What It Is:
A battery-powered breast pump designed to allow you to pump discreetly. The Pump’s most unique feature is that although it is not wireless, it uses disposable tubing to transport your milk from the silicone breast shields to the pump bottles, which are housed in the pump motor case. Because the silicone breast shields are small and the tubing can be run under your bra and out the bottom of your shirt, you are able to pump more covered.
The Pump works in tandem with a phone application that is available for iPhones and Androids.
Price: $499
What It Includes:
Enclosure (the actual pump motor and housing unit for all of your parts
2 Pairs of Breast Shields (two different sizes)
2 Bra Pads (one set)
4 Bottles
20 Sets of Tubes
1 Ice Pack
1 Strap
1 Tube Storage Bag
2 Sets of Posts
1 Charger
Flange Sizes Available:
Babyation offers three breast shield sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. A purchase includes two sets of breast shields, so you’ll choose to receive Small and Medium breast shields or Medium and Large breast shields. Babyation’s website suggests trying a small breast shield if you usually wear a 21mm or smaller; a medium breast shield if you usually use between a 24mm and 27mm; and a large breast shield if you usually wear over a 30mm breast shield. A gentle reminder that using the right sized flange will prevent discomfort and promote efficient milk removal! For more information on flange sizing, click here.
Other Expenses:
Use of The Pump has an ongoing cost—the cost of the tubes. You need to replace the tubes at a minimum of every 24 hours or if you have gone longer than 6 hours without a pumping session. Tubes are sold in sets of 20 ($35) or 60 ($99). Babyation also offers a subscription plan so that you do not need to worry about ordering more tubes—just set it and forget it!
If you need to purchase a second set of flanges and bottles to swap between, I found the prices to be really affordable—$25 for the breast shields and $20 for a set of four bottles.
Insurance:
Some insurance companies cover all or part of the cost of The Pump, so it’s worth checking into! Even if your insurance company doesn’t, you may still be able to purchase it using your FSA or HSA.
Noise Level:
The noise the Pump makes is noticeable, but it is comparable to other “quiet” pumps like the Elvie Stride and the Willow.
Visibility:
This one aspect of the Pump that confused me. The Pump comes with discreet breast shields, bra pads to smooth and shape your breasts while using the breast shields, and tubing that allow you to pump clothed. Despite all that, you are chained to a large pump motor and the reach of the tubing is not very long. I can see how individuals that pump while on Zoom calls might find this pump convenient, but I’m not sure what other settings this pump setup are ideal for. There is certainly less visible pump parts for a baby to grab, but I’m not sure that I would say this is a baby-friendly pick because if you did need to carry your baby somewhere—say to prep a bottle—you still need to cart the pump motor and baby, which may be a bit tricky.
Suction/Efficiency at Milk Removal:
The Pump’s settings are easily customizable and honestly, perfect. You can adjust the suction and speed independently. The lowest suction and speed were extremely gentle and the highest suction and speed are surprisingly strong.
Comfort Level/Ease of Use:
I found this pump a bit tricky to use. The initial setup was not as easy as it should have been because the written directions were a bit poor. Even once I had it set up, I still struggled to get the breast shield properly suctioned to my breast and then at times, my milk flow seemed to be too strong and would fill up and spill out the breast shield before it could all be sucked down the tubes. However, so long as you are using the proper sized breast shield, the actual feel of the breast shield and the vacuum suction is very comfortable.
Parts to Clean:
The Pump is incredibly easy to clean! You only need to wash two small silicone breast shields, two breast shield holders, and the bottles you pump into.
The EP&Me Take:
Pros: The Babyation customer serviceis amazing. They are so helpful and very fast. I’ve interacted with quite a few customer service teams in the pumping field, and Babyation is hands-down the quickest, fastest, and most thorough. They will help you troubleshoot problems with your pump and with using your pump. Expect Babyation to video chat with you for some of the less straight-forward issues.
The most obvious benefits of the actual pump are the comfort of the silicone breast shield and how few parts there are to clean. Because the silicone is so comfortable, my concerns over the fact that Babyation only offers three breast shield sizes were unfounded; although I generally use a 15mm flange, the small shield worked just fine. Additionally, the suction combined with the all-silicone breast shield and tubing make it easy to pump reclined or laying down (sleeping!!). The Babyation app is fantastic, and I love that you can choose whether you want to use the app or just the pump motor on its own. Also, I’ve found the pump more accurately measures the amount of milk pump at any given time in your pump session than any other pump that claims to do so (specifically, I found it was accurate to within .1 of an ounce any of the times I checked). Also neat—The Pump can be a multi-user pump, provided each person uses their own breast shields, tubes, and posts!
Cons: Despite the relatively few parts to clean, the bottles are a little trickier to wash up because they have a small opening and a curved neck. Additionally, the cost of The Pump is steep and even more so when you factor in replacing the tubing, which is a requirement (unlike some pumps where you can purchase a non-single use option). Also, the Pump is not as portable as many other pumps offered in the same price range.
As for actual use, I found connecting all the pump parts and actually getting the suction to work a little challenging each time I pumped, but perhaps that’s just something unique to me! I also think my initial milk flow is too fast for the pump motor and tubing to keep up, which caused a lot of spilling until my initial let downs were done. Additionally, it took me longer to have a let-down using The Pump. I think this was because the suction was so much gentler feeling, and I am too used to a “rougher” feeling suction. I’m sure this is something that would resolve itself over time.
I also had a bit of anxiety over traveling with this pump. Given its unique shape, It doesn’t fit in the designated areas of most pump bags. I wish Babyation had created a hard outer case I could purchase to store The Pump in for travel—to and from work or actual vacation—along with space for extra tubing and parts. As it was, I worried a lot about knocking the screen against other objects while traveling, or having other bags piled too close on or around it.
Verdict: Given The Pump’s price point and it’s limitations (you are still tied to a large motor!) I wouldn’t recommend this pump to everyone. This pump may be a good choice for middle of the night pumpers, for an EPer that needs a workhorse pump and does not need to be very mobile, or for someone with elastic nipples or very sensitive nipples because the silicone breast shield are fantastic.
