I love breastfeeding but hate pumping. What many women don’t talk about is that often when you decide to breastfeed you also decide to pump. Pumping allowed me to relieve the engorgement when my milk first came in and having a breast pump is necessary for me to return to work. Eventually, I will want to be social again and have a night out with friends. Pumping will allow me to do that.
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The product being reviewed in this post:
- Elvie Breast Pump (bought two pumps); option to buy single pump
I agonized over whether I wanted to purchase a portable, wearable wireless pump and which brand I would choose. The price was enough to give me reservations about whether I truly needed one. Being the planner that I am, I decided to add extra money to my flexible spending account (FSA) heading into 2022. This allowed me more flexibility on price.
The two brands I was considering was Willow and Elvie. I found a review from a lady that tried both and she noted the features in both. The main differences were:
- Willow allowed you more movement without leaking. So you are able to workout or lay down while pumping.
- The main downfall for Willow was that you paid extra to have the reusable containers. The reviewer found them difficult to use. Whereas Elvie came with the containers with no extra charge.
- Elvie’s containers are transparent, allowing you to see the milk dispense into them.
I decided that if I was to buy a wearable wireless pump it would be Elvie because of the clear containers. It gave me the ability to see how much I was pumping. I wasn’t worried about not being able to workout or do intense activities while pumping that Willow may allow you to do.
Getting the Elvie Breast Pump
Fast-forward to January when I gave birth. I still hadn’t ordered a portable pump and I ran into some complications while breastfeeding. It was only day two and I was in excessive pain because of my cracked nipples. I went to a lactation consultant and discovered our son had a posterior tongue-tie. We decided to have the tongue-tie corrected, but in the meantime, I would pump with my Medela pump (and all its tubes) to give my nipples time to heal.
If you want to see a frightened three-year-old, then have them walk in on you while you’re pumping. I will never forget the look on Liam’s face when he saw me pump for the first time. I will spare you the details of my conversation with him, but it was pretty funny explaining how mommy, not daddy, makes milk. After day three of pumping multiple times a day while my toddler begged me to play constantly, I decided I needed to purchase the Elvie breast pump.
Elvie Breast Pump Pros and Cons
It was a game-charger once I started pumping with the Elvie pumps. I purchased two (there are options to purchase just one). I could now pump while playing trains or cooking dinner. It tracked my output through the mobile app and this allowed me to regulate my milk supplier quicker. I was afraid that my output wouldn’t be same, but that was not the case at all. Even the timing of my sessions was consistent, 10-15 minutes on average.
Below are some pros and cons about the pump. Overall, I am satisfied with my purchase. After four and a half months I am still using and loving the Elvie breast pump.
Pros
- Hands free and mobile while pumping. I am able to multitask, walk around, and get things done while pumping. With my wired pump, I felt stuck to a chair.
- Reusable and transparent containers to see my milk. I am able to see how much I’m pumping without looking at the app. I can see my let down happening during the stimulation mode.
- The app monitors the session time and milk output. When I was exclusively pumping in the beginning, this was helpful to ensure I maintained my supply.
- The parts are easy to clean. This pump has five parts to clean, which is just two more than my Medela pump. Elvie is easy to take apart and put back together.
- Containers come in multiple flange sizes which is helpful when your breasts are engorged.
- Quieter than your standard insurance pump. The baby is sleeping in our room until he’s six months, so when I pump at night, I would have to go to another space in the house, because the pump was so loud. Elvie does make a slight sound, but it’s so many times quieter than my other pump.
Cons
- There’s a delay in the Bluetooth connection from the mobile app to the pump. Sometimes when I’m viewing the app to see how long I’ve been pumping, the connection would be delayed and would show me less than what’s actually been pumped.
- Inaccurate milk output on the app. The pump automatically stops pumping if the container is full. Occasionally, there would still be enough room in the container for another .5-1 oz. I would end up hitting the start button again to restart pumping. The accuracy of how much milk is collected is sometimes off by +/- half an ounce. You can correct the milk output directly on the app once you finished your session to keep an accurate log.
- Alignment of nipple – it’s a little tricky getting used to lining up your nipple correctly with the pumps because you can’t see. It takes a few times, but after a few tries you get used to it and adjust based on how it feel once you hit start.
- Battery warning – the red light notifying the battery is low does not allow for much lead time before it dies mid pump. If the light is red before you start pumping or shortly into pumping, I suggest you plug it in immediately. Thankfully, the battery charges quickly.
Notes: I wrote this review before the release of the Willow Go. That pump now comes with the transparent container and it’s more affordable than their other versions and the Elvie pump. Had this option been available, I would have considered this pump ahead of my purchase. At the moment, there aren’t many reviews on the new model because it just came out.
