I will apologize in advance for the long winded review - but a breast pump is an extremely important purchase for a breastfeeding mother - so I am going to try to cover all the bases on this pump.
As a mother now breastfeeding her 3rd child, I'm am approaching 4 years total of nursing.
In the past, I have always used Medela products. I've struggled on every end of the spectrum from low supply with one child to oversupply with another and a healthy spot on supply now with my 3rd. A good pump makes all the difference in maintaining milk supply - ESPECIALLY if you're a working mother.
I HAD been a loyal Medela PISA user for almost my entire 4 cumulative nursing years - but I am no longer. When I was pregnant with my 3rd I had just started hearing about the speCtra s2 taking the breastfeeding world by storm, but I figured I'd stick with old faithful and I asked my insurance to provide another Medela - hindsight is 20/20 and I wish I'd done more homework then. About 3 months after my daughter was born all I heard about was how amazing the s2 is - from nursing friends, mom groups, breastfeeding groups and even a couple La Leche meetings. When I looked into it the price was half what a PISA is so I figured heck - why not. My husband was apprehensive about buying me yet another breast pump (I've tried SO MANY OTHERS - Lanisoh, Hygeia, Avent, Ameda - none of which I liked or I felt fully emptied my breasts). Now that I have my Spectra I will never go back to Medela or try anything else - let me tell you why:
First and foremost - let's talk about the perks of a closed system pump. I managed to ruin 2 Medela PISA's with my current nursling. In less than 3 months - that gets expensive QUICK. Milk in the tubes and right into the motor, rendering them useless. Let's not forget about trying to keep tubes from molding - not fun. The speCtra s2 perfectly protects from back flow, and the flanges also are designed to make sure milk goes directly into the bottle instead of into the backflow protector. I bought extra tubes initially, but I'm really not sure why because they're not needed, because I'm no longer dealing with those issues thanks to Spectra.
Comfort? This is where it's at. While never having issues in the past, this time around I often felt like my nipples had been put through a garbage disposal after pumping with the PISA - the comfort of the speCtra s2 is unmatched. It feels just like my baby's suckle and I'm no longer wincing in pain during my long pumping sessions. How they can make the suction so strong yet so comfortable is beyond me - but more power to them! Added bonus for comfort: Spectra offers a silicone insert for their flanges!
Speaking of long pumping sessions - those are no more. The speCtra s2 empties me in half the time - and we all know how important time is with little ones running around!
There are a wide variety of suction and speed options, and even a letdown button (you can tailor it to your specific needs) which can switch you back and forth from your desired suction and speed to a quick light sickle to induce letdowns - also customizable. It also kind of "vibrates" while you're pumping so it helps even more to stimulate quick multiple letdowns. Added bonus: it remembers your settings from your previous pumping session and turns back in exactly in the last settings you used.
There was a bit of a learning curve for finding the right settings for myself, but that's because with my PISA I had no choice but "hard and fast" suction and speed, there was no option to change those separately. Gone are those days, thankfully - Spectra tackled this issue as well.
It's SUPER quiet and also comes with a nightlight that has 2 settings so if you're pumping near your baby during a nap or bedtime you don't have to worry about waking baby - plus you won't feel like your pump is trying to "sing you the song of its people"! (Seriously - who HASNT tried to figure out exactly what in the world their pump could be saying with all that noise?) Not with the speCtra, though, just a quiet purr.
The only downfall is the availability of accessories - you have to buy full kits from Spectra instead of just the parts you need, otherwise you have to buy aftermarket - which work ok in my opinion, but I'm OCD and I prefer OEM parts.
Lastly - Spectra Customer Service. They're AMAZING. As far as I am able to tell, customer service is run by breastfeeding mothers - which is what we need! They do great Q&A sessions on Facebook, and they'll happily help you with getting covered by insurance. From what I understand they're expanding this year to reintroduce the s9, and to be more available at local retailers (accessories included).
Bottom line is, this pump in my opinion is worth every penny and then some. Even my husband, who as I said was apprehensive and is what you might call "tight with money" is happy about this purchase. (Happy wife, happy life, right?) Hands down the best pump I've ever used in every department. Look no more, mamas, you've found your pump in speCtra.
| Product Dimensions | 7.9 x 7.9 x 6.7 inches |
|---|---|
| Item model number | Spectra S2Plus |
| Batteries | Lithium Metal batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Safety warning | This product's kit is a single-user item unless properly sterilized between users. Use by more than one user without adequate sterilization may pose a health risk and voids the warranty. |
| Minimum weight recommendation | 5 Pounds |
| Maximum weight recommendation | 5 Pounds |
| Material Type | BPA/DEHP free |
| Additional product features | Free,Portable |
| Number Of Items | 1 |
| Style | Spectra S2 |
| Pump type | Electric |
| Batteries required | No |
| Dishwasher safe | No |
| Is portable | No |
| Item Weight | 3.3 pounds |
