Philips AVENT SCF312/01 Electric Breast Pump

If you are looking for a pump kit that you can take out without to work or a friend's house or even on a trip to the clinic, doctors or hospital then I can recommend this for your consideration.

The first thing to say is that this expressing pump has the ability to function as a manual pump, as an electrical powered pump and as a battery powered pump.

You receive:

- Main body of the pump -
- 1 pump body
- 1 milk container
- 2 diaphragm and valve sets
- 1 "5 petal" massage cushion
- 2 part plug

- Electrical pump -
- 1 mains power cable
- 1 control handle

- Manual pump -
- 1 handle
- 1 handle/pump cover

- Battery pump -
- battery pack and cable

- Extras
- disposable dribble pad
- bottle teat with cover
- booklet extolling the virtues of natural feeding
- instruction booklet

Considering the small size of the box (25.5 cm by 20.5 cm by 10 cm) that all this comes in it is an incredible amount of very useful equipment for any nursing mother who wants to express some milk for storing and using later.

All that equipment being in the one small box brings me to my first warning. When you open it make sure that you are over a table and don't hold the box away from the surface as a lot of the kit is packed beneath the display layer, and it is loose so it falls out when you pull the white plastic shell out of the box. Also, be careful when you get hold of the plastic shell otherwise you may find you have cut yourself on the paper thin, but sharp, plastic.

After sorting out the bits and pieces I first set up the electrical pump. It took less time to set up the electrical pump than it did to get into the box; I did it in less than a minute.

It is incredibly easy to put together - put the white valve in place in the pump body then attach the diaphragm (ensuring that the seal is completed) attach the control handle and the milk container. Once you have plugged the cable in to the top of the control handle and the wall and turned it on you are ready to go.

When you are comfortable and everything is in place all you do is hold the blue button for several seconds until the machine turned on then manually pump at the rhythm that is comfortable for you (it only needs 4 or 5 presses on the handle) once you have the rhythm press the blue button once and the machine will take over. If you want to change the rhythm you press the blue button cancel the machine's control, use the handle to reset the rhythm and press the blue button again to allow the machine to take the strain.

Once you have finished expressing you press and hold the blue button to switch the pump off.

The one thing I have to say is that the machine makes a squeaky noise when it is working electronically. It is louder on the mains connector than it is on the battery and manual pumping is virtually silent. In a quiet room (and when you are feeling self-conscious) it can seem extremely loud, but it is not loud enough to disturb the little one's sleep.

The basic set up is the same for the battery operation. You just plug the battery pack in to the control handle where you would otherwise connect the mains cable. The battery pack takes 4 AA batteries (not included). The battery pack has a clip on the back so you can fasten it to your dressing gown, blouse, etc.

The batteries last for different lengths of time - Duracell (Duracell Plus MN1500 Alkaline AA Batteries - 24-Pack) last an average of 11 expressings, Panasonic (Panasonic Xtreme Power AA/LR6 Battery 12 Pack 9+3 Free) last an average of 9, and Uniross Heavy Duty (UNIROSS 8-Pack AA Multi Useage Rechargeable Batteries) lasted on average 5 times. These are the only batteries I have tried other than rechargeable ones.

As the battery comes to the end of its power there is a warning light, but by that time you probably will have noticed the drop in suction and the fact that expressing the milk takes longer than it did.

The manual pump set up is the same as the basic set up except instead of the control handle you attach the ordinary handle to the stem on the diaphragm and then click the pump/handle cover into place and you are ready to express.

The containers and all the connections which come into contact with the milk are all BPA free. I had to do some research on what exactly BPA was (prior to this the only BPA I had heard of was the British Psychological Association - now the BPS). Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a form of hard clear plastic which is usually shown with the number 7 on the container. BPAs have (mostly) been withdrawn from usage so to declare that the pump and it seems a little bit of the advertising ploy to have it in the advertising.

This is a superb expressing kit, and because of its versatility and size it makes the perfect machine for taking out with you, either for a day out or overnight stay. You just need to find a bag to put it in.

My baby girl is a month old today and I am breastfeeding her, which hasn't always been easy. I have needed a breast pump due to suffering an infection and this is excellent. It has different settings so is not uncomfortable when pumping and I was able to easily express milk both when I was suffering from an infection and now, to enable my husband to feed the baby. It is easy to dismantle and ensemble and fits in most sterilizers. I am really pleased with this product and has made breastfeeding during those early difficult days much easier.

Philips AVENT 312/01 Electronic Breast Pump

The timing of some of Amazon's arrivals couldn't be better, with this pump being put to use straight away by my faithful female assistant who has just given birth. A previously bought Tommy Tippee manual has been graciously put to the side as this AVENT model is in a different league. I'm reliably informed by it's user that the AVENT is both comfortable to use, and reassuringly well constructed.

As per anyone who hasn't used such a device before, it is a bit of an odd sensation to get used to so I'm told. We agree with the other person's review on here that it's not exactly silent in operation either - it would be nice if it was, but then I'm no engineer so I don't know what's possible. As with all AVENT devices, the packaging is spot on, the instructions are clear and easy to follow, and it all comes together to make a package that makes you realise you are using a good bit of kit. Cost may be a factor for some, but the more you use it, the more it is worth-while. Whether it will last the test of time, I cannot yet comment on.