Freemie Breast Pump Review (All You Need To Know)

Breastfeeding can be fun, if only we had all the time in the world to hold our babies and feed them directly from the breasts. But there are always other activities dragging for time, not to talk of the pressure breastfeeding puts on your poor nipples. So a close alternative is expressing milk. 

There are many breast pumps out there, but pumping will only be worth the while if you get a suitable one. A great option is the Freemie breast pump, but is it worth the hype?

In here, we have reviewed the Freemie Liberty II pump. You will learn the pros and cons of the product, how to use it and what to expect. You will also learn what other moms think about the product. 

Product overview

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Freemie breast pump is a discreet electric pump that you can wear inside your bra and express breast milk. This breast pump uses cups in place of bottles so that you can pump inside your clothes, without people noticing.

It is portable and slim, and each cup can hold up to 8 ounces of milk. You can reuse these cups as many times as you wish.

 Each pack of the Freemie Liberty II breast pump you buy comes with:

• One rechargeable wearable breast pump
• One pump clothing clip
• One carrying bag
• 2 cup parts
• 3 tubing pieces
• 4 breast flanges of sizes 25 mm and 28 mm
• Two barriers
• One way connector
• Two valves
• 2 valve basis
• One USB charging cable
• 2 L connectors

Pros of Freemie breast pump

• It has an LCD screen to help you see your settings
• It is very light-weight for you to wear in your bra and pump
• Has a backflow protector in the collection cups that prevents your milk from touching the tubing and pump motor
• It uses medical-grade, food-safe, and FDA-approved plastic cups to collect milk
• It has a programmable timer that can shut off in 5 minutes intervals. This will be very helpful if you are busy with other things when pumping.
• It has an adjustable 280 mmHg suction power. It has a memory button that uses your previous settings.

Cons of Freemie breast pump

• It will be difficult to massage your breast when pumping because the collection cup will cover the front of your breast.
• Unlike Medela or Spectra, Freemie Liberty breast pump does not have a letdown mode. However, the adjustable suction power compensates for this.
• The battery drains pretty quickly. Hence you may need to charge after every one or two sessions.
• Your collection cups can leak if you bend when pumping.

Features and Benefits of the Freemie breast pump

Freemie Liberty II breast pump has the following features:

Hands-free pumping

Freemie breast pump doesn’t require you to hold the pump to express. You can use your hands to hold your baby, do some work, or even rest. This pump will give you a little bit of your life back as a busy mom. 

Large collection cups compatible with other brands

Freemie breast pump collection cups collect up to 8 ounces of milk. You won’t pause your pumping session to pour out milk because of the low space.

If you like the suction speed of another pump and need a hands-free option, you can use the Freemie collection cups to pump. For instance, the Freemie cup is compatible with Dr. Frankenstein. Combining these cups with a pump with better suction power gives you better pumping, but you need to buy their connection kits. 

You can pump without removing your clothes 

For Moms who pump frequently, you may appreciate a breast pump that lets you wear your clothes to express milk. Freemie pump will grant you that privilege because you will put it in your bra to pump. 

However, it will make your breast appear a bit bulky. But is that not too small a price to pay to have your clothes on during cold winter mornings?

Quiet pumping

Some pumps are loud and can be distracting to pump at night or in the public. But Freemie will allow you to pump without attracting anyone’s attention.

Easy assembling

It is easy to assemble the Freemie Liberty for first-time use. It is also easy to remove the parts and wash them after each use. An easy-to-assemble breast pump is a great asset because it can be easily cleaned and will stay in use for a long time.

Reasonable pricing

This pump has decent pricing for its features. It is somewhere in between, not the cheapest nor the most expensive. Mid-class moms will love this pump because it will likely fit into their budget.

How to use the Freemie breast pump

The first step to using the Freemie Liberty breast pump is assembling the collection cups. You may find it a bit challenging to assemble the cups but listen for the “click” sound to know if it is properly fitted. Let the cup fit tightly so that the suction will not be weak. 

See how to assemble the Freemie Liberty breast pump below:

Then, follow these steps to  use the Freemie Liberty II breast pump:

• Place the cup on your breast in a way that the tubing hole stays upright. There is an arrow on the collection cup to direct you on how to place the right side up. Your cup could leak if you don’t place it uprightly.
• Turn the speed up, up to level 9 or 10 to massage your breast. Slowly turn the speed down when you let down milk and use a medium speed to express. Some moms are okay with level 5 or 6.
• Remove the cups from your breast when you have finished pumping.
• Use the rectangular hole close to the tubing hole to pour out the milk into your milk bottle or bag. You can open this cup to collect a few more drops when it is almost empty.

Freemie breast pump vs other wearable breast pumps

Freemie, Willow, and Elvie are the best wearable breast pumps and they have many features in common. They are all tubeless and wireless with a pump motor control and charging port. But they are different from each other in many ways.

Willow wearable breast pump

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Willow breast pump is similar to Freemie in terms of design, and comes with a pair of breast pumps designed for the right and left breast. It also has one set of flanges in the sizes 21 mm, 24 mm, and 27 mm. 

Willow breast pump has greater suction strength and speed than Freemie. However, you can adjust the setting to suit you. 

You may prefer Freemie over Willow if you need something more light because Freemie has an ultra-lightweight. But Freemie is more visible over the breast than Willow.

Elvie breast pump

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Elvie breast pump has a design that allows you to use one pump for both breasts. The shields have unique shapes that fit both the right and left breast. It comes with two sets of flanges in sizes 24 mm and 28 mm. The flanges are also available in size 21 mm, but you will buy them separately. 

The difference between Elvie, Willow, and Freemie is that Freemie has two separate collection cups connected by a tube. The shield and cup are fitted together and the two cups are connected with a tube that transfers the suction pressure to each cup.

Elvis is less visible compared to Freemie because of the connecting tubes in Freemie, but they are still very useful. You can tuck the tube into your shirt and still go about your business.

In terms of suction strength and speed, Elvie is stronger and faster than Freemie, but a bit weaker than Willow. But all three are very efficient for expressing milk.

Freemie breast pump vs other electric pumps

Freemie breast pump vs Medela breast pump

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If you want to pump more milk within a short time, or you pump multiple times a day, you will love Medela Pump In Style. Medela has more powerful suction and expresses milk faster than the Freemie breast pump. However, Medela Pump In Style is more expensive than Freemie. 

Freemie breast pump vs Spectra S2 breast pump

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Spectra S2 has stronger batteries compared to the Freemie Liberty II breast pump. It can pump between 2 and 3 sessions before needing a charge. It is also a hospital-grade breast pump with great strength. 

However, Freemie is more portable because the motor can fit into your palm. This is not the same for Spectra S2 because the motor is heavier and can be difficult to carry about. 

Besides, the price of Spectra is more than that of Freemie Liberty pump. Check out the review of Spectra S2 breast pump.

Freemie breast pump vs Philip Avent breast pump

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Philip Avent’s breast pump makes milk expression more comfortable. It has a massaging cushion that eases milk flow. The expression set has three phases, and also comes with a stimulation mode. 

However, the price of Philip Avent is higher than that of Freemie Liberty. But you can still use Freemie and prepare your breast for expression by adjusting the setting.  You can start with a higher suction speed, and reduce it to a more comfortable level when you let down the milk.

Who should use the Freemie Liberty II breast pump?

Every mom that wants a peaceful and discreet pump on a budget will love the Liberty II breast pump. 

You will value the Freemie breast pump more if you pump in the public and you need a more portable and quiet breast pump to carry around. You will also love Freemie if your baby loves you to hold them while you pump.   

Freemie gives you so much flexibility, better than other breast pumps. You can use it while doing other activities if your posture fits into the correct pumping positions for Freemie.

Source: Amazon

Reviews on Freemie breast pumps from real-life moms

Maria loves the pump but hates the battery life

Maria A. McDowell is the founder of EasySearchPeople. She said:

“I used Freemie breast pump for a while when I had my daughter, and I can say that it is a great product. Although I didn’t use it for long, one of its merits is that it can fit perfectly into the bra making discreet and hands-free pumping easier. It is also leak resistant. On the downside, the battery life is poor, and there is no return policy. Once you open the product, it can’t be returned or exchanged even if it doesn’t fit your breasts.”

Brooke thinks it is great, but should not be your only pump

Brooke Cavalla is a blogger at strugglesofafitmom.com. She is a mom of four, ages 6 and under. Her youngest is 5 months old and she used the Freemie breast pump for this baby because she has been exclusively pumping with him. This is what she said:

“I purchased this pump because I needed something that allowed me to be more portable so I can take care of my other kids. It was also much more reasonable than some of the other hands-free pumps. I found the Freemie pump to be a great option for portability and being able to pump just about anywhere/anytime. I was able to pump in the car while I was driving, cooking meals, or just tending to my other kids. However, I didn’t feel like it ever emptied me completely and the cups would often leak. It was challenging to transfer the milk to a bottle and a little milk would often spill. This wasn’t a huge deal for me but I know a lot of moms do not like losing any milk! Overall, I think it’s a great option, especially if you have other kids to take care of or just need to be portable. I don’t think I would recommend it as my only pump but a great, reasonably priced option to use in conjunction with a stronger pump.”

Donna loved it until her fourth child

Donna Gleize is a mom of four and the founder of JuniorInfants.com. She said:

“I found the Freemie breast pump to not be the best when it came around to baby number four. There’s just no more elasticity to help it remain in place! And for breasts that are naturally larger too, it’s not very comfortable.”

FAQ

Does Freemie Liberty II pump the same amount as other breast pumps?

Freemie breast pump can pump the same amount as Spectra and other breast pumps. However, it may take a longer time to reach the desired amount if the pump has a higher suction strength and speed.

What is the difference between Freemie Liberty and Freemie independence?

Freemie Liberty breast pump is similar to Freemie Independence. The features are almost the same except for the LED screen in Freemie Independence and the LCD screen in Freemie Liberty. Also, Freemie Liberty has a programmable shut-off timer which is not present in Freemie Independence.

Which breast pump brands are Freemie collection cups compatible with?

You can use Freemie collection cups with breast pump brands like Baby Buddha, Spectra, etc. But you will need to buy the connection kits separately. 

Conclusion

Freemie Liberty 11 breast pump is great. It is cost-effective and offers a quiet pumping session. You will love its light weight and portability, but be ready to recharge after every one or two pumping sessions. 

If you want another wearable breast pump with even stronger suction, try Willow breast pump or Elvie breast pump.

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