If you are planning on breastfeeding and pumping the Medela Harmony Pump is a MUST HAVE… if you choose to go with the Medela brand that is.

When I first started pumping I only had one of those big Medela pumping machines and you can imagine how convenient that was to lug around. I finally took the plunge and ordered one of these portable pumping bad boys and haven’t looked back!

In this post, I’ll show you EXACTLY how to use and assemble the Harmony manual pump. I’ll also be providing convenient tips, tricks, and an honest review.

I like to break everything down step-by-step because when I first started my breastfeeding journey I had no idea what I was doing.

If you are a pumping newb, I got your back girl! 

Click the image above to play the video.

Why You Need This Pump

Let me start off by saying, I am in no way endorsed or sponsored by Medela. All of my opinions are my own. 

The best thing about the Medela Harmony pump is that it’s super lightweight, portable, and requires no batteries or charging.

Story Time:
One time I had to attend my sister-in-law’s wedding shower and I was away from my baby for a little more than four hours. I didn’t expect to be gone that long and I had taken a ride from my mother-in-law.

As nature would have it, my breast began to get heavy with milk and I began to panic. I did not own a manual breast pump at the time and was worried my supply was going to plummet since I was going so long between nursing.

I struggled with low milk-supply if I didn’t nurse or pump around the clock it seemed like.

I didn’t want to burden my in-laws as they were having the time of their life and it was my mother-in-law’s daughters’ wedding shower after all.

I subtly made hints that I needed to get home and when I finally made it back, I got on eBay and ordered my portable pump. I made sure to always carry it with me when traveling from that day forward.

Wet-Bags Are The Bomb
The Harmony pump didn’t take up very much room and came in handy in several situations. I loved how lightweight and easy-to-use it was. I kept it in a little Wet-Bag (Amazon aff link) that was designed for pumping/nursing supplies.

My bag would keep the pump from getting dirty or from any breast milk leaking out if the bottle wasn’t screwed on tight enough.

If you’re looking for some organic pregnancy or postpartum care products, I really love Earth Mama Organics! (Aff link)

Why This Pump Sucks, In A Good Way!

If you are going to be traveling without your baby, this pump is lightweight to pack and will relieve you, keeping you on track with your nursing schedule. No more sore and engorged boobies!

There were so many times we were in the car and we didn’t have time to stop and feed our hungry infant. I’d pull the Harmony out, pump, then I’d hand him the bottle.

Don’t worry, I was in the passenger seat or back while doing this! 

Nursing HURTS!

At least it did for me a lot of the time. Sometimes it was nice to take a break from the little nibbler and use my hand pump.

I had a fancy pumping station set-up in my room but sometimes it was just too darn cold to get out of my bed. Having a manual hand pump allowed me to easily grab and pump in the comfort of my warm cozy bed.

I never had to worry about finding a plug-in or charging this pump. There are no batteries and only a small amount of assembly required.

There are no tubes for milk and mildew to get stuck inside of unlike the other Medela breast pumps.

This pump was compatible with all types of bottles and Medela breastmilk storage bags.

For a little hand pump, it had more power than I imagined it would. It wasn’t as powerful as my Pump In Style, but it got the job done!

The Downside To The Medela Harmony Pump

As you see I love this product and found it very useful but there were a few downsides to it.

It Takes More Time

First of all, it only allows you to pump one breast at a time. This obviously will take more time than when you are able to double-up on a more advanced pump. Being battery-free and wireless is nice, but it will give your hand a slight workout.

I used the pump when I was out and about, or every now and then at home so it wasn’t a big deal for me. If you don’t own an Automatic Breast Pump (how to get one here) and are only planning on using the Harmony, it will cause your hand to be sore.

Since you are pumping one breast at a time, it will cause the other breast to let-down and you will lose some of that precious breast milk. Make sure to ALWAYS wear a breast pad on the other breast while using the Harmony.

Unlike an automatic pump, you won’t have the luxury of being hands-free with a manual pump. This may be something to consider if you already have little rugrats running around.

Also, sometimes the handle would pop off from the rubber piece when I would pump. That was kind of annoying but other than that it did the job and was very helpful in most situations.

Click the image above to play the video.

Harmony Pump Traveling Tips

I always used a wet bag from Pump-Ease (Amazon aff link) to store my pumping supplies in when I would go out on day trips. It was small enough to fit nicely in my purse or I could carry it alone as it had a little handle.

It was also large enough to fit my pump plus a few extras. The design is had black and white polka dots so it didn’t look like your typical baby wet bag. The bag is waterproof, keeping any milk leaks from seeping out if they are to happen.

It was perfect for keeping my pumping supplies clean and toting around other little necessities.

This bag can be used to store all types of stuff later on like cloth pads, cloth diapers, makeup, or beauty products.

Story Time

When Asher was born he had to be rushed to the NICU for respiratory distress syndrome. When visiting him, I would take this bag with a few of my pumping supplies like bottles, breast shields, Bamboobies Nipple Cream, (Amazon aff link) medicine, cloth wipes, breast pads, and my peri bottle.

After two more births – I now recommend the Mom-Washer (Amazon aff link) over a peri bottle.

I may have also brought some pads, witch hazel Tucks, and my wallet as well but I cannot remember now. The hospital provided the Medela pumps, so I just brought my personal shields and bottles to pump in.

I hope you enjoyed my videos and tips on traveling with the Medela Harmony Pump.

If you did, please consider becoming a subscriber as I will be making more video tutorials on breastfeeding and natural parenting!