Hi there, Momcozy community! I’m Dr. Caitlyn Tivy, pelvic physical therapist and female health advocate. In this article, we’ll dive into a discussion about breastfeeding with an emphasis on wearable breast pumps. We’ll discuss why they matter and how they can make your postpartum experience more positive.
As a clinician and educator, I specialize in pelvic and women’s health. Many people think that “women’s health” is synonymous with gynecology and pregnancy...and not much else. In reality, the field is much more diverse: women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) have unique needs across many domains of health.
As a physical therapist, I’m particularly interested in women’s ability to move and function comfortably in daily life. Pregnancy and childbirth impose challenges on a birthing person’s movement system for months—sometimes years–-after delivery. Breastfeeding creates additional demands on postpartum people’s bodies (not to mention their time and energy!)
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to reduce the strain and stress on your system, including using breastfeeding technology to your advantage. Let’s dive in and discuss!
Why Body Mechanics Matter for Breastfeeding Parents
Lactating people often experience physical pain related to breastfeeding. Pain rates vary based on geographic area and body part, but all the statistics agree: breastfeeding-related pain is common. Consider the following:
- Nearly 40% of breastfeeding Nigerian mothers will experience pain due to nursing.
- Saudi Arabian mothers report breastfeeding-related pain in their arm or hand (57%), neck (68%), and lower back (72%).
- Parents who underwent a C-section delivery experience unique challenges when breastfeeding. They may experience more pain in certain feeding positions, as well as low back and incisional pain from their procedure.
Many nursing people use gravity to their advantage when breastfeeding or pumping. They sit and lean forward to offer their baby the breast or pump milk into collection bottles. This position helps milk end up where it’s intended: in the baby’s mouth or pump bottles.
Unfortunately, maintaining this bent-over position can be hard on your back and neck. A 2022 survey of 207 Indian mothers who were breastfeeding found that 100% reported neck pain during or after feeding sessions.
My breastfeeding patients often report the same to me: they struggle with neck, upper back, and lower back pain. The vast majority report that they feel this pain when leaning forward and looking down during feeding or pumping. To address this, I recommend that these patients adjust the position in which they are feeding or pumping.
Biomechanics research shows that sitting while nursing makes the low back round forward in the opposite direction of its normal curve. This increases the strain on the muscles and joints of the lumbar spine (the lower back).
People who sit to feed invariably end up dropping their heads forward to look at their baby or breast pump. This increases strain on the muscles of the neck and upper back, and strain can lead to pain in those areas.
To combat these patterns, I often recommend a side lying nursing position. With proper alignment and pillow support, side lying significantly reduces the strain on your spinal muscles. It also gives your neck a break from the downward pull of gravity.
But what if your baby doesn’t latch or nurse well in the side lying position? Many breastfeeding people struggle to find the optimal feeding position–and they often put up with substantial discomfort to keep their baby satisfied.
It’s my job to remind new parents: you shouldn’t have to suffer in uncomfortable positions just to breastfeed successfully. This is where wearable breast pumps come in handy: unlike your baby, pumps don’t have a preferred position. You can use a wearable pump in practically any position that feels good to you.
Let’s discuss how wearable breast pumps can keep you comfortable throughout your nursing journey.
How Wearable Breast Pumps Improve Your Comfort and Body Mechanics
To best serve my postpartum patients, I’m always looking for ways to lighten the loads on their bodies. I teach them proper posture and ergonomics for all of their daily activities, and breastfeeding is no exception. Whether you’re nursing your baby at the breast, via pumping, or with a combination of the two, body position matters.
Traditional breast pumps like wired electrical or manual pumps make it difficult to achieve an ideal, ergonomic body position. These pumps have collection bottles that hang below the breast itself. This design requires users to sit and lean forward to allow their milk to flow into these bottles.
As you’ve learned, leaning forward to feed and pump can lead to a whole host of physical pain and problems. Additionally, if your electric pump needs to be plugged in for power, you're stuck pumping in a fixed location near an outlet. Without the flexibility to move around or change positions, you’re more likely to end up in pain.
