Background: Traditional corded breast pumps have been the only electric breast pump option for people who wanted to breastfeed and use a pump. These pumps are typically large, visible devices with a motorized pump powered by an electrical cord that allows for expression of human milk. In recent years, wearable rechargeable breast pumps have become available. These pumps allow the user to express their milk via a discrete wearable device with a chargeable unit and collection cup. The pump is powered by a built-in rechargeable battery. With wireless breast pumps becoming more available, it is unknown how this breast pump may affect the user’s overall experiences of breastfeeding success.
Aims/Purpose: This study focused on women’s perception of breastfeeding success based on the pump type they used.
Narrative: Study participants were recruited using convenience sampling of mothers from an online support and educational group of about 1,600 women who had given birth at a midwestern hospital. The online group was originally formed by the health care system in which the women had given birth. Participants were also recruited from clinic systems known to the researchers. An anonymous survey link and QR code were posted online and in flyers that took participants directly to the survey. The study included participants 18 years or older who were currently breastfeeding/pumping or who had breastfed and pumped their own milk. To participate in the survey, the infant needed to be at least 3 months old. The participant could have attempted breastfeeding for any length of time, including those who exclusively pumped, who only used a pump once, and any pump experience in between. A modified Maternal Breastfeeding Evaluation Scale was used to measure each participant’s perception of breastfeeding success with different breast pumps. Data collection was completed in August 2022, with a total of 164 participants. The participant’s results were collected in a Qualtrics survey for data analysis. While there was a difference in the mean scores of the areas of breastfeeding success based on pump type usage, the differences were not statistically significant. Many women used multiple types of pumps during their experience. There was only a small number of women who used only a wireless pump (n = 3).
Conclusion: Technology has changed the breastfeeding experience. Research is lacking on how this technology has affected breastfeeding success. This research had many limitations including a small number of women who pumped exclusively with a wireless pump. More research is needed to understand the use of wireless breast pumps.
