How to Charge a Medela Battery

According to Scientific American, breastfeeding is healthy for babies and has been shown to have lasting health benefits for mothers as well 23. Breastfeeding is not always convenient or practical for many nursing mothers, however, especially mothers who work outside the home. The breast pump makes feeding a baby breastmilk much easier, as the mother does not have to be present to feed the baby once her milk has been pumped and stored. Medela, among other brands, provides breast pumps that offer rechargeable batteries, making the pumping process even easier and more reliable 1.

Insert the battery into the Medela pump with the "This Side Down" label facing down. Make sure the battery terminals are touching the metal contacts inside the battery compartment. Do not force the battery into place; the battery will fit easily into the battery compartment when installed correctly. Medela pumps will not operate on battery power when the battery is inserted incorrectly.

Plug the Medela charger into an electrical outlet. If you are using the Medela 12V vehicle lighter adapter, plug it into a 12V outlet in a vehicle.

Plug the charger into the charge port, located on the back side of the pump. Pumps that are equipped with a digital screen should display "batt" during the initial charge process. Subsequent charges will cause the screen to display a flashing "batt" and the battery icon. Keep the charger plugged into the pump until the "batt" icon stops flashing and the battery icon shows it has a full charge. According to Medela's Freestyle pump product literature, you can use the rechargeable pump while it is charging, though the pump will draw its power from the electrical outlet 1.

Disconnect the charger from the breast pump once the charge process is complete.