In contrast, wireless, wearable breast pumps, such as Momcozy’s M5 or MobileFlow models, offer more freedom to modify your body position. The milk collection container is integrated into the pump unit so you don’t have to lean forward to collect milk.
Wearable pumps help you maintain healthier spinal posture: shoulders relaxed down and back, spine long, head balanced easily over your trunk. The units are lightweight, which reduces strain from extra weight on your breasts and shoulders.
Wireless wearable pumps fit comfortably into a nursing bra, allowing you to move around freely while wearing them. You can keep using a wearable pump as you change positions throughout the day: you can pump while sitting, lying down, standing, or walking.
This ability to move frequently is crucial because our bodies don’t respond well to sustained static positions. Prolonged sitting is a key contributor to back pain in many groups of people, including breastfeeding folks.
How Wearable Breast Pumps Can Make Your Life Easier
Let’s be real: perfect posture is all well and good, but most postpartum people have other concerns beyond their breastfeeding biomechanics. Chief among these are the increased demands on their time and energy–demands made all the greater by the time commitment of breastfeeding.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that parents exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life. After six months, parents can begin introducing new foods, but infants and toddlers should still receive some breast milk. The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages parents to continue breastfeeding for at least two years.
One month after birth, the average nursing parent spends about 4.5 hours per day feeding their new baby. They must stop their activities 7-8 times per day to breastfeed, and each feeding session lasts 36 minutes on average.
By six months, a breastfeeding parent will have dedicated about 820 hours to nursing their child. That’s a huge chunk of time!
Understandably, many new parents don’t reach the recommended breastfeeding milestones. Parents who stop breastfeeding early often cite time constraints as a primary contributor to their decision. This is particularly true for parents who work outside the home in jobs with rigid schedules and long hours.
To achieve the best possible outcomes for both parent and child, it’s critical to simplify the pumping process. Strategies that improve convenience and reduce the time demands of breastfeeding help busy parents continue nursing as long as possible.
Compared to traditional manual or electric pumps, wearable breast pumps offer significant advantages for busy breastfeeding parents. Nursing parents who try both traditional and wearable pumps consistently rate wearable pumps higher in rankings of comfort, ease of use, and effectiveness.
Here are a few key benefits to wearable pumps:
- Discretion: Wearable pumps fit directly into a nursing bra, making them less noticeable than older models that protrude outside the bra. This allows users to pump in public places without drawing undue attention.
- Portability: Wearable pumps like the Momcozy M9 are compact and often come with carrying cases. This makes them ideal for parents who need to travel for work or personal reasons.
By allowing you to remain discreet, travel, and multitask, wearable pumps can make breastfeeding a more positive, less stressful process. What new parent can say no to that?
What to Look for When Investing in a Wearable Breast Pump
By now, you can likely appreciate the value of a high-quality wearable breast pump. The right pumping setup will make your postpartum life easier and more comfortable. Perhaps now you’re wondering how to choose the right pump for you.
With the ever-growing array of breast pumps on the market, choosing the correct pump may feel a bit daunting. Not to worry! Here are five key features I consider when helping my clients decide which pump to purchase.
Ease of Cleaning
When deciding on the right breast pump, consider how easy it is to clean the device. Cleanliness is crucial for preventing breast infections and ensuring your milk remains safe for your baby. Look for a pump that is easy to disassemble, with component parts like flanges that can be quickly removed for thorough cleaning in hot, soapy water.
Ease of Assembly and Disassembly
Consider how easy it is to assemble and disassemble the pump. When you’re busy with all the other elements of childcare and life, it’s essential to have a pump that you can quickly and easily assemble for use.
If possible, handle the pump in person before purchase. Is it easy to pop the component pieces together? Can you separate them easily, too? In addition to being frustrating, pump pieces that are hard to separate or reconnect place undue strain on your hands and wrists.
