Freemie Liberty Breast Pump Reviews

Have you ever felt how troublesome pumping is. You need to excuse yourself from work a few times daily. Or, perhaps you are at home and need to stop whatever you are doing just to do pumping.

Perhaps you wish you can multitask by pumping while doing other things. But ugh, the pumping bra does not fit nicely. Or perhaps, the moment you move around, the pumping tubes get detached from the pump motor. Anybody experience this before? =D

I feel you. And how I wish pumping is easier to do.

Enter Freemie Liberty. 

Perhaps you heard about Freemie cup before. The one that you put inside your normal bra and connect to your favorite pump. 

But Freemie Liberty is different. It comes with its own breast pump which is very lightweight and super duper quiet. Interested to learn more about this little pump?

This post will cover the detailed reviews of Freemie Liberty breast pump, including what you get, my favourite features,  the pros and cons and a short FAQ.

Product Overview

Freemie Liberty Breast Pump set comes is a dual electric breast pump that allows you to multitask while pumping. Simply insert the collection cup into your normal bra and pump away.

• Breast pump type: double electric with built-in battery
  
• Suction level: 10
  
• Speed adjustment: 11 (can be adjusted independently from suction strength)
  
• Flange size: comes with 2 sizes (25 and 28 mm)
  
• Weight: less than 250 gram
  
• Available at:
  • USA: Freemie website , Amazon
    
  • SIngapore: Kulily
    

What you get from the box:

More Pros

1. New design with built-in back flow protector right inside the collection cups. The old Freemie collection cup is an open system, that means milk can go up to the tubings and retain the moisture there. This Freemie set is different. It comes with the back flow protection system right inside the cup (so if you feel annoyed with Spectra’s back flow system which keeps falling off, this may be for you).

2.  Programmable shut-off timer in 5 minutes interval. Most other pumps (Korean-based) are set to automatically switch off after 30 minutes. With Freemie Liberty, you can set the timer in 5 minutes increment, from 5-40 minutes. Pretty nifty especially if you are busy doing other things.

The Cons

1. Expensive. No doubt, this powerful little pump comes with a hefty price tag, quite similar to Medela Freestyle. But if this can help you pump much easier and more often, I would say why not. 
2. The built-in battery drains pretty fast. Initially the battery was good. But as time goes by, it drains up very fast. So be prepared to charge your Freemie pump in between every few pumping sessions.
3. No let-down mode. Yes, Freemie Liberty does not have let down mode like Spectra or Medela. However, you can compensate that by fine tuning the speed and vacuum level to achieve your let-down. As always, let down is usually achieved with high speed and lower suction. It may take sometime to find your perfect setting, but once you find it, it wouldn’t be a problem at all. 
4. Unable to massage the breast while pumping. Because the front part of your breast will be covered by the collection cup, you won’t be able to massage the breast thoroughly. You can only massage the back part of your breast which are not covered by the cups. So, if you are the type of mom who needs to continuously massage your breast while pumping, you better get some other pump.  
5. Flange size only available up to 28 mm. Freemie Liberty comes with 2 flange sizes, 25 mm and 28 mm. If you need a smaller flange size, you can use Fitmie or Maymom insert (available separately, up to 15 mm small). However, nothing  bigger than 28 mm at the moment (there was but for older Freemie cup model and not compatible with this pump).
6. Spare part may not be easily available in some countries. Since Freemie Liberty is still fairly new, the spare part may be difficult to get in pieces. For example, the only spare part available in Singapore is one set of collection cups (which is expensive, especially if what you need only the back flow silicon barrier). This may not be a problem if you live in the USA. 

MORE PORTABLE BREAST PUMPS TO CHECK OUT:

• Baby Buddha breast pump review
• Spectra 9+ breast pump review
  
• Pumpable Milk Genie review
• Medela Freestyle review
  

How To Use Freemie Liberty Breast Pump | A Quick Video Guide

I have made a quick video on how to use Freemie Liberty breast pump.

