The day before I gave birth to my little Vivienne, I wrote a post in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week. In it, I mentioned how I sort of “started over” with my research of breast pumps for my second baby. Admittedly, I didn’t do a lot of research before buying my first breast pump, just before Nora was born. I just went with what I thought was “standard,” and really never wondered whether there was something better out there.
This time, though, I went into it knowing that breastfeeding and pumping WORKED for me last time. I made it to 13 months, and because of that, I have greater confidence that I can do that this time, too. Because of that, I felt that anything I gathered for myself in terms of breastfeeding supplies should be stuff that I actually like. Things that make my life easier. It’s the least I can do for myself, since I’m in this for the long haul.
Anyway, I won’t completely repeat myself from this post, but through some searching I ended up finding Hygeia, and then the Hygeia EnJoye pump.
There were things right off the bat that I liked about the EnJoye. First, it’s “greener” than other pumps since it’s designed to be able to be used by multiple women. Other pumps are supposed to be “single user” systems (although I know some people do sell and/or buy them used), but the EnJoye has a filter at the base of the pump and tubes that truly keeps everything out of the pump. So if you buy (or are given!) a used EnJoye, all you have to do is get a new Personal Accessory Set (costs about $45) and you’re good to go. Because you’re able to sell the EnJoye when you’re done with it, you can recoup some of the money you spent, and… one less pump in a landfill! And if you don’t want to mess around with selling it and don’t have anyone to give it to, you can send it back to Hygeia and they’ll recycle it for you for free.
The Hygeia EnJoye is also considered hospital grade, which means (potentially) more milk in less time. For someone who admittedly has a love/hate (but mostly hate) relationship with pumping, this is key. Particularly when I go back to work and have to pump 3-4 times per day. UGH.
I received my Hygeia EnJoye in the mail just a few days after Vivienne was born. I didn’t mess around with it too much right away, since I wanted to make sure that the baby and I had established a good nursing relationship. Once I was confident that had happened and my initial engorgement (OUCH!) passed, I decided to give it a whirl after Vivienne’s morning feeding. I pumped for the first time when she was one week old, and I’ve pumped once daily since then. The morning pumping has become my routine. My main goal at this point is to build a nice freezer stash for when I go back to work, and for when Vivienne gets bigger and her demand outpaces my supply. Thankfully, I was able to keep up with Nora for several months, but as she got closer to a year, I had to start dipping into my freezer stash. I anticipate the same thing will happen this time around, so I’m off to an early start!
Anyway, I was excited to try the Hygeia EnJoye. Since I had pumped so many times before, getting set up and getting started were easy peasy.
The Hygeia works a bit differently than my last pump, since it has dials for both speed and strength. This is an advantage, I think, because it makes the pump highly adjustable so you can figure out the settings that help to maximize your output. One thing is that you have to manually change the speed/strength once you start to let down—different from Medela, which does this automatically after two minutes of initial stimulation. I don’t find this to be bothersome at all, given that the pump is always within arm’s reach.
One thing that has been absolutely awesome is the fact that the Hygeia is cordless. It has an internal battery that is charged, of course, by plugging the pump into the wall, but once it’s charged, I’m FREE!! I have never had the battery die on me, but I usually charge it once a week or so for good measure. I’m guessing I’ll have to charge it a bit more often than that once I’m pumping multiple times a day, but still. I’m looking forward to one less “part” to carry back and forth with me to work every day. And, as you can imagine, it’s been especially convenient for “mobile pumping.” I’ve pumped in the car a handful of times now—not while driving, but as a passenger—and it’s been great. I used to be able to do that with the Medela, too, but I had to make sure I had the battery pack, that it had fresh AA batteries in it, etc. With the Hygeia’s internal battery, it’s much easier.
It may sound weird, but I also just like Hygeia’s pump parts better. The flanges and the valves? Much easier to clean. The Hygeia’s valves are “duckbill” valves, made out of a rubbery material. Medela’s valves have those flimsy little white pieces that I was always afraid I was going to tear to shreds when washing. I’ve found that it’s much easier to get a bottle brush up into Hygeia’s flanges/connectors, too—despite the flanges not separating from the connectors like they do with Medela! Again, while some may see that as a disadvantage, I see that as one less part to have to keep track of. It’s nice that everything is so easy to clean, given that we’ll be washing them approximately 582,000 times (OK, I might be exaggerating a little) in the next year. And the tubes? They’re longer and more flexible than Medela’s, which is definitely a very, very small detail but one that surprisingly makes it much easier to get set up.
