Thinking about using a wearable breast pump? You’re not alone. If you’ve opted to breastfeed your infant, you’re likely thinking of all the options.
Having an infant to care for comes with many responsibilities, including breastfeeding. Giving your baby breastmilk involves one of the most efficient ways to guarantee the health of your baby is at max. However, sometimes, it can become challenging to breastfeed, especially if you are a working mom.
You must leave the house often but cannot carry your baby around. Luckily, wearable breast pumps come in handy to help with expressing breast milk. Thus, you can always express milk and store it for later use.
Besides expressing milk, using a wearable breast pump can pull out an inverted nipple, relieve engorged breasts or plugged milk ducts, and increase or maintain your milk supply.
Here we’ll discuss what a wearable breast pump is, what it’s best used for, how they operate, and the benefits of using one.
Using a Wearable Breast Pump
What is a Wearable Breast
A wearable breast pump is a milk-expressing gadget that helps lactating mothers express milk. This device fits comfortably inside your bra, so you can comfortably move around with it. Thus, this eliminates the struggle of having to find power each time you use it.
Also, a wearable breast pump doesn’t have tubing or heavy motors to lug around. As a result, you can express milk discretely while everything remains covered under your garments.
How Do Wearable Breast Pumps Operate?
To begin with, wearable breast pumps have similar parts to those found in traditional breast pumps; however, they are in a more portable and compact form.
The motor, collection cups, and flanges are all in one device and allow the entire gadget to sit inside your bra. You do not have to worry about power as the motor involved is battery-powered; thus, there are no outlets or cords.
After your pumping session is complete, you will simply have to empty the collection cups and store the milk properly for future use. You can also monitor your milk expression patterns since some pumps will collect and store the data. This way, you can easily note when something is not right.
The Benefits of Wearable Breast Pumps
Wearable breast pumps have increased in popularity over the recent years following the numerous benefits they offer breastfeeding mothers. Here are some reasons you might want to try using a wearable breast pump:
Comfort
A wearable breast pump are hands-free and offer improved support to breastfeeding mothers, unlike other types of breast pumps available in the market. Wearable breast pumps fit comfortably whether you use nursing or regular bras.
Additionally, they help nursing mothers feel comfortable and at ease even when breastfeeding in public spaces.
While breastfeeding is a beautiful and natural process, it can sometimes feel awkward doing it in social gatherings or spaces. But with a wearable breast pump, mothers can feel more at ease since the equipment is discreet and quiet. Mumilkhands-free breast pumps offer unmatched physical and social comfort, thus creating an appealing environment for any nursing mom.
Portability
Using a wearable breast pump offers portability benefits, which form its defining feature. Also known as hands-free breast pumps, a wearable breast pump provides incredible flexibility for mothers to pump regardless of where they are.
While conventional pumps require power, a wearable breast pump is usually battery-powered. Also, they do not necessarily need tubing for suction purposes. The discreet nature and flexibility of these pumps allow moms to enjoy the freedom of pumping on the move.
Additionally, these pumps weigh considerably less compared to other pumps. Thus, this makes them easy to use and carry around.
Easier Collection
Using a wearable breast pump makes your nursing life easier. This is primarily because users can easily express and collect milk.
Usually, conventional double electric pumps utilize small tubes to allow milk suction. These tubes are connected to collection bottles, which can be uncomfortable and clunky. Fortunately, hands-free breast pumps fit well in any bra and gather milk in the containers attached to the pumping system.
Therefore, they eliminate tedious assembly and tubes, guaranteeing accessible milk collection.
Before you start expressing milk to your baby, it is always essential to clean your hand correctly. This prevents germs and bacteria from getting in contact with the milk or the pumping system. Expressed milk can stay for up to 6 hours at room temperature.
However, you must keep the milk refrigerated if it is intended for future use. If you are expressing at work, ensure you have an insulated cooler to keep the milk safe.
Convenience
One of the major benefits of using a wearable breast pump is the unmatched convenience it offers compared to traditional breast pump. For instance, traditional breast pumps will have long, uncomfortable tubing that facilitates suction or need to be always plugged into a wall outlet, but when it comes to wearable breast pumps, all this is made easier.
A wearable breast pump can be placed in any bra, whether regular or nursing, and will allow easy, silent, and fast milk expression. These pumps change the motherhood game completely since you can slip the pump into a bra and continue with the never-ending motherly duties.
They are also quieter than traditional pumps, following their compact nature. Thus, you can use it from the office without causing any disruptions to your colleagues.
Easy to Clean
Typically, a wearable pump will be wireless and will come with fewer parts. Also, you will not have to deal with lots of tubes waiting to be washed. Wearable pumps are also easier to assemble and clean; thus, you do not have to deal with complicated and time-consuming cleaning procedures.
For some pumps, all parts apart from the main body pump will be sterilized and dishwasher safe. Therefore, you can easily maintain cleanliness, which is essential when feeding an infant.
You Can Feed Directly from the Pump
You do not necessarily have to empty the breast milk after collecting it so as to feed your baby. Instead, you can connect the pump collector bottle to a cap, thus allowing you to feed the baby right away.
App Controlled
Thanks to technology, wearable pumps can now be app-controlled. This allows users to get personalized insights about their pumping sessions. Additionally, you can even track the milk quantities you will express from each breast.
An app-controlled wearable pump can also be controlled remotely and allow you to personalize the express setting and intensity of the massage. The app automatically adds insights to the tracking page every time you complete a session. Thus, this helps lactating mothers keep track of their breast milk supply over a specific period.
Engorgement Relief
While engorgement can be quite uncomfortable, using a wearable breast pump is a perfect solution for you. Since you can use a wearable pump from any place and at any time, it provides instant relief whenever needed. This is especially helpful if you have gone for a night out or are at work with a busy schedule.
Includes Adjustable Modes
Some wearable electric breast pumps offer two setting modes from which you can choose. These modes include expression and massage.
Using expression mode allows you to efficiently and effectively get milk out after a letdown at a lower frequency. In other words, this mode resembles what infants practice when drinking milk. You will have eight pressure levels to choose from for maximum effectiveness and comfort.
On the other hand, also known as stimulation, massage mode focuses on the initial milk letdown. Similar to how infants lactate when they first latch on, a reduced pressure is applied on the breasts at an elevated frequency.
Breastfeeding is a journey. But that journey should be as comfortable and convenient as possible. If you’re an on-the-go mom and want a breast feeding solution that can keep up with your busy lifestyle, then a wearable breast pump may be a good idea for you.