Little tummies hold little milk which is why babies need to be fed every 2-3 hours for the first few months. This means that new mums have to plan their days around their baby’s feeding habits which is not easy when you have other commitments. With a breast pump, you can express and store milk so that your little one can be fed even when you’re not around. However, conventional pumps have tubes and bulky bottles; plus, you have to be tethered to a wall outlet or a bulky battery to operate the pump. Wearable breast pumps do not have these drawbacks and have revolutionized motherhood by giving women the freedom to pump while on the go.
Benefits of Wearable Breast Pumps for On-the-Go Mums
- Pump Whenever and Wherever You Like
Earlier if you were going out, you had to make sure that the place had a private area for pumping. This meant that even something as simple as running errands or shopping had to be carefully planned. Wearable pumps allow you to pump whenever you want and since they fit into your bra, no one would even know that you’re pumping. However, not all wearable pumps are equally discrete – some emit an audible hum while others are almost completely silent. Obviously, all manufacturers will assure you that their pump is discrete which is why it helps to compare the best wearable breast pumps vetted by independent experts. This will allow you to pick a pump that is best suited for your individual needs.
- Multitask to Make the Most of Your Day
Pregnancy and childbirth are tough on the body. What’s worse is that you don’t get a chance to rest and recover once baby arrives because you’re so busy looking after your little one. This is why multitasking is so important – it streamlines your day so that you can get everything done without feeling completely exhausted by the end of your day. For instance, you can mentally create your to-do list for the day while you’re doing repetitive tasks like folding laundry which come automatically. Similarly, you can use express milk while you’re at your work or seeing to other chores. In addition to this, studies prove that using wearable breast pumps reduces the duration of lactation breaks which means that you will also get some free time to yourself.
- Take Care of your Needs while Pumping
When you become a mum, you get so wrapped up in your baby’s needs, that you start to ignore yourself. This is why many new mums start to feel like they’ve lost their identity which has a significant impact on their mental and emotional health. A simple way to make sure that you take care of your own needs is to dedicate time to yourself every single day. However, that’s not easy when you have a packed schedule so whenever you have to pump, do something that will improve your physical and mental health. Exercise is an excellent option as it will help your body recover as well as improve your overall mental and emotional health. Wearable pumps have soft silicone flanges that are comfortable even when walking or jogging.
- Reduce Physical Discomfort
TV shows will have you believe that once your baby is born, your body will pretty much instantly “go back to normal”. This could not be further from the truth as it can take months for your body to recover. In addition to the regular postpartum aches and pains, you may also experience nipple soreness or pain if you’re using a conventional breast pump. There are several reasons for this with the main one being flanges that are made out of hard plastic that irritate your sensitive skin. Also, conventional pumps have very few settings so if the suction is too much, it can cause pain. Wearable breast pumps have soft flanges made from silicone and most of them come with apps that allow you to customize the settings so that its best suited to you. This will go a long way in reducing physical discomfort so that you’re able to go about your day.
- Cut Back on Cleaning Time
Conventional electric breast pumps have a lot of parts that need to be cleaned by hand after every single use. As if that was not bad enough, most of these pumps have thin tubing that requires a specific brush to clean them which takes time and effort. If your baby is a premie, less than 2 months old, or has a weakened immune system, the CDC recommends an additional step of sanitizing with steam or boiling water. Wearable pumps make cleaning up a cinch! They have fewer parts, there’s no tubing and to top it all, many of them are dishwasher-safe on the top rack.
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