Breast Pumps
As hi-tech pumps enter the market, it’s hoped the hassle and difficulty of feeding a small baby will soon be consigned to the past - Emine Saner
image by: Milky Mama, LLC
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Breast pumps have barely evolved, but you can still make them better
Cell phones have come pretty far in the past 30 years. In the early ’90s, they were brick-sized gadgets with spiffy antennae—now they fit in our hands and can recognize our faces.
Unfortunately, breast pumps have not experienced this dramatic evolution. A necessity for 85 percent of postpartum parents, this gizmo looks pretty much the same since 1991, the year when the first electric-powered pump was introduced to the US market by Swiss manufacturer Medela. This would be okay if there was nothing to improve, but the perfect pump still eludes us...
Fortunately, lactation consultants have helpful DIY fixes to make pumping better, more efficient, and above all, less painful.
Resources
Best breast pumps...
The best breast pumps mimic baby’s feeding patterns and get the job done.
I Miss a Lot of Things About the Office. My Breast Pump Isn’t One.
Working from home has made breastfeeding easier. Let’s hope the flexibility lasts even after the pandemic ends.
Pumping at Work, From the Office to the Arctic
NYT Parenting asked readers for stories about pumping at work, and you shared a diversity of experiences.
This Is The One Product All New Moms Should Invest In (If They Can Get Off The Waitlist)
“The current breast pumps haven’t been changed in 25 years and a lot of women said to us, ‘I feel like I’m being milked like a cow. I’m tied to this wall, I have no dignity because I have to take all my clothes off and it’s just a terrible experience,’” Kelman said. In fact, it was Willow founder John Chang’s wife who first inspired the design, telling her husband moms everywhere needed something new, discrete and functional.
Why it’s so crucial to support colleagues who pump breast milk at work
In what could be considered a well-timed pep talk for the breastfeeding cause, US researchers recently published a pair of studies that clarify the role coworkers can play in encouraging new mothers who are nursing to keep pumping breast milk after returning to work. That role, it turns out, is substantial—even more influential than the support of family and friends, the researchers said.
Express yourself! How the breast-pump revolution could ease maternal stress
As hi-tech pumps enter the market, it’s hoped the hassle and difficulty of feeding a small baby will soon be consigned to the past.
The Breast Pump Finally Joins the 21st Century
The Babyation breast pump is sleek and compact, with a motor so quiet you barely hear it humming.
‘Make the breast pump not suck': how women are redesigning breastfeeding
Breastfeeding can be a stressful and painful process. Can a generation of female tech professionals create devices to change that?
A Brief History of Breast Pumps
Debates about online milk exchanges wouldn't be possible without a simple—yet revolutionary—machine.
A new kiA new kind of breast pump liberates moms from everything but the tyranny of multitaskingnd of breast pump liberates moms from everything but the tyranny of multitasking
Breast pumps have completely changed the game for mothers who want to breastfeed. They make it possible for someone else to feed the baby while the nursing mother sleeps, takes a shower, or does something completely unrelated to childrearing. They allow women who breastfeed to work full-time jobs. They can help stimulate milk supply. They’re an essential tool of modern parenthood. They also really suck.
Building a Better Breast Pump
The noisy, sometimes ill-fitting devices are often necessary for mothers who want to continue breastfeeding. A hackathon this weekend strove for better designs.
Femtech firms are at last enjoying an investment boom
Not a moment too soon.
How To Get A Breast Pump Through Insurance
The good news is, thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), new moms are entitled to a free breast pump and supplies through their insurance. Here’s how you can get yours.
I Thought a Wearable Breast Pump Would Solve My Problems
But the problems are bigger than a couple of leaky tubes.
In the U.S., Pumping and Breastfeeding Suck
An MIT hackathon seeks to change that.
Rachel McAdams is just like us, breast-pumping in Versace
A heartfelt thank you to Rachel McAdams and photographer Claire Rothstein for this stunning photo, which underlines the need to normalize breast-feeding and pumping, and to support women as parents and professionals. Also, pumping milk sucks, no matter who you’re wearing.
The Best of the Breast: Pumping Tech Is Better than Ever
From new breast shields to hands-free pumps, breast pumping technology today is better than ever.
The impossible quest to build a better breast pump
A wave of high-tech, hands-free devices is hitting the market. But will they actually help women?
The Politics Of The Breast Pump
As the popularity of these devices soars, Lepore raises another question - is it the mother or her milk that matters more to the baby?
The Problems With Breastfeeding Go Way Beyond Breast Pumps
At an MIT hackathon last weekend, engineers, designers, and parents brainstormed ways to make feeding newborns easier.
The Wireless Device That Liberated Me From My Breast Pump
Because nothing sucks the joy out of motherhood quite like pumping.
Breast pumps have barely evolved, but you can still make them better
It's OK to hate your pump—we all do.
Elvie
The silent, wearable electric breast pump designed to discreetly slip inside your bra. That way, you can confidently collect breast milk where other motherpumpers dare not go. Controlled through your phone, Elvie Pump is wire-free, hands-free, and hassle-free. Like pumping should be.
Willow
Willow pumps are unique because everything works inside the pump, inside your bra—no external tubes, cords, or dangling bottles. Plus, you don’t have to sacrifice performance.
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