The only downside to Hygeia’s parts is that they’re not available in stores, obviously. You have to order them from Hygeia or other online retailers, and shipping can be expensive for some reason. To avoid emergencies, I plan to order a spare set of parts to keep around. But you know what? Another great thing about the EnJoye is that almost all of the parts are interchangeable with Medela parts. Want to use Medela bottles, tubing, flanges, connectors? YOU CAN. So in a pinch, you can use parts you may already have on hand, or at the very least can be purchased at the nearest Buy Buy Baby, Babies ‘R’ Us, Target, etc.
The Hygeia pump is also more adjustable in terms of the bottles you can pump into. The connectors are for wide-mouth bottles, but included are also adapters for the narrow bottles as well. We use Tommee Tippee bottles, and unfortunately, they’re too wide, even for the wide connectors, but that doesn’t bother me, to be honest. When I get into my work/daycare routine, I’m constantly rotating milk—preparing bottles with frozen milk, then freezing the fresh stuff I’ve pumped that day—so it’s not really an advantage for me to pump directly into the bottles she drinks from, you know? Still, you have more bottle options with Hygeia than with other pumps, so that goes in the “plus” column as well.
The EnJoye comes with two wide-mouth bottles to use. I rotate these in with my other pumping bottles. A word of warning, and perhaps one of the only negative things I have to say about the Hygeia EnJoye system/package… the measurement marks on the bottles are incorrect. At least they are on my bottles (I can’t say or assume that they’re all like this). It took me a few weeks to figure this out, too, which is unfortunate because it means that I have bags in my freezer stash that are incorrectly marked. Not a huge deal, but an annoyance nonetheless. In the photo below, you can see the ounces markers as marked by Hygeia, and then Sharpie marks where I’ve indicated the correct level.
The discrepancy starts off relatively small toward the bottom of the bottle, but as I worked my way up, I found that it was off by almost an entire ounce toward the top. I still use these bottles now that I have them correctly marked, so no big deal—but I wish I would have known before. There were several days that I used these bottles not knowing the marks were wrong, and thought I pumped more than I did! And when you are a pumping mom and every drop counts, it was disappointing when I discovered those few pumping sessions yielded less than I thought. Bummer. Anyway, a minor complaint all in all—particularly since it doesn’t affect the performance of the pump at all—but I thought it was worth noting.
A few other things I want to mention briefly:
- There are “record” and “play” buttons that allow you to record sound (see above photo). The idea behind this is that you can actually record your baby crying, cooing, laughing, etc. and play it back to help you pump more milk. There are studies that show that if you’re looking at a photo of your child, watching video, listening to his/her cry, etc. that you will have an easier time, so Hygeia is playing off of that here. I don’t foresee using this feature at all, but hey, it’s there if you want it.
- I’ve read others complain about the pump being loud. I don’t know that it’s any louder than the Medela Pump-in-Style Advanced that I used with Nora. *shrug* It doesn’t really bother me. I watch TV, or go on the computer and haven’t had any trouble concentrating. Also, I’ve pumped right next to a sleeping Vivienne and she’s never been disturbed by it, so there’s that. If it IS a little louder, I’d guess that it’s because the pump is not embedded inside of a bag, so there’s nothing buffering the sound.
On a related note, I want to talk about the tote. With the Medela pumps (with the exception of the Freestyle), the pumps are built into the tote bags, so you have no flexibility in terms of how to carry the darn thing. I toted that ugly black bag around every day for a year, and man, I hated it. I hated how the pump was situated right in the middle of the dang bag and how it was pretty useless for storing much at all—I mean, even the little cooler pack had to be carried separately! Because the Hygeia EnJoye pump is “free standing,” you have options. You can order your EnJoye with either a black or brown bag—with an included matching cooler pack—or you can opt not to get a tote at all.