Tips for Pumping With Freemie

1. Make sure you assemble the collection cup tightly.  It may be tricky the first time you assemble these collection cups. The key is to wait until you lock it properly with a ‘click’ sound. If you didn't assemble it tight enough, the suction will be weak.
2. You need to position the cup correctly such that the tubing hole is at the upright position.  Hint: Look at the arrow on the collection cup  Improper positioning may lead to milk leakage.
3. There’s a rectangular hole next to the tubing hole. This is useful to pour the milk out of the cup into your breast milk bag / bottle. Only after the cup is empty/ almost empty, you can open it up and pour some last milk drops.
4. Start by turning up the speed (9 or 10) and lowering down the suction strength (4-6). Once you get your let down, slowly lower the speed to begin expressing milk (5-6 works best for me, if you need slower and stronger vacuum, try up to TURBO mode) and increase the suction level (6-8). 

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Well the results vary. I myself didn’t see any significant difference when pumping with Freemie compared with Spectra. But please note that I pumped after feeding (not in working place environment with missed feeds) and my baby has reached 1 year old (not so much milk already, perhaps that’s why I didn’t notice any much difference).

I’ve talked to other moms with younger babies (1-2 months old) who have tried Freemie Liberty before. Some noticed difference about 20 ml (Freemie less than Spectra) while others get exactly the same amount of milk (comparing Freemie and Milk Genie).

So really, the result varies across moms. My verdict is, if you are fine with 10-20 ml difference (and perhaps trying to make it up by pumping longer or more often, which is very easy to do with Freemie Liberty), then this pump will suit you well.

If you are very particular about pumping amount and don’t want to take the risk, then stick to your current pump.

2. Is the suction strong enough? This depends from one person to another. Hint: if you need stronger suction, lower down the speed to 1,2, or TURBO mode.

3. What is the difference between Freemie Liberty and Freemie Independence? Freemie Liberty and Freemie Independence have very similar features. The only differences are:-Freemie Liberty has an LCD screen while Independence has an LED screen. -Freemie Liberty has a programmable shut-off timer, Independence does not have any.

4. Can I just use the collection cup with my current pump?  Yes, the closed-system collection cup that comes with Freemie Liberty is available for sale separately. This cup can be used with closed system pumps such as Spectra, Baby Buddha. If you use open-system pump such as Medela, please use the open-system collection cup (they are different).

5. Any difference between Freemie Liberty and Freeemie NUK? From observation, they have exactly the same features. Amazon Q&A mentions that Freemie Liberty was from UK whereas Freemie NUK is from USA. Mine was bought in Singapore (as as you know, most breast pumps in Singapore are outsourced from European countries).

Who This Breast Pump Is For

Freemie Liberty is a great breast pump for mothers who want to do multitasking while pumping.

This includes:

•  Busy working moms pumping at work (especially those who didn’t have luxury of pumping room in the workplace).
• Exclusive pumping moms (who need to take care their babies while pumping)
• Nursing moms with newborn (who want to pump to get some stash but their newborn baby wants to be held all the time). 

Want to read more reviews? Find out Freemie Liberty breast pump reviews at Amazon.

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Final Conclusion

Freemie Liberty is a nifty portable breast pump with great features. Some of my fave features include:

• portable and light-weight so that you can pump and multitask at the same time. It certainly increases pumping mom’s mobility while pumping.
• Super quiet 
• Powerful features such as ability to adjust vacuum strength and speed independently and save up to 3 pump settings.

This will be a great breast pump for busy moms at work or on the go.

I hope this Freemie Liberty breast pump review can help you to learn more about the pros and cons of pumping with Freemie. If you have any questions about it, feel free to leave a comment below.

Now onto you. Have you tried Freemie Liberty before? If yes, share your experience here. This will surely help other moms who want to try Freemie Liberty.