Make no mistake: there are companies in our own “industry” that are putting profit over the health of moms and babies. Medela is one of them. As breastfeeding advocates, it’s easy to acknowledge “big pharma” and the formula companies, but it’s less intuitive to see companies that make breastfeeding support products in the same way. It’s strange to think of breastfeeding as an “industry,” but it certainly exists, and quite profitably (for some). Making money starts with advertising, which is where the WHO Code comes into play.
Not WHO Code compliant. Also makes sub-standard, dangerous pumps.
The World Health Organization is the public-health related branch of the United Nations. In 1981, it adopted The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. Basically, this code was developed to give breastfeeding a fighting chance against the constant onslaught of formula marketing. The US chose not to legislate the Code (as some countries have), so here, it lacks any enforcement.
The basic point of the Code is to limit the reach of the formula and bottle companies’ marketing campaigns. The Code doesn’t limit the sale of these items; only how they’re marketed. [Read more on the WHO Code at Best for Babes.]
NB: I understand that tons of moms need pumps and bottles in order to breastfeed. I am all for that. What I’m arguing, and what the WHO Code aims for, is to limit the marketing of these products in a way that normalizes formula and bottle feeding. Formula and bottle ad campaigns are insanely effective, which is why they spend millions of dollars on them. Formula feeding costs the US 13 billion dollars and 900 infants’ lives each year. This is a high-stakes public health issue; it’s not just about marketing.
Better pumps than Medela.
Back to the WHO Code: There are some responsible companies out there. Hygeia actually goes as far as to inform the public, via their website, that they respect the WHO Code. Other pump companies, such as Ameda, go in and out of Code compliance as their ownership status changes.
Medela has continually thumbed their nose at the WHO Code. They have done this publicly, formally, and repeatedly.
Medela is a huge, worldwide company with a budget to fit its stature. And they’re also blatantly violating the WHO Code. Not on a single-incident basis, but perpetually. They even have a statement on their website acknowledging their violation of the Code and taking the position that they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
If we can’t collectively get behind the WHO Code within our own industry, how can we expect the formula companies to abide by it? It is such an enormous blow to the credibility of the WHO Code to have a company as large as Medela, one that’s so joined with breastfeeding, take this position.
To summarize it, Medela’s Code violations consist of advertising their baby bottles and nipples (pumps are not covered by the Code). That might seem insignificant. It might even seem like it’s asking too much to have a company not advertise those products. However, it says a lot about Medela’s intent to profit off of moms in any way they can. [See this post on their bottle/nipple, the Calma, which is a marketing and breastfeeding disaster all rolled into one: "Medela's Calma: Better Than Mom's Own Breast?"]
The Pump In Style is an open-system pump, which isn’t safe the way a closed-system is.
The way to change this is to take a stand, grassroots as it may be. First, breastfeeding moms need to quit buying their products. Period.
Before anyone gets overly upset by that, let me tell you: Medela pumps are sub-standard.
It bears repeating: Medela pumps are sub-standard.
If more mothers knew the facts about their Medela Pump in Style, Swing, Freestyle, etc-, Medela would be selling a lot less of them. (I speak from experience; I have a PIS sitting in my closet, waiting to die a slow death in a landfill.)
NB: I know a lot of moms have emotional attachments to their Medela pumps. I’ve gotten backlash from those moms, who defend Medela in the face of the facts due to that emotional bond. In short, don’t let your emotional attachment to what a lifesaver your pump was, cloud your judgment on these issues.
These $300 breastpumps have to be (are supposed to be) tossed in the trash when moms are finished with them. They are not FDA approved for more than one user. There’s a big market for the sale and donation of used Medela pumps, though, thanks to Medela’s huge market share. Their pumps are ubiquitous.
There are “closed system” pumps and “open system” pumps. Medela is the latter. Having an “open system” means moisture and other airborne particles can contaminate the motor of the pump. And while the tubing can be cleaned or replaced, the motor on open system pumps cannot. (Yes, you can tear apart a Medela pump and clean the parts; it’s not advisable and you’re likely compromising the vacuum in doing so. You also can’t sterilize the internal components of the motor, which are subject to contaminants not visible to the naked eye.)
Since the motor can’t be cleaned or sanitized, a pre-owned Medela pump is a gamble. There’s no way to know if milk or condensation from the tubing ever contaminated it.
This isn’t to say that breastmilk is unclean or unsanitary. Far from! But, knowing whose milk the pump has been exposed to is vital, as this research shows.