My Hygeia EnJoye didn’t come with a tote at all. I’m on the hunt for a bag that will be more versatile for me when I return to work. Something that I can carry more things in—like the cooler bag, my lunch, or perhaps even my laptop. One of the things that sucked the most about being a working, pumping mom was hauling around so.many.bags every day. I felt like I was weighed down with so much crap walking in and out of work, that when I finally stopped pumping, it felt STRANGE to walk in and out of work for a while. I was practically shouting FREEDOM! as I walked in and out of the office. Anyway, hopefully more to come on this whole issue soon, but I love that Hygeia doesn’t tie me to a particular bag. You can carry your EnJoye in whatever bag your little heart desires.
All of this to say that I’m really loving the Hygeia EnJoye. As much as someone can love a breast pump, anyway… because there’s no doubt that pumping sucks. I’ve never come across a mom who is all, “Pumping is fun! Pumping is awesome!” so I think it’s safe to say that we all hate it, but it’s a necessary evil and a sacrifice we make for our babies.
I know that many women choose Medela by default. I mean, basically the entire pumping aisle at Babies ‘R’ Us looks like Medela threw up all over it. In the big box retail stores, Medela dominates. But if you’re into researching better options and looking for the lesser known gems, I think you might find it in Hygeia. If you’re a pumping mom, an expectant mom, or a future expectant mom… I encourage you to check them out.
Questions about my experience with my Hygeia EnJoye? Let me know. :)
Disclaimer: Hygeia provided me with a Hygeia EnJoye LBI pump for free in exchange for my review. However, opinions expressed within this post are my own. (I hope you trust that I wouldn’t positively review a product that I wouldn’t back anyway, whether I paid for it or not!)
27 Responses to Hygeia EnJoye Breast Pump Review
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About
I'm Heather. I'm 33 and have been married to Michael for seven years. Together, we have two beautiful little girls we love more than anything, and a miniature dachshund who drives us crazy. I'm a full-time working mom who has very little time for my own "stuff" these days, like home improvement, cooking/baking, cake decorating, and photography. Despite the team not making the playoffs since 1999, I'm STILL a Buffalo Bills fan, which I think speaks to my loyalty AND sense of humor. I can't wait to pick up the pace with travel again some day... you know, when we're done being ruled by tiny fists. Welcome to my blog.
Hi Heather! I actaully used the EnJoye with my daughter earlier this year. Since she was in the NICU due to hypoglycemia for a few days I actually got one from the hospital, covered by insurance which was nice. I also ended up with like 4 sets of parts- they give them up pretty freely to Moms in the NICU. I also liked this pump way more than the Medela Freestyle I used with my Son three years ago. I wanted to mention though- that the little duck billed flanges you mentioned up above do tear so be careful with them. Keep in mind, my daughter wouldn’t latch so I was using these things all day every day but a few of them did tear and then cease to work after a few weeks of intense use. Wasn’t a problem since like I said I had 4 sets of parts. Good luck with your pumping/breastfeeding- I hope you are as successful with it this time as you were last time!
Just wanted to let you know- the ounces and corresponding marks on the bottle are marked for the imperial ounce- so it’s not wrong, just different than the US ounce (which is about 4% bigger- why the difference is more noticeable towards the top). The Avent bottles we use have both measurements.
Oh! How interesting. I had no idea. I wonder if that is mentioned in the materials somewhere. In any case, I still mismeasured my milk several times before I realized.
Imperial ounce vs. American ounce… Metric system vs. standard… Could we possibly make this stuff more complicated?? :)
So glad you ended up liking it! So weird about the ounces, I had no idea! How did you even figure that out? The record/play buttons annoyed me after awhile…I taped a soda bottle cap over the play button to keep it from randomly playing in my bag. Bummer they didn’t send you a tote, but I’m so glad you got the pump…yay hygeia :)
I also had the ounce isn’t an ounce issue with my ameda pump bottles and my avent baby bottles. They’re just ever so off, but one day we did a test with water of the pump bottles, the pump bags, and the baby bottles. None were the same!
Thanks for such a detailed revie, and so good to know about the ounce markers being off! It would have taken me a while to figure that out too. Can’t wait to try mine!
