Is the Most Popular Wearable Breast Pump Actually Worth It? A Mom’s Honest Review

When I was pregnant, I romanticized what breast feeding would one day be like. I imagined sitting on the couch, feeding my baby and checking my emails at the same time. But once I gave birth and went back to working full time just a few days later, I was completely overwhelmed and exhausted.

I decided that pumping would be a major part of my breastfeeding journey. That way, other people in my life could help me feed the baby. It also aligned with my lifestyle, since going back to work so quickly meant having to jump on video calls and be at my computer around the clock.

I tried out many different breast pumps, including ones that weren’t so portable. While I didn’t mind sitting still, pumping, and working, there were many occasions when I wanted to be able to pump on the go.

That’s when I started the process of researching wearable and portable breast pumps that I could use while doing chores, going grocery shopping, or taking the dog on a walk. After asking friends for their suggestions and looking at reviews of wearable pumps, I decided to try out one of the most popular and top-selling models on the market: the BabyBuddha Portable Breast Pump. Here’s what I thought!

The Pump is Super Small

When I first unboxed the breast pump, I was amazed at the size of it. Most other pumps I have seen or used have been the size of small basketballs. This one was smaller than my cell phone. It’s made to be worn around your neck and comes with a lanyard. It’s small enough to stick in a pocket or even in your purse.

However, you do have to keep the pump near your chest, since the tubes connect it to the wearable cups. There are some pumps that are tube-free, which could be a good option if you don’t want to have to worry about keeping the pump near your body.

It Was Great for On-the-Go Use

Since I often find myself pumping on the go, I get self-conscious of how I look when I’m wearing the pump and the loud noises some of them can make.

I loved this pump because it was mostly discrete when I wore the pumping cups in my bra and put a big sweatshirt on top. The sound was not too loud at all. It was more of a buzz and when I was out and about, I found that the background noise of places usually drowned it out.

The Suction Is Extremely Powerful

After trying out other portable pumps, I was amazed at the suction. I had used such a powerful pump before. Just like most breast pumps, it has two settings, massage and expression, with a range of levels. It took a few uses to find the modes that worked best for my body, and my tolerance. Some of the settings were too strong and made me feel a little pain when using them. I found that starting off in a low expression mode — and skipping the massage setting — worked best for me.

While the suction is powerful, I think it could be too much for people, especially if they are brand new to pumping. I was already a few months into my journey when I tried this out and was used to using high settings on other breast pumps. What was unique about this pump was that the stimulation mode would do a few short and light pumps followed by a long pull. That long pull was often painful, but its purpose was to help the ability to draw out long streams of milk. While I usually do stimulation mode first, for a few minutes when pumping, I would skip it all together when using this pump because it made me uncomfortable. I’d just use the expression mode and that felt better, and still pulled out milk.

The Battery Life Could Be Better

The battery on the pump usually lasted for around three pumping sessions, each one was about 20-minutes. This meant that I had to remember to plug in the pump for a charge and I often forgot to do this. Since I pump 4-6 times a day, I’d often have to use my other pump while this one was charging.

I’ll Keep This in My Purse

After using the pump for a few weeks, I decided that it was perfect for running earrings and traveling. Since I’m in and out of the house a lot, I use this pump 1-2 times a day. I decided to keep the pump, the wearable cups, and the charger in my purse. That way, when out, I can have a discreet way of breast pumping in public. The best part is, even though the pump is so small, the quality and power of the suction isn’t at all affected. As a busy mom, I appreciate that.

Check out the BabyBuddha Portable Breast Pump HERE.

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