1.) Let’s first off set up realistic expectations: The motor in a wearable pump is not strong enough to empty you. This should not be your primary and only used for convenience. 2.) In order to keep up supply you must fully empty in order to create demand With these two things in mind and respecting your initial question: When I was pumping I bought a Willow and also had a portable Spectra. The Willow: The marketing that paints this vision of being active while pumping is unrealistic. This thing is heavy and whenever I pumped even while just doing dishes it sucked and felt awkward. The thing is soo heavy I can’t even imagine someone working out with it because it works better when you are sitting. Output was so sad compared to my regular spectra. I only outputted like half of what I normally did. The convenience they sell you on is overshadowed by the inconvenience of all the extra parts you have to clean. Which upset me even more given the wimpy output it gave me. I only used it for a month and then returned it. Spectra Small Portable: I bought after I returned my Willow because I was still in search of something I could use while washing dishes and cleaning. It was better than the wearable but obviously it isn’t discrete and it would get in my way so couldn’t be too mobile. The output performed better than the wearables but not as great as the actual Spectra pump. This is obvious because that thing has a larger motor. I kept that small pump only for travel or quick scenarios like a date night or something where I needed to pump but didn’t want to take the big pump.
Thread: "Ladies what breast pump do you recommend??"
Unsolicited extra tidbits.... but this is all stuff I learned postpartum that I wished I had known while still expecting...
I had an emergency c-section, hemmoraged, and had an emergency blood transfusion.. my doctor advised that my milk may never come in after all that mess and to prepare myself if that doesn't happen. I was very fortunate that not only did my milk come in, but I was a bit of an oversupplier.
My third (!) lactation consultant we saw said there was no point in focusing on breastfeeding when I didn't even have milk. She put me on a strict pumping schedule, at least 8x/day (we did 3/6/9/12 am/pm). This usually coincided with when my son ate, which was great. My milk came in quickly after I had a consistent pumping schedule.
After our first pediatrician appointment postpartum where he was cleared for proper weight gain, I would pump whenever my son ate and mirrored his schedule for pretty much the entire year I EP'ed (so when he slept through the night, I dropped my MOTN pump). I didn't mind (but never had to) combo feed with formula, and I truly think that mindset took stress off myself and therefore helped my supply (stress kills milk!). Your milage may vary with this!
At the risk of repeating what you already know:
- pump should have a hospital grade vacuum. As stated above, I adored my Spectra SG Portable
- order flange inserts and experiment with what feels best - an improper flange diameter can kill supply. Nipple size is not constant - when my period resumed my nipples swelled, so my go to flanges became too small and hurt like hell. This is normal (and BS lol)
- pump for at least 15min every session, longer if you're still extracting milk at the end of the 15min. With my Spectra there were two modes: massage (your warm up, if you will) and expression. I'd run massage mode until I saw milk coming out (plus 30s or so) then switch to expression for the remainder. In the hospital, I used the hospital provided madella and used the preset program (I think it was 20min? I can't remember).
- hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! I had four 1 liter insulated cups scattered around my house that my husband would fill for me postpartum, it helped immensely
- eat! I've heard of people keeping a fridge in their bedroom for overnight pumps. Stock up on easy to eat stuff that you can munch on while pumping. You're burning an insane amount of calories making milk, and your supply will be the first to go if you're not consuming enough calories
- sleep is really important. My husband only had a few days off initially before returning to work, but he'd take the 9pm - 1am ish shift where he'd change and feed our son and wash bottles and pump parts, and all I had to do was pump. I'd take the rest of the night (1am - 5am ish) so he could sleep for work. This worked really well for us.
Good luck, mama! (:
r/ExclusivelyPumpingu/Mindless-Wash6082· Feb 2025· ⬆ 3😐 Mixed
Thread: "Undersuppliers, this is for you! Thinking about getting a wearable?"
Happy to read this! I have/ had a willow go, spectra gold portable, zommee and buddha with legendary milk cups. I swore i was done trying to find a wearable but after finding out my baby a (twin mom) is lactose intolerant and needed to change my diet dramatically to continue pumping, i gifted myself an m5! Im still waiting for it to arrive. I purchased directly from mom cozy as they have a 30 day product guarantee and 20% off coupon.
r/Mommitu/Powerful-Chance2439· Aug 2024· ⬆ 2👍 Recommends
Thread: "Are portable breast pumps worth it? "
I use the spectra portable pump and I love that I can carry it around. I’m not a fan of pumping so if I can fold some clothes or wash dishes while I pump, the time goes faster.
r/ExclusivelyPumpingu/doctoradvocates· Feb 2025· ⬆ 2😐 Mixed
Thread: "Undersuppliers, this is for you! Thinking about getting a wearable?"
Oh I hear you! It’s an expensive trial and error, but when you find something that works, it makes it all worth it.
