As the name suggests, a wearable breast pump is a hands-free, tube-free, wireless, and entirely portable breast pump that you may wear right in your bra.
Most wearable pumps are made up of a few key components:
- The motor is often located either within the main body of the pump or as a separate element that clips onto the top of the pump.
- Flanges.
- Membranes and valves.
- Breast milk collecting cups or breast milk collection bags.
While pumping, these wearable breast pumps allow you to walk around quite freely. However, the degree of mobility varies depending on the model of wearable pump you’re using.
You’ll be aware that you’re pumping at all times. On the other hand, wearable pumps provide you with the best chance of keeping your pump in place and avoiding leaking milk while doing other tasks.
Breast pumps that are worn are also significantly more discreet than regular pumps. Again, this depends on the model of pump you’re using, and wearables are clearly detectable when in use (despite what some marketing claims lead you to believe!). On the other hand, wearable pumps are far less obvious than traditional pumps due to their smaller profile and the lack of bottles protruding from the flanges. In most cases, you’ll be able to put your wearable into your bra without taking off or even pulling up your shirt.
Portable Breast Pumps vs Wearable Breast Pumps
Wearable pumps and portable pumps are both less bulky and more portable than standard breast pumps; nevertheless, they are not the same thing.
Wearable pumps are genuinely cordless and hands-free. The motor, battery, flanges, and bag or container that collects the milk are all incorporated into a wearable pump. As a result, no external tubing, wires, or collecting bottles are required.
Portable pumps are a hybrid between a regular pump and a wearable pump. Portable pumps reduce the size of a standard pump’s body to a smaller, more compact size.
Even if you’re using a portable pump, you’ll still need to run tubing from the pump to the flanges. You can either use normal breastmilk collection bottles or collection cups (a wearable milk collecting insert) to collect the pumped milk. Portable breast pumps are also far lighter than standard breast pumps.
It is critical to understand that not all portable pumps are made equal. Each brand has varied suction intensities and suction patterns, so do as much research as possible before making a purchase.
Wearable Breast Pumps: Do They Work?
Wearable breast pumps have changed the way, when, and where pumping moms express milk for their newborns. Most wearable pumps function properly and are an excellent choice for many people. However, they do have certain limits that you should be aware of before you begin using one.
Wearable pumps should be regarded as backup pumps. None of these should be utilised exclusively.
This is because wearables do not completely empty your breasts like conventional breast pumps do. Breast milk production is determined by supply and demand. If you don’t completely empty your breasts after each pumping session, you’re telling your body to generate less milk, which can lead to a drop in production over time.
While wearable breast pumps are far more portable than regular pumps, most wearables do limit what you may do while pumping.
