Medela's SoftFit 24 mm. Breastshields 2-pk.

Comment: These are exactly what I used with my last baby and I never suffered from sore cracked nipples. I must also mention that I took several other precautions to prevent that kind of pain but for sure, these did not contribute to any discomfort. I like that it does stick to the skin when I pump because it helps prevent spills when I relax my arm a little while pumping. Very happy with this product and the shipping was very fast!

Comment: I purchased the Medela Freestyle and began using it May 1st, 2010 after my daughter was born. I pump exclusively 6-7 times a day. These shields are comfortable but wear out very quickly. They warp, turn yellow and wrinkle. My supply was beginning to diminish and I could not figure out why. After trying herbs, drinking more, eating more, I called Medela to ask them if something was wrong with the pump. The representative immediately told me it was probably the soft fit shields. She asked if they were wrinkled and I said they were. She told me that was the problem. I bought two pairs and have not mistreated them at all. I never put them in the dishwasher, boil them or microwave them. I used soap and water and alternated them. I could not believe that nowhere on their literature did it mention not to use them if they become wrinkled.

Meanwhile I have had to work VERY hard to get my milk supply back up. It has taken two weeks to get back to where I was before the problem apparently began and I had to use breastmilk I had frozen to keep up with baby. Very frustrating!

So, just know that you will be replacing these shields on a routine basis if you buy them. They are hard to find and not carried in very many stores where I live so I have to drive 30 miles or order them online.

Comment: I like this way better than the breast shields that came with my Medela PIS. It does a much better job with expressing!

Comment: I say I have a love/hate relationship with these because I love that I get more milk with these vs. the plastic hard shields, however, I hate these because they warp in about 3 weeks time. I pump about 4 times a day with the Medela Freestyle Pump, and had I known how often I've had to replace the shields I may not have purchased the pump, I would have bought the Pump In Style. I've replaced these shields about 4 times now, since mid-January. I know that I can use the hard shields with the Freestyle, however, I get less milk when I use those vs. the soft shields.

There are two problems with these shields. The first is that they warp and turn a yellow color. I've never put mine in the dishwasher nor the microwave to sterilize (as that will warp them faster), I've only used soap and water. They warp with use. So the more you pump, the faster they will warp. Once they warp, they lose suction and I pump significantly less milk. Then my milk supply goes down for several days. It's SO frustrating. Then I have to fork over more money to buy new ones again. Once I get the new ones, I'm able to pump more milk again. This is why I hate these shields.

The other problem with the soft fit shields is that they only come in one size. When I had my baby, the lactation consultant measured me and gave me the 27 mm hard plastic shields (for use with the hospital rental pump that I was using at first). These shields only come in 24 mm, so it can be a little painful sometimes. Most of the time it's bearable. However, because it's a tight fit for me, I sometimes get milk blisters from the friction, which can cause clogged ducts. I won't go back to using the hard shields though, because for some reason I don't get as much milk out when using those. So, I'm stuck with the Soft Fit. I don't know why Medela hasn't come out with different sizes of these. That is frustrating, as well. And they've been out for several years now, so they've had plenty of time to realize that people want them in different sizes. Get with it, Medela!! For that reason, I'm not happy with Medela. But the pump itself works great, so I stick with it.

Overall, I give this 3 stars because like I said, I love and hate these at the same time. If you're pumping once or twice a day, you may not have the warping issue as much. But if you exclusively pump, as I do, be prepared to dish out lots of money to keep replacing the shields. And yes, you'll be annoyed, like me.

Comment: Bought these after I discovered they existed. THEY ONLY COME IN 24MM HOWEVER! Was pumping with the original hard ones and was having a lot of rubbing and irritation. These things are a life saver. They are soft and comfortable for the mom who has to pump throughout the day. One drawback is that the thin rubber is wrinkling a bit with use. It crinkles as your pump works and now mine have perminent wrinkles in the material. This does not in any way detract from their comfort or usefulness, but it does catch milk in the pockets during pumping. Also, the rubber is turning a very light yellow brown after about 3 weeks of use. I wash them after every use and have put them on the top shelf of the dishwasher to clean even. Again, this does not detract from its use, it just looks dirty all the time. I highly recommend this for the ever-pumping mom. Your 'girls' will thank you for it!