katherine, sometimes pumps does not guarantee the moms' production. some moms used avent manual pumps and managed to express more than others.
medela freestyle, with its pricetag, does somehow create an expectation to be able to express more, easily. many recommended medela freestyle as it usually works fine to the majority, but there are some majority who found it is not as good as other, i.e spectra or avent.
if cost is an issue, you can always find used medela freestyle half the price , esp from mothers who stopped pumping after 6mth. just need to get your consumable parts. the main thing is the pump.
bought my medela freestyle directly from ebay us, around rm1.1k, no problem for my wife who managed to breastfeed for 14mth while working.
which breast pump to get?