Even if you follow the rules and purchase a new Medela pump, never share it, and plan to use it through multiple children, you can still have problems. Medela is completely open about their pumps being single-user-only. What’s not being said, though, is that if milk or condensation make their way into the tubing, that moisture can reach the motor. If they are subject to moisture, these pumps can grow mold inside their motors.
There’s no way to tell if there’s mold in the pump motor without opening the case. If there is mold, the mold spores will be wishing and wooshing through the motor casing and pump tubing (which connects to the flanges, where your milk is) as the pump runs. (Not believing this? There are seasoned lactation consultants who will tell you about Medela pumps they’ve cracked open to find massive mold growth.)
Code compliant! Superior products.
There are alternatives, though: both Hygeia and Ameda offer pumps that are closed systems. Because of their superior designs, the closed-system pumps from Hygeia and Ameda are SO much safer than Medela’s consumer-grade pump line (if it’s a Medela in a big-box store, it’s likely consumer grade; hospital-grade pumps usually have to be rented and are closed systems). In closed-system pumps, milk and condensation can’t reach the motor because of the way their superior design.
Closed-system pumps are safe. They’re effective. They’re better. These pumps are perfectly safe to be given or sold to another mom, as long as they’re still within their useful lifespan (about 500 hours of pumping, but it’s different for each pump/brand). All you need to safely pass on a closed-system pump or buy one second-hand is a new accessory kit (tubing, bottles, flanges, etc-). Hygeia will even recycle their old pumps when they’ve run their course.
There are better brands and safer products offered at the same (or lower!) price points than Medela. Why stick with a sub-par product from a company that engages in predatory marketing practices?
We are informed enough to know better. It’s up to us to spread the word, even if it’s one conversation; one Facebook post; one blog post; one tweet; one email at a time. Because for every pump Medela doesn’t sell, that’s one more mom and baby who will be better-off with their safer pump from a superior company.
It’s terribly detrimental for a company as large and well-known as Medela to write off the Code and all it stands for. It’s even worse for them to knowingly and willingly sell moms sub-par products when they know the dangers of open-system pumps. (Just ask them; Medela has been busted by the FDA multiple times for their sub-par products and they choose not to improve.)
Need a pump? I recommend Hygeia or Ameda. Both brands are closed-system and between them, they come at a variety of price points. It’s also ok to get one of these brands second-hand, assuming you get a new collection kit (tubes/flanges/etc-). I have no relationship with either company.
Originally published 1/19/12 on my old site, justwestofcrunchy.com. Edited, updated, and republished 1/1/2013 at amywest.co.
Just wondering where the information came from? I am trying to find actual facts that Medela has issues with mold and bacteria. I work as a part of WIC agency and I feel like in order to make a huge switch with our brands, I have to have very good reasons or no one will listen to me.
The links to Medela’s site include the info on open system pumps. The FDA cautions against using open systems because of the bacterial contamination risk. HTH! I’d love to hear about WIC switching it up. :)
not sharing your pump and not getting a second hand pump solves all the problems with using a medela pump. talk about making a big deal out of nothing,big woop!
It doesn’t, actually. Even if you are the only one using your pump, it’s still susceptible to mold and other contamination.
Ameda is now a stand alone company and is completely WHO code compliant. When they were under ownership of Evenflo, Evenflo sold their bottle feeding business to Kimberly Clark in order to make sure Ameda would remain WHO Code compliant. This is a core value of Ameda.
Are you an Ameda rep? (Just asking, the comment seems like you’re speaking on behalf of the company.)
I haven’t updated this post in a while, so thanks for bringing that into the discussion!
As a family physician and breast feeding mom, I encourage the women who read this blog to take it with a grain of salt, and to do their own research if they are concerned about their Medela. I cannot comment on the WHO requirements, but I can tell you the pump n’ style advanced is a closed system with no possibility of mold. In addition, mildew does not cause thrush, yeast does, which is a natural colonizer of the skin. I use Medela, all of my breast feeding colleagues use Medela, and I love it. My baby is 11 months old and my breasts and pump are still going strong, pumping out 6-8 ounces every 4 hours. I credit my Medela for maintaining my milk supply as my hectic work schedule keeps me away from my baby at irregular times. I worry this blogger is doing more damage than good for the breastfeeding cause, by making new mommies scared of their pumps, regardless of maker.
You can say the Medela PIS is a closed system, but you are wrong. Even Medela doesn’t claim that, so I’d encourage you to educate yourself on that product before spreading misinformation. Frankly, it’s pretty disconcerting that you’re a physician and you’re defending Medela.
