I was intrigued by this pump because it was created by lactation consultants to more closely mimic breastfeeding than traditional breast pumps on the market now. Did you know that the original breast pump was created by an engineer and based on the machines used to milk cows? Yikes! Simplisse wants to make pumping more comfortable and easier for moms. Since I am no longer pumping, I decided to pass this pump along to my friend Carrie and allow her to put it to the test. I knew Carrie would be perfect to review the pump because she works from home and only has to pump on occasion. Carrie was pumping with a good, single electric pump so she had something to compare the Simplisse to.
Here are Carrie's thoughts on the pump:
I tested the Simplisse Manual Breastfeeding Companion. Prior to actually trying it, I noticed how soft the breast cup is. It has a skin-like texture that is extremely flexible, conforming to the shape of your breast. The opening for the nipple seems somewhat small, but it worked well for me. It took a few minutes to begin expressing milk. I’d probably suggest manually expressing some prior to pumping just to get it flowing better. I found that it worked well if I pumped quickly at first, but then slowed down to increase the quantity of milk expressed with each pump. As the packaging states, it feels like a baby nursing. In fact, it’s more like a newborn nursing – very gentle. My electric pump often makes my nipples a bit sore, but this was very comfortable.
One thing I noticed after pumping for a few minutes was that the valve (piece between the bottle and the pump itself) would invert itself and would have to be fixed in order for the milk to drip into the bottle. Another difficulty was that although the pictures show a woman pumping with one hand, I found this to be awkward. I had to use one hand to hold the pump close to my breast and one to actually pump. Also, because it is so comfortable and does not create the same seal around your breast that an electric pump creates, some of the milk leaked as I was pumping, so make sure you have a wet wipe nearby.
One thing I am known for doing is accidentally spilling the milk after pumping. It’s such a horrible waste!! This pump comes with a small stand to place the bottle after pumping before you are able to get the cap on – Perfect!
This breast pump would be really handy for traveling. I could imagine using it as a passenger in a car on a long road trip (as long as you use the milk immediately or have a cooler in the car with you). Just make sure that you bring along the instruction booklet since the assembly is a bit complex. This is a great inexpensive pump that is compact, comfortable, and convenient!
Carrie really liked this new pump and was thrilled with how comfortable it was. Simplisse also has a full line of breastfeeding products in addition to this new manual pump (the double electric will be coming soon). These include disposable breast pads which are ultra thin for comfort, an all-natural lanolin & paraben-free nipple cream, lactation supplements and breast milk storage bags that zip seal and stand upright for convenience and piece of mind.
I love the packaging, too! Want to win your own Simplisse Manual Breast Pump? Simplisse has been kind enough to offer one of my readers not only their own manual breast pump, but a goody box that includes the breast pads, lactation supplements, milk storage bags and nipple cream!
Want to win? Just leave me a comment letting me know why you'd like to try the Simplisse pump! Since this is such a great giveaway, you can get some extra entries by
- Following me on Twitter
- Becoming a fan of Blacktating on Facebook
- Tweeting about the giveaway (leave a link to your status update by right clicking on the time stamp and copying the URL)
*CLOSED* Congratulations, SocMama!
