The bottom line concerning all pump comparisons is that it is highly individual.  Assuming that the pumps  being compared are well-built and capable of achieving necessary suction, there will be a wide range of responses if many moms are studied.  First of all, some moms can let down quickly and easily to almost any pump - their production is very MER driven and does not seem dependent on a certain fit or suction level or cycle pattern.  Some of these moms also don't seem to need a whole lot of stimulation or emptying of the breasts in order to maintain an adequate supply over a long period of pumping and breastfeeding.  Other moms find it difficult to establish a pump-triggered MER and find pumping to be frustrating and unproductive no matter what kind of pump that they use.  With some moms, the flange fit and/or the material that the flange is made of seems to make a big difference in production.  The size and strength of the hands and fingers would have a lot to do with whether or not a mom found manual pumping of any kind to be sustainable over the long term (hence the popularity of the foot-pedal pump).  Hand-expression both before and after pumping helps some women to increase production, as do some of the other usual techniques of massage, heat, etc.  Many working moms just need to work a lot harder at doing a lot of nursing when they are with their babies, including during the night, in order to maintain a good supply.  And some moms, probably those with smaller storage capacities (yeah, Hartmann again) will have problems no matter what pump they use if they are unable to do a certain amount of pumping while away from their babies - and this will depend on their working environment.

There is a new pump coming out which is worn inside the bra - just a bit larger than a breast shell - and is totally portable which may be the answer for some moms.  Have no idea how well it works, how comfortable, etc., but will be at the ILCA conference this July.  The company, Whisper Wear had a demo model at the Hartmann conference and it was very intriguing - a really new idea.  Only time will tell if it is a good idea, but if it works, it will be a nice alternative for many moms.  They have a web site at  www.whisperwearinc.com (I have no financial interest and have not researched the product yet myself).

Anyways, as always, there is no pat answer to the pump question.  The more models there are out there the more chance that each mom will find a choice that works for her.  The problem is that you have to spend a lot of money up front without knowing what will or won't work in any given situation.  Maybe there is some way to devise a profile of each mom which would help her to narrow her choices.  I don't know.  But I think that pumping, for better or worse, is going to remain an important part of breastfeeding for many moms and we need to be able to help them with this aspect of lactation.


Warmly,
Sharon Knorr, BSMT, ASCP, IBCLC
Newark, NY (near Rochester on Lake Ontario)
mailto:[log in to unmask]

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