Considering you have twins and extra work with your change of diet, I truly hope m5 works out for you 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
r/HumansPumpingMilku/momof7_1986· Jun 2024· ⬆ 2😐 Mixed
Thread: "First Time Mom Choosing A Breast Pump!"
They have upgraded the baby buddha to the 2.0 that still has all the same programs and strength of the original but also has a softer setting without the painful long pull as well. I have the original but also ordered the 2.0 and plan on selling my original when the new one arrives. I also plan on purchasing the new eufy wearable that has heated cups, app control, and a charging case. If you shop around you can find some really good deals! Pumps I have: -Pumpables Genie Advanced portable (paid $53) -Baby buddha (soon to be the 2.0) (got the original thru insurance but paid full price for the 2.0) -Spectra S1/S2 (I never use the S2 as it's not rechargeable) ( paid $30 for the S1 and the S2 I got thru insurance with my last baby) -Spectra S9 (still new in the box as I haven't had time to try it, and the reviews aren't that great) (paid $30 new in box) -Spectra gold portable (paid $40) -Momcozy M5 (paid $60) -Momcozy S12 Pro (paid $50) -Momcozy Mobile Style (paid $229) Cups I use when pumping: I use multiple different cups so that I'm not washing all day but always have something clean and available and only have to wash once at the end of the day. I then pop them in the serilizer/dryer (spent $18 on mecari for a nice one) so that everything is ready for the next day. -Momcozy V1/V2 cups ( I have 2 sets to rotate) (paid $40 for the first set new on ebay and like them so much I paid $80 for the second set on Amazon) -Caracups (paid $30 new on mercati) -Elvie stride cups (since you cannot buy these cups separately, I paid $50 on mecari for all the pieces new in box) -Baby Buddha Cups (got these bad boys for $5 new in the box) -Legendairy cups (I don't prefer these, so I don't use them) (paid $35 on mecari) I strongly dislike traditional flanges with the bottles so I don't use them either. I do plan on buying the Eufy next month when it becomes available, and then I'm going to have to stop spending money on my I gotta try them all breast pump addiction lol. I also use Ceres Chill for my milk storage. I use two at work depending on my output for the day, and we keep one at home to heat bottles in. It's such a neat thing to have. I bought a bundle of two at a discounted price, and they sent me the wrong color and then replaced it for free. That's how I ended up with 3. It doesn't cost a fortune to have many options. You just have to search around for good deals! Edit to add: Since this post I have purchased the Eufy S1 pro and the willow go. I also bought the new momcozy 22 ounce portable cooler. Eufy S1 pro isn't really a necessity... it works just about as well as any other wearable and my suggestion is it's overpriced... the heating doesn't always work, the case keeps them charged for about a day and a half (not 5 days), and I get similar output as my other wearables. Willow go: Honestly, I've been super pleased with this pump. I truly thought I'd hate this one... but I love it. I only grabbed this one because someone was selling them new sealed in the box for $100 and I thought why not just try it. Well I use it several times a day now and it just makes my heart so happy lol Momcozy 22 ounce cooler: I'm on my first time using it today, and I LOVE IT so far it's beating the ceres chill out of the water! My milk stays safe and contamination free in the bottles, and it has stayed cold all day at this point.
r/breastfeedingu/9021Ohsnap· Oct 2025· ⬆ 2👍 Recommends
Thread: "What is everyone’s favorite pump these days?"
I have the Spectra gold portable pill looking one. But I love my portables too.
All Reddit comments
Every unique parent mention from our pipeline, sorted by upvotes. Quotes are lightly trimmed for length, never for meaning.
Thread: "Best wearable pump?"
1.) Let’s first off set up realistic expectations: The motor in a wearable pump is not strong enough to empty you. This should not be your primary and only used for convenience. 2.) In order to keep up supply you must fully empty in order to create demand With these two things in mind and respecting your initial question: When I was pumping I bought a Willow and also had a portable Spectra. The Willow: The marketing that paints this vision of being active while pumping is unrealistic. This thing is heavy and whenever I pumped even while just doing dishes it sucked and felt awkward. The thing is soo heavy I can’t even imagine someone working out with it because it works better when you are sitting. Output was so sad compared to my regular spectra. I only outputted like half of what I normally did. The convenience they sell you on is overshadowed by the inconvenience of all the extra parts you have to clean. Which upset me even more given the wimpy output it gave me. I only used it for a month and then returned it. Spectra Small Portable: I bought after I returned my Willow because I was still in search of something I could use while washing dishes and cleaning. It was better than the wearable but obviously it isn’t discrete and it would get in my way so couldn’t be too mobile. The output performed better than the wearables but not as great as the actual Spectra pump. This is obvious because that thing has a larger motor. I kept that small pump only for travel or quick scenarios like a date night or something where I needed to pump but didn’t want to take the big pump.
Thread: