The Medela team spent five years of painstaking research and hundreds of hours talking to health professionals and observing mom-testers to find the way to get twice the power of its smallest breastpump, Swing®, into a package of comparable size. The result is a revolutionarily small but powerful hands-free breastpump with Medela’s research-based 2-Phase Expression® technology.
“Creating Freestyle was a totally mom-focused process because we wanted it to be user-friendly and appealing, as well as hand-held and technologically superior,” said Medela manager of industrial design, Jill Solberg. “We know moms juggle so many things, from parenting and working to managing the household and social commitments. So we made Freestyle easy to use as well as ergonomic, so you can hold it and use the buttons one-handed. And it was input from our mom focus groups that inspired us to add features like a structured waist belt, backlit display and built-in timer.”
Easy, powerful hands-free pumping is a welcome development for many moms, who now have the freedom to recoup time previously spent holding breast collection kits to their chest when pumping. While pumping hands-free with Freestyle a mom can hold her baby, check email, read or talk on the phone. And if a mom prefers, she can forego using the hands-free option and pump while holding the breast collection kits, giving her the freedom to pump in the way that best suits her individual lifestyle.
Research-based technology, programmable memory and a charge that lasts a week
Freestyle features Medela’s pioneering 2-Phase Expression® technology. Researched and developed by scientists initially for hospital-grade breastpumps, 2-Phase Expression technology is scientifically proven to mimic babies’ two-phase sucking pattern, allowing for a reduction in pumping time. 2-Phase Expression enables the Freestyle breastpump to operate in two distinct modes — the “Stimulation” mode, in which the pump duplicates babies’ initial rapid suckling to initiate milk flow, and the “Expression” mode, which imitates babies’ slower, deeper suckling.
Together these modes create a pumping experience that feels most like baby, giving mom greater comfort and more milk in less time.
Freestyle offers a number of new features including a rechargeable battery that affords three hours of pumping time with a single charge — the equivalent of one week’s worth of pumping for many moms — and a bright LCD screen, making it easy to read pumping information during night use. Additionally, Freestyle’s programmable memory allows moms to record their preferred pumping pattern, and a one-touch let-down button allows for faster milk flow.
Freestyle comes with almost everything mom needs for pumping wherever and however she chooses. Freestyle’s hands-free accessories attach easily to most nursing bras and the motor can be worn on the waist with the adjustable belt, or placed on mom’s lap or a table. Freestyle comes in a stylish black micro-fiber tote bag for discreet and easy portability.
“The Freestyle breastpump offers moms the industry’s preeminent, research-based technology; the option to pump hands-free and multi-task; and a small, lightweight device that can be carried anywhere,” said Carolin Archibald, Medela’s vice president, consumer products. “Freestyle shows that Medela understands a mom’s unique lifestyle and demonstrates our commitment to helping women make breastfeeding more possible for an extended duration.”
All components of Freestyle that come into direct contact with breastmilk, including breast shields and bottles, are made with BPA-free polypropylene plastic.