With a new baby in our family, that means our breastfeeding journey has started once again!
After having a rough breastfeeding journey with little V, I could only hope for a smoother one this time round. We had a somewhat sudden moment when she decided to self-wean during my first trimester, something which left me both lost yet relieved at the same time. She even declared that she wanted to resume breastfeeding when B2 (that’s what we called Leroy since it was a gender surprise :p) was here (this was my first letter to V which left me in tears while penning it), but right now, she isn’t exactly keen on me anymore….
Unfortunately, my good ol’ Medela Freestyle has started to show signs of aging. Scratch that – when I was still expressing milk for V, there have been instances where it hadn’t been able to clear my bosom buddies completely, which in turn affected my supply. But it was so pricey, I couldn’t bear to part with it (and more money) for a breastfeeding journey so full of uncertainties and challenges.
As such, this time round, I’ve been on the hunt for a trusty breastpump that can help with my lumpy situation. A backup breastpump seemed like a good move because… we never know when the Medela Freestyle might say ‘Sayonara!’, right?
Have I mentioned that blocked ducts have been visiting me bi-weekly and a bout of mastitis literally threw me off-balanced for a week??
It was as if someone knew of my silent plea and My Miracle Baby got in touched with us to try out a set of breastpumps that were newly launched in Singapore!
Let’s see how the Gaksimil Slim Double Breast Pump fares!
Where is Gaksimil from?
Gaksimil hails from Korea, and prides itself for being 100% made in Korea, including all the componenets too. It comes with a 1-year warranty from the local distributor, in this case, that would be My Miracle Baby.
For replacement of parts, do get in touch with My Miracle Baby too.
Range of Breastpumps from Gaksimil
At the moment, there are 3 models: Sense Double Breast Pump (lightweight, runs on 4AA batteries and direct current), G1 Double Electric Breast Pump (hospital grade and runs on direct current only) and Slim Double Breast Pump (lightweight, runs on built-in rechargable battery and direct current).
Dismantling and Assembling
The Gaksimil Slim Double Breastpump ($373.75) comes with an instruction manual in English, with simple illustrations to explain certain steps or points to note.
It wasn’t too difficult to figure out the assembling bit, but one important thing to note is to ensure that the Back Flow Preventer is fixed the right way. That means it should look like this (in the picture below), where the green layer is attached to the shorter silicon tube.
Incorrect assembly would not allow milk expression to be done, which you would realise when the unit is turned on.
The complete set includes:
– 2 silicon valves
– 2 feeding cups (comes in M 27mm or L 30mm)
– 3 backflow preventer
– 2 feeding bottles, teats and caps
– 2 silicon tubes (long)
– 2 silicon tubes (short)
– 1 body unit
– 1 adaptor
Washing and Sterilizing
Prior to the first use, do wash the parts with a suitable baby accessories cleanser and sterilise them too.
It was a breeze, especially with the straightforward parts. No additional membranes to wash, although there was the Backflow Preventer and Silicon Tubes. It’s not necessary to wash them unless they get dirty along the way, as breastmilk would not come in contact with these components.
However, do remember NOT to sterilise the silicon tubes though – it’s not necessary to!
Performance During Breastmilk Expression
This time round with Leroy, he usually takes just 1 side, so expression is only done using 1 set – less washing too!
I like that it’s realllly silent! At just 40db, pumping in the middle of the night won’t wake the sleeping baby, and that’s really important.
The buttons include a massage function, vacuum (pressure) and cycle (how long and fast you’d like the suction to be). The buttons are flat on the surface, so it’s akin to a touchscreen like our smartphones. But, that also means that it may or may not be reactive when it’s pressed, and may depend on the angle of pressure applied.
It’s also really light (just 220g!) so it’s super portable if you need to bring it out with you, especially for working mums.
The massage mode starts off slow and is very gentle, and unlike Medela Freestyle where a preset 2 minutes massage is in-built, the Gaksimil Slim allows the user to massage for your preferred duration. There is also only 1 setting for the massage mode.
Comparing the 2, I’d say that Gaksimil Slim’s suction is more gentle and slower. With 9 settings for both cycle and vacuum that make up to 81 combinations, breastfeeding mums can easily customise an ideal comfort level for themselves.
After trying the pump at different times of the day and over a period, I found that it was a notch below Medela when it comes to emptying the breasts. The suction speed is slower (and gentler), but seeing the milk squirting throughout the session until the flow slows down is quite heartening. I’d say it’s slow and steady in that sense, since a breastfeeding mum would be able to see the breastmilk flowing consistently.
And mums who own Medela bottles, you’d be happy to know that they are compatible with Gaksimil too!
Above all, the Gaksimil Slim might be more suitable for mums who have sensitive nips and don’t take too well to high suction. It may take a little longer to pump, but if your breasts are not particularly lumpy, it’s an option to consider especially if you’re a working mum who needs to be out and about.
An important point to note that the unit needs to be converted to our local pinhead, hence you would need an additional adaptor when it comes to charging the breastpump or when using direct current. This is not uncommon though, and it doesn’t cost much to get the additional adaptor either. In fact, My Miracle Baby provides a free adaptor with each unit too, so this is well taken care of!
And, DO NOT insert the charger vertically (i.e. top and bottom pin) because that was what I did initially until I learnt from K that it was dangerous! Well, our power tripped when I did that… so….. #userproblem
Where Can I Buy the Gaksimil Breastpumps From?
Besides buying them online from My Miracle Baby, they are retailing at stores such as Kiddy Palace and 1010 Mother & Child.
About My Miracle Baby
Founded by a mum of two, My Miracle Baby has been distributing specially selected products in our local stores.With children and parents in mind, My Miracle Baby aims to cater to the needs of families by helping them create wonderful memories as they experience the products and services.
Promotions by My Miracle Baby!
New mummies and breastfeeding mamas, don’t miss the promotions by My Miracle Baby, that’s happening at the Mummy’s Market!
Grab these pre-order deals and SAVE too!
Gaksimil Sense Double BreastPump – U.P. $373.75, NOW $199
Gaksimil Slim Double Breastpump – U.P. $373.75, NOW $199
Gaksimil G1 Double Breastpump – U.P. $416, NOW $199
There are more fabulous discounts happening at the Mummy’s Market from 29 – 31 July. Keep your eyes peeled here!
Have you tried any of the Gaksimil breastpumps before? Do share your reviews with us too!
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Hi,
Just read your review…currently looking for a new breast pump as well, as I feel my medela swing isn’t quite draining the boobs as I would like.
As we sort of more or less started with Medela, would you actually ‘recommend’ the Gaksimil Slim? I’ve been reading mixed reviews. Some people are ‘mind blown’ but how great it is, others are like ‘don’t waste your money’.
hellllppp! Thanks!
Hello there! Indeed, Medela was my BFF for close to 2 years >.< Personally, i felt that my ducts are pretty stubborn (i've had very frequent blocked ducts this time round, which thankfully are under control now with Lecithin and Mummamia Mammgation-duce Capsule), so the Gaksimil Slim was somewhat gentle for me. In terms of suction, Medela Freestyle was stronger based on my experience. But if gentle is the way to go for you, I'd think it would be good enough. It's superbly light and really convenient if you're planning to pump at work too. Hope this helps!