Postpartum and lactating people are at increased risk for developing inflammation of tendons in the wrist. This so-called “mom’s thumb” causes pain with many hand movements, and it can make gripping, lifting, and carrying unpleasant. If you’re dealing with mom’s thumb, the last thing you need is more discomfort while using your breast pump!
Comfortable Fit
A comfortable breast pump is crucial for a positive breastfeeding experience. Your chosen pump should fit well over your breast without feeling too tight. Ideally, the pump should come with multiple flange sizes so you can select the size that best fits your nipples. A well-fit flange reduces nipple irritation and ensures that you’re expressing milk most effectively.
Discretion of Pump Design
Discretion is important to many breastfeeding folks, especially those who often need to pump in public or at work. They’re looking for a pump that is quiet, small, and easy to use.
A quiet pump like the Momcozy M9 will let you pump inconspicuously in any setting. You can let the pump run while you carry on with your day. Whether you’re doing chores at home or taking part in a work meeting, there’s no wrong time to pump!
Wearable pumps such as the Momcozy M9 fit comfortably inside a nursing bra. This design can make your pumping experience feel more discreet–even if you don’t have a private space in which to pump.
Freedom of Movement
Finally, consider the pump’s impact on your mobility and posture. You’ve learned that good mobility and posture support are essential during the postpartum period.
A high-quality wearable pump will reduce strain on your neck, upper back, shoulders, and arms. It also frees you from the constraints of sitting or other static feeding positions, giving your body a break from the physical demands of breastfeeding.
If your selected breast pump ticks all of these boxes, you’re already well on your way to a positive nursing experience.
How to Use Your Health Insurance to Cover Your Breast Pump
If you’re ready to invest in a wearable breast pump set, it’s worth considering how you plan to pay for your chosen product. Wireless wearable pumps are more expensive than older wired and manual models. The price difference can be a barrier for some parents who would otherwise prefer to use a wearable pump.
Fortunately, you have options to help cover the cost! Let’s discuss how you can leverage your insurance benefits to purchase a high-quality pump.
Insurance Coverage Requirements
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurance plans must cover breastfeeding support, counseling, and equipment. This includes coverage for a breast pump. However, the rules regarding the type of pump are flexible.
If you’d like to take advantage of this benefit, you’ll need to do a little research. Here are some things you’ll need to ask your insurance company:
- What type of pump do they cover? Manual or electric? A rental pump or one you’ll keep?
- If your plan lets you choose what type of pump you’d like, what is the price limit?
- When should you expect to receive your pump? Will you get it before your baby is born, or do you have to wait until after birth?
- What paperwork will you need to complete to request your pump or seek reimbursement for a pump you already purchased? Does your plan require paperwork from your doctor, too?
Once you find the answers to these questions, you can gather the necessary information and submit it to your insurance plan. Pump retailers like Momcozy can often provide you with documentation to support your insurance claim.
Some plans require preauthorization from your medical provider before they will cover the cost of a breast pump. In these cases, your provider will need to justify the type of pump they are recommending for you. Fortunately, most healthcare professionals are well-acquainted with prior authorizations and they know the phrases to use to increase your odds for coverage.
What to Do if Your Plan Doesn’t Cover Breastfeeding
If you’re covered through an employer-sponsored health plan, your breastfeeding benefits may differ from the standards required under the ACA. While many employer-sponsored plans do offer family benefits like lactation care, they aren’t required to do so.
If you learn that your plan doesn’t cover breastfeeding support, consider reaching out to organizations like The Lactation Network (TLN) for help. TLN offers a program called “Newborn Families” that targets employers offering health plans that don’t include breastfeeding support.
Consider asking your employer to implement a program like “Newborn Families” to improve your family benefits. According to the CDC, employees of companies that comprehensively support breastfeeding are much likely to achieve at least 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding.
Regardless of how you go about securing your breast pump, know that you deserve a comfortable, efficient pumping process. Momcozy is here to help all new breastfeeding parents prepare for and succeed in their nursing journeys. Clinicians in many specialty areas are available to help you tackle the challenges associated with breastfeeding. You’ve got this!