No one said mildew causes thrush…so, we agree on that. :)
It’s nice that you love Medela, but that’s the result of savvy marketing on their part, not quality products. I understand moms end up with emotional attachments to the brands of their pumps, as pumping is critical to maintaining a breastfeeding relationship. That emotional connection is not enough to redeem Medela’s many, many faults.
Moms shouldn’t be afraid of their pumps…they should be informed.
Everything stated has been backed up with facts linked in the article. Also I just did research and can confirm these statements. Medela states end users (the moms) can not take the pump apart to clean it. The white diaphragm you refer to is not an internal part. If you remove that you may brake the pump and will void the warranty. Medela puts the serial numbers behind the face plate so one would have to be able to remove that. Also Medela states their PNSA is single user because of risk of contamination, this means the air and any particulates, milk or water, can get to the motor. Then what is in the motor can contaminate future pumped milk.
Many people use Medela because of there prevalence in hospitals, clinics, and dr.’s offices. That makes them seem, to the average person, as the superior brand. Marketing has a lot to do with this. In 2010 Medela was not allowed to be involved in many lactation conferences because of how the were marketing their products, not because they market at all like Medela wants people to believe. Read the statements linked in the article. Many moms in my lactation clinic have done the research and ask for recommendations other than Medela.
Thanks for the backup. :)
Evidently Hygeia isn’t so hot either…. too many friends GOT them, and then found their milk supply wasn’t staying put, that the pump was breaking, that their customer service would promise one thing… and never deliver…. twenty calls later, still not having the parts they needed to use their pump, supply dropping the whole while…. I wonder if you could get a proper response to this. I am horrorstruck, because I had been recommending them based on your and The Leaky Boob’s positive reviews.
Ugh. The pumps SHOULD be great and there’s no excuse for bad customer service. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard someone say they are less than stellar in that regard. I *want* to love this company. Sigh.
I know. I know. And I even got one of them via a zulily sale, and tried it out last month for the first time… and I was shocked. I thought the motor was going to give out on me any time. Totally not reassuring. It was not a good pumping experience. I could not imagine needing to use it every day. I was just grateful I only needed to pump once before seeing my toddler again. I have used an Ameda rental pump (that thing is a beast!!) and helped people use Medela Symphonies (also a beast!), and I think I used a Medela Pump In Style once… with Ameda pump parts and filter ;) … and of all of these, the Hygeia sounded like it was a miserably designed POS made in China piece of plastic that would give out. UGH.
I didn’t know better with my first child & bought a PISA. Now with my second, I occasionally still use my PISA, but my primary pump is my Hygeia. (I keep one at work & one at home so I don’t have to lug.)
Your post is very thorough, but I remember reading the definition of “single user” in the Medela booklet. Not only does it mean just one mom, according to the company, they really mean “one mother-baby pair”. So you aren’t even supposed to use it for subsequent children. SMH. For that price you are MUCH better off going with the Hygeia.
Though I have to say I still prefer the Medela breast flanges. They come out of the elbow part & are vastly easier to clean than the one-piece Hygeia. And I can use them with my hands-free bra. The Hygeias can’t since they don’t come apart.
Ugh, I found this and a couple more blog posts the day after I placed an order for a Medela Free Style back in February. I so wish I had seen about getting my money back then and getting a Hygeia. Instead I used the Freestyle for the next six months until I noticed the battery wasn’t holding a charge. I opened the back to find the battery and all the visible pump innards were covered in MILDEW. I haven’t unscrewed the back but I’m sure the motor is covered in it too. After repeated inquiries, I have received no answer about why this mildew appeared or how to prevent it on the new one they sent me. This is a huge pain in my ass because I am an exclusive pumper. Basically, Hygeia all the way!
If you have the pump in style advance with the closed system pump (the faceplace will come off and there will be a while rubber membrane there) You can resell this pump. I would not sell any used tubes. Those are the ONLY things that cannot be properly cleaned and sterilized on the pump. Craigslist is a great place to resell your pump.
I wish I would’ve known this months ago. My MIL bought me a Medela pump. I am very disappointed with the Medela brand after reading the above and have no use for a pump, come to find out my son won’t take to a bottle…just straight from the tap. Though I did not spend the money on the machine, I am having a hard time knowing that I cannot pass it along to someone else and cannot recycle the machine. The thought of throwing it away (the money! and the product) makes this cloth diapering, breast feeding mother cringe.