Medela Symphony review

What we love

Everything it says is true. I needed to up my supply and was completely failing to express anything after my baby Noah had fed. In desperation I hired the Symphony and was amazed to discover the stimulation cycle of quick bursts managed to produce a let-down reflex in under two minutes even when Noah had just fed. It’s quiet and fast, doing two at a time, and once you get used to it it’s perfectly possible to drape a shawl over your shoulder and pump away discretely while you watch TV, even with guests (sorry mum and dad!)

The units have an adjustable vacuum so if you have sore or cracked nipples you can be gentle and the double pumping action – whilst admittedly making you feel like a dairy cow – means you cut down on pumping time dramatically. These are the pumps you use if you need to express in hospital and while it might seem extreme to have one of these in your home, they’re not actually that big and bulky and if you’re struggling to express with the more modest, personal pumps, hiring one of these for a couple of months could turn your breastfeeding experience around.

I found expressing with smaller machines much more uncomfortable and far less fruitful. It can be a very emotional time when you’re struggling to breastfeed. For me, the Symphony (which arrives the next day when you hire it direct from Medela) made an unbelievable difference to the early days of motherhood.

What to watch out for

If you’re an ‘at work pumper’ the portability might be a problem. While it does come in a carry case, it’s huge. You couldn’t jump on the bus with it thrown over your shoulder.

It can be expensive – the initial 2 weeks hire and full kit (your own breast shields, tubes and collection bottles) is £65. After that it’s £40 a month. If you’re struggling with supply you probably only need it for a few weeks and you can justify the cost against your savings on formula. But costs can mount up – I have to admit to not really needing one at the moment (I only pump once a night) but the Symphony’s so amazing I can’t give it up.

Who is the Medela Symphony Breast Pump best for?

Mums who need to pump a lot, or who are trying to increase supply.

MadeForMums verdict

Amazing, professional, quality pump that makes expressing very easy. It’s not cheap but the results (both in time and volume of milk expressed) are significantly superior.