated being able to see the time, but it goes away as soon as you turn the pump off. Again, a way to keep the screen and settings on, but PAUSE the suction would be a huge help.

These two tiny flaws are barely noticeable though when it comes to comparing this to any other pump on the market. The battery and handle are so nice, my old pump had to be plugged in. I have already once had to pick up the pump and go into another room to help my toddler with something, and it was so nice to not have to unhook everything to change rooms. I hear lots of stories of moms pumping in awkward spots because it's the only place with an outlet, so I look forward to NOT having to deal with that.

The "instruction" manual that comes with it is a joke, so if you're a first time pumper, go online and learn how pumps work and how to care for them, what the basic parts are, so you know what to do with the pump.

_________

My baby is turning 6 months in a few days and I'm still pumping for her at work, every day. I still love this pump. I have not had to change the suction settings, so it's still working great there. I *think* the pump is a little louder than it used to be, or it could just be that I am used to the noise it makes. It's still very quiet, but it does sort of sound like something is rumbling a little in there. I do take it a lot of places and it could be a little beaten up by now.

The battery still lasts a long time, I charge it once every 2-3 days. I never use the light. I still wish it had a pause button. I have not had to replace any valves or tubing.

Things I don't like after 6 months: I ordered the tote bag and cooler bag from Spectra, and the pump and cooler bag do not both fit in the tote bag easily! I can make them fit but it's very difficult. Plus, the cooler then has to sit on the pump and occasionally it turns the pump on! I was expecting to get a tote bag that was designed to hold these items, but it's just a generic bag. No pockets or dividers inside, just one little pocket on the outside (which I do use for my wallet).

But the pump? still amazing. I tell everyone I can about this pump. Worth every penny and more.

How do you use the Spectra pump effectively?

What settings should I use on my Spectra S1?