Glad you had a good experience. I admire you pumping at work for so long. With my older son, I lasted a week. I’m able to do it now since I was able to get the “free” insurance pump so I’m able to keep one at home and one at work. Not having to lug a bag back and forth everyday has really helped. Not that you need that encouragement or idea, but just thought I would throw it out there.
I was wondering about the comfort of the new pump? I hated my Medela because it hurt s badly. Is this more comfortable?
Hi Sarah, I am pretty comfortable with the EnJoye but was never very uncomfortable with the Medela either. Have you tried Petal Pals (I think that is what they are called)? Or have you been fitted by a lactation consultant to make sure you are using the correct size flanges? It shouldn’t hurt that badly!
Hi Heather! I just ordered my Enjoye through my insurance. I am curious to know whether or not you’ve tried pumping directly into their storage bags? Since you didn’t receive a tote or cooler with yours, what are you going to store your pumped milk in at work? Wondering what a good system will look like this time. Hoping I have even better results with this pump than I did with my Medela the first time around.
Hi Desirea,
No, I haven’t tried to pump directly into bags. Typically once I’m back at work I am rotating my stash anyway (freezing the day’s pumped milk and preparing bottles with the oldest frozen stuff), so pumping directly into bags has never been a real “pro” for me.
As for how I will store/transport milk…stay tuned, as I am still figuring that out! I will be back to work at the end of the month so I will have something figured out by then! :)
Awesome review and so helpful. I had the Freestyle with my first and it was nightmare — had to return it to them three times because the motor kept dying! I thought the milk production issues I was having were “me” until I tried a friend’s PIS Original (not the newer Advanced) – and it was like the angels started singing. Even though it’s a no-no, I bought a used but like-new condition PIS Original (since they’re not available in stores) and new parts. I know this time around I definitely want the separate control function and after so many issues with the motors, I don’t want another Medala. Also, Le Leche League puts their name on this brand, and they’re so hardcore nursing that it makes me think this must be a pretty good product. I’m so with you on the Medela totes too! That this one can go in any bag is awesome. Do you mind letting us know what commuting bag you end up getting to accommodate your pump/accessories, lunch and laptop?? Would love such a bag too.
[…] time, once I knew I would be using a Hygeia EnJoye pump (which is a standalone pump) instead of the Medela Pump-in-Style Advanced (which is built into a […]
I have the Hygeia Enjoye pump and an Ameda PY I got for free with my insurance. I use my Enjoye much more frequently mainly because I’m used to it and pump on the way to/from work. I prefer the way the Enjoye feels and it’s easier to hold the bottles with one arm/hand. I was able to pump a year for my daughter (with a different pump) and planning to do the same for my 5 month old son. I really like the mobility of the hygeia but I’m slightly annoyed with the orange ink they use on their products. Within 2 months of full time use, the bottles have lost almost all the print and the pump gauges have also faded. That’s a disappointment as it makes the pump look very cheaply made and nearly impossible to calibrate how much milk I’ve collected without the ounce measurements. I also find the recording option super annoying. It usually knocks around in my bag as I enter my office each day and of course the recording goes off. Thankfully it’s just white noise because I’ve never used it to record my son. I couldn’t even imagine how embarrassing that would be! “Hey lady, your bag is crying!” as it is, my coworkers and i just look at each other and laugh. Why they don’t create an on/off switch for that feature is beyond me. I really cannot see anyone using the sound option anyway! Overall it’s a good pump, I just wish a few things were different.
Mom’s be warned!!!! My wife has had constant issues with the Hygeia pump and have had it for less than 7 months. They even say to use MEDELA parts with it to make it work better!!! 2 days ago the plastic piece that the filter connects to cracked and they are not warranting it!!!!!! Now we have to go out and buy a whole new pump.
Sorry you’ve had problems! I’ve used my pump daily for more than 8 months now (and 3 times daily for more than 5 months) and haven’t had any problems. In fact, I haven’t even had to use my set of replacement parts yet.
This review by Kama has been copied from several different websites, including amazon. Starting to think it’s someone from Medela…
Robyn, thanks for the sleuth work. Either someone from Medela, or I guess a very pissed off customer who is making it his mission to find every review and mention of Hygeia on the ‘net and post this comment to try to deter people away from Hygeia!
In any case… I’m 10 months and counting with my Hygeia with no problems whatsoever. I haven’t even had to replace my parts.
