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After trial and error, I found my favourite hack method.
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- easy,
- maintain its closed system and
- does not decrease the suction power.
You need:
- Medela tubing (you can also use Maymom tubing which is designed to fit Medela system). Cut 0.5 cm after the end of the yellow plastic piece.
- 2-cm long plastic tube with 5-mm inner diameter
A lot of mom simply get this by cutting the Spectra tubing, but if you don’t want to modify your Spectra, you can use the mouth piece of straw from children water bottle. I suggest you to buy a new replacement straw set and use the mouth piece.
UPDATE: There have been some questions where I got my replacement straw. To be honest, it’s from an unbranded water bottle from my local kids store.
If you stay in Singapore, you can get it from Kiddy Palace.
Here’s the picture of that water bottle.
As I said, no brand, but it seems to resemble SkipHop water bottle (this is the compatible replacement straw sold in Amazon).
My daughter is currently using OXO twist-lid water bottle and it seems its replacement straw can also be used for this hack. I’ll update this post once I get my OXO replacement straw.
Let’s continue to the hack…
This is the replacement straw I use for the hack
This tube should be big enough so that you can insert the clear part of Medela tubing into it without any difficulty.
5-mm inner diameter, cut 2 cm long
Things you need to connect Medela breast flange to Spectra pump
How to assemble:
- Insert the end of Medela tubing (the clear one) into the big tube.
- Now insert Spectra backflow protector into the other end of the big tube
- Now pay attention to the connection.
- Make sure that there’s very minimum gap between the end of Medela tubing and the end of backflow protector
- If you still see a gap, cut the big tube shorter to get a better fit, because a bigger gap can result in suction loss.
- Now you can use Spectra breast pump with Medela flange, yayy!
You can connect Medela breast flange to Spectra, while still using the backflow protectors.
- Usually, I will leave the hack intact to the backflow protector and the pump, so that I don’t need to fiddle with it every time I pump.
You can use the same method to connect Maymom breast shield to Spectra.
Maymom connected to a Spectra breast pump
GOOD NEWS!
Here are your options:
The little yellow adapter connects Medela breast shield to Spectra backflow protector. Source from here
Source from here
Jen says
Great info thanks. If I want to buy the Maymom hacks do I need to buy the flange adapter and the back flow protector? Or do they do the same thing but in different ways?
Rina says
You just need to buy either one. I’d suggest to start with the yellow adapter, it seems to be more durable from the recent review.
Milkcandy says
Hi Rina, I just purchased my s1+ and was trying the hack using Spectra’s tubing since I don’t have any water bottle straw. The Spectra tube actually fits on both the me-side of the backflow protector and the Medela breast shield. So there is no need to buy additional straw, just have to cut a small piece from the spectra tubing.
Rina says
Hi Milkcandy,
Thanks for letting us know that you can use Spectra tubing for the hack. Yes, it does work.
I was just worried if cutting the tubing will affect the pump performance (suction, etc), that’s why I opt to use a straw. Do you notice any difference?
Ashley says
I did this and lost so much suction I had to take the back flow protector off. I know I shouldn’t but I was the only way for me to pump and actually get something (since I’m already having supply issues as it is). I am going to look at getting the adaptor that Maymom designed to see if that helps. Im not sure what else to do to get my suction back!
Rina says
Hi Ashley,
I’m so sorry you lost so much suction with this hack, hm.. I didn’t experience it before. But anyway, now that Maymom releases the flange adaptor, it’s easier to just buy that yellow piece =D.
Ashley says
So will that adaptor help with the suction?
Rina says
Yes
Gloria says
Hi Rina can you help me with ur experience with all pumps…i was blessed with a freestyle pump but only the pump works all parts all not in working condition…aa its expensive and i got extra spectra flanges from my previous pump. Can you teach me if it is possible to connect spectra parts to freestyle pump with minimal things to buy?
Rina says
Hi Gloria,
Check out this link, particularly ‘How to make Freestyle a closed-system pump’. I haven’t tried it personally, but it seems easy to do.
Pam says
I am a Medela Freestyle user. To connect the to Spectra S1, does it mean I need to get the medela connectors and valves (for swing) and the long stem backflow protector to connect to spectra?
Rina says
Yes, you can use medela connector for Swing or Medela Personafit connector. Unfortunately, the freestyle connector is not compatible with Spectra.
Kate says
Can you recommend a hack to use a silicone flange with the spectra s1?
Rina says
Are you talking about Pumpin Pals silicon flange?
First, pumpin pal sell Spectra flange adapter. But if you prefer hack versio:
(a) certain sizes can fit to spectra directly (check out the guide here Scroll down to the bottom of the page)
(b) use Medela persona fit and maymom flange adapter.