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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.
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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
- USA: Freemie website ,
Amazon
What you get from the box:
Highlights
1. Very portable. Freemie Liberty Pump fits in my palm (hey, I have small hands) and pretty light-weight. The pump motor only weighs 0.55 lbs (or less than 250 gram), making it one of the lightest breast pump in the market. You can even clip it on your pant’s belt with its back clip feature.
SEE ALSO: Top 5 portable breast pumps for pumping on the go
2. Super duper quiet. This is one of my favourite feature from Freemie Liberty. Other small pump may be portable but not so quiet (you can hear the motor clearly although not so loud). Freemie Liberty is totally quiet. This is really a plus point for moms who wants to pump discreetly, be it in the office or late at night when other family members are sleeping.
3. Able to adjust suction level and speed cycle separately. Again, my favorit feature from Freemie. This is the only portable breast pump that allows you to adjust the suction level and cycle speed separately (up to 10 levels for vacuum strength and 11 different speeds, wow!)
4. Save your favorit pumping setting with memory feature. When turned on. Freemie always starts with the lowest setting. But you can switch to favourite pumping mode easily with the memory feature. You can save up to 3 different pump settings with Freemie Liberty.
More Pros
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).
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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:
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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FAQ
- Can Freemie Liberty pump the same amount of milk compared to other breast pump?
I guess this is the most important question that you are wondering about.
A lot of moms started off with regular breast pump and eyeing on Freemie because of its mobility. But, can Freemie give similar pumping amount just like your current breast pump?
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.
Suriana says
Hi Rina, I used to have freemie liberty. No doubt, it’s one of the best. As for the let down mode, you can try to make the suction faster. Eversince my daughter dropped it from a height and landed in a pail of water.. It went malfunction. So, I’m using the freemie cups with S9+. Ouh, It’s so quiet that no one noticed I was pumping right beside them while shopping?
Rina says
Hi Suriana,
Hoho…, seems you are enjoying pumping with Freemie =D.
Thanks for the tips. Yes, initially I didn’t know how to get my let down. But it turns out I can get it with the speed turned up to the max (fastest).
Nia says
Hi Rina, I have been using Liberty since last December and I love it so much. My work involves travelling a lot but now I can easily pump while driving with Liberty. At 1st, I am having difficulty to set the speed and suction for LDR but once this is set, you will have no problem pumping. The only down side for me is the tubing that is connected directly to the cup will sometimes detached while I am driving and it will be difficult to connect it back. I will try to move a little less during driving to avoid it.
Rina says
Hi Nia,
Thank you for sharing your experience with Freemie Liberty. I bet this will convince other moms that Freemie Liberty is really worth to try.
Sherman says
Wow, this is really interesting! I wish this product had been around when my children were born. I wish my wife had decided to breastfeed our children but she didn’t. That was her choice but what makes this so interesting to me is that this product addresses each and every reason that she decided not to breast feed. Based on that, if asked by a younger couple if it was worth the price, I’d probably say yes. I believe breast feeding is the best and, barring other objections, I think this product helps to make it realistic for many.
Rina says
Thanks to the recent technology, Sherman, breastfeeding has been made easier with breast pump like this. When I was pumping for my 8 years ago, I need to lock myself in order to pump in the office. But wearable breast pump such ada FReemie makes your life easier. You can pump everywhere discreetly without anyone knowing. I guess this pump would be a great hit for busy moms who needs to pump on the move.
Henry says
Hi Rina! I like your honest review about Freemie Liberty Breast Pump. The pros and the cons you have mentioned here have been very useful and I appreciate we can gather a balanced opinion about the product. Two of the features I like the most is its portable and very quiet. I agree it’s a bit expensive but it’s a great product. I think I have already made my mind!
Rina says
Hi Henry,
Yes, it’s portabilti and low noise level are surely good selling points for moms. I’m glad this post helped you to decide whether Freemie is the right choice for your wife. I hope she likes it.
Gravatar Support says
This is indeed a very balance review. My wife is using Medela pump for my first child and my next child will be due in Nov this year.
Some of the features she needs are lightweight and quiet.
She is considering to change after reading this as we ca get this in Singapore.
Thank for the review.
Rina says
Hi and hello from Singapore!
I’m glad this post is useful for your wife. Freemie is indeed pretty popular among breastfeeding mothers. I have met some moms who didn’t have any dedicated pumping space at work and Freemie enables them to continue pumping and nd giving breast milk for their babies.