I am pregnant with my first and have just found out that my insurance will cover a Hygeia pump. I’m in the process of registering for different products and was curious which retail products have worked best with the pump. Are the Madela products most compatible? I’m not sure what exactly I’ll want/need, but I want to have some bottles and storage bags that will work with the pump. Also, has anyone had success using this with a hands-free pumping bra? Thanks for your help!
Hi Katie,
I use Medela bottles with the Hygeia pump, yes. You can also use Medela flanges and connectors, but I’ve never needed to. I have never pumped directly into storage bags, so I can’t help there, but I use Gerber brand storage bags to pour milk into before freezing. I don’t use a hands-free bra (I use the rubberband trick instead), but you certainly could use one with this pump, yes.
Wonderful. Thank you! I’ve been so overwhelmed by the variety of breastfeeding pumps, accessories and bottles. So you simply pump into the containers that come with the pump and then transfer the milk into your favorite storage bags for freezing? I’m sure that’s cheaper and takes up less room in the freezer than storing milk in many little bottles. I had to google the rubberband trick, but that looks like a winner. Thanks for your help! Truly appreciated!
The Medela strapless handsfree pump didn’t work very well for me — it didn’t stay up/positioned well so the flanges/bottles had a tendency to dangle and everything would start to sag down the fuller the bottles got. To be fair, I’m a well endowed person even before nursing and strapless bras are always a problem, so perhaps it would work for someone with smaller breasts.
INSTEAD, I took one of my sports bras and cut a hole large enough to fit the tube of the flange where each nipple is. It works wonderfully! Keeps the boobs and flanges securely in place even when the bottles are pretty full. My friend also has the SimpleWishes handsfree pumping bra that she really likes — she uses it with the removable straps.
I just bought an Enjoye pump on Ebay, and while I was searching Amazon for one, I found a Nurse Purse (www.nursepurse.com). It is a stylish bag that totes your pump supplies…and much more! I can’t justify the price ($129) because I am a stay at home mom, and typically only pump at home for date nights, etc, but you may love them! Maybe you could solicit one for free, for another review. =) Probably a little late since this post is so old, but I thought you may be interested.
Hi Amber, thanks for the info, but yeah, my pumping days are over now. :) I ended up with a Devyn Bag, which was fabulous!
I have been using a hygeia for about 10 months now with my 3rd baby and have had to replace the filter several times, which is beyond frustrating because no stores near me carry the filters and I have to wait for them to ship. Never mind the fact that the filters are kind of expensive. I used a Medela pump in style for my first two kids. I liked it better, even though it doesn’t have a filter which is sort of gross, but I took the front of the pump off and cleaned inside the suctioning area every few months. The only thing I like about the hygeia better is the duckbill valves cause the Medela valve’s little white thing came off too easily and would get lost in my sink. I don’t work for Medela :) but I did post something similar on amazon too cause I was just there ordering more hygeia filters since my pump won’t work again due to loss of suction from the filter losing suction.
Interesting. I used my Hygeia for 12 months and only replaced the filter once (using the 1 replacement filter they included with my purchase). Maybe kind of gross, but I never experienced any issues. I did use Medela parts with it (flanges, bases, valves, etc.).
So I just purchased a used Hygeia off Craigslist today and am using it for the first time. I’m so desperate for something less painful that I’m going to worry about the filter later. It is so much better than my Madelas (yes- I have 2 of them- an old one from baby#1 and a brand new one from baby #2). I did not have this problem with my first baby 6 years ago, but this time around pumping has been really painful, as has nursing quite frequently. I am self-diagnosing Reynaud’s since my nipples are showing the pretty classic symptoms of color changes, etc, along with stabbing or shock-like pains in my breasts. with the Madela I set it on the lowest setting possible and still grit my teeth. My first hook-up to the Hygeia (which is reportedly 2 years old) is much less painful, almost no big deal. And it seems to be working at least as well as my Madelas. It is very loud, which is a bit of a hassle for making calls while I am working. All in all, the comfort far supercedes the noise and I have plenty to do that doesn’t involve calls. Since I’m hooked up about 5 hours per day, comfort is very important!! I’m going to say I love this Hygeia!