The First Years miPump Basic

• Comfortable
• Simple
• Quiet
• Efficient
• Compact
• Lots of Stuff

Comfortable

The The First Years miPump Basic gets it reputation for comfort from a couple of components.   The shields are more flexible and help the breast to Let-Down easier and is reported by most moms to be more comfortable.

The adjustable sucking level also is a contributor to comfort.  There are 8 adjustment levels of suction, which differs from speed so don’t think a higher setting will speed up your session, that’s not the purpose.

Simple

The Simplicity of the First Years miPump is a matter of perspective.   The manufacture touts this feature, but many mom’s have had simpler pumps like the Evenflo Comfort Select, so while not the simpliest, its fairly straight forward and easy enough to use.

Quiet

This is not a large pump, but neither is the motor having to work so hard that its very noisy.  As breast pumps go, its on the quieter side of most.

Really how noticeable it is will depend on your environment, it certainly isn’t going to overpower your TV or interrupt the birds  from chirping, but if your in a library or nursery with a sleeping baby and no other noice you’ll naturally detect its pumping cycle.

Efficient

Hmmm…again a matter of perspective.  There are some powerful breast pumps out there that are very capable of emptying out your supply, but they are also very pricy.

Keep in mind this is an “Occasional Use Pump” and not meant for everyday pumping 3-6 times a day.   Many mothers buy this for the price and quickly wear the small motor out.   This small Chinese made pump is again, an Occasional Use type…not a Daily pumper.  Some mothers use it this way and get away with it and are happy, but most will find that after 2 or more months of “over-use” as adaily pump they loose suction or it fails.

Its efficient because its capable of pumping both breast at the same time and with only one hand.  The one hand use is thanks to an awkward T-Bar, that though awkward accomplishes the job of freeing up one hand.

Also helping with the efficiency is the 8 suction levels, the more comfortable you are the better your expression session should be and that should equate to more supply.  These 8 levels are indicated by means of LED bar display making setup easy.

Compact

No arguments the The First Years miPump Basic is compact at only 11 x 5.8 x 9 inches and 3.2 pounds.   This makes it easy to carry just about anywhere.  In fact its one of the smallest pumps on the market which is electric, or battery operated.

Another feature most moms seem to like is the cute brown and blue designer like bag to carry it around in.

The design for this the miPump is from lactation experts and feedback from using mothers.

Lots of Stuff

Don’t let the bargain basement price fool you, you are getting a lot for your money.  Included:

• Double Electric/Battery Breast Pump
• 2 Flexi-fit™ breast shields ensure a soft, proper fit
• Tubing for pumping both breast
• AC adapter for plug in operation
• Three way adapter
• Battery cradle
• Bottle storage lids
• Stylish bag
• Instructions
• Unique handle for double pumping using only one hand
• 2 Easy Pour Milk Storage Bags
• 2 Lanolin Nursing Pads
• Tubing

Pros and Cons of the The First Years miPump Basic

Pros

Without a doubt the price is a great feature of the The First Years miPump Basic.  And if used as intended you should be a happy camper.  By as intended we mean occasional use pump, not daily 3 sessions or more.  Its made in China, but for most who use it as intended, it gets the job done and they are happy with the choice.

You might also consider the The First Years Breastflow BPA Free Starter Set

Its quiet and compact and in the States breastfeeding and pumping still seems to be a point of shock for some people, so the quieter pump level provides some discretion whether at work or other area outside the home. The compact size makes it easy to take most anywhere without lugging a big packpack around with the pump built-in.

Comfort, the more comfortable the session the more likely you are to produce the milk supply you need, so the Flexi-fit™ breast shields help achieve that comfort.  Just be sure they are sized to your breast.

Customer Service, despite many claiming failed pumps the customer service is best described as outstanding.  There is only one thing to remember with the First Years miPump Basic…its a 90 day warranty.   So that 90 days needs to be watched carefully, on day 91 customer service disappears.  But problems during that 90 days is great, broken or problem parts replaced extremely fast.

Cons

Some pumps fail sooner than they should, but if in first 90 days, your going to get it replaced, after you will not.

As with many breast pumps with hoses, if the milk backs up and the motors get damp…you will lose efficiency and likely the pump.  Seems to go with the tubing territory.  Hope if it happens again during first 90 days.  The milk should deposit directly into the bottles…but a simple toppling of bottle, wrong posture etc. can cause milk to find its way into the suction tubes by mistake.

Expectation, many expect this occasional pumper to work like their hospital grade with industrial motor and the suction of a hoover…if you expect this from this small pump you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Final Thoughts on The First Years miPump Basic

We went a fair amount further on the review of this lower cost breast pump because the consumer history is so mixed, almost as many people love The First Years miPump Basic as dislike it.  We believe a fair portion of this is based on comparison to pumps costing three times as much and in some cases based on less experienced breast pump users.

In many cases the dislike is due to pump failure because…they got a bad pump.

But the ones who love it seem fairly surprised that some express their dislike and absolutely love the First Years miPump Basic without expecting more from it than they should.

In our case, we recommend this as a backup pump or a true occasional use pump, but not as a daily main breast pump.   With the superb customer service we find it hard to go wrong with on those terms. If it fails within 3 months and you really don’t like it, donate it and take the tax deduction, but we think you’ll be okay.

The First Years miPump Basic as reviewed by e-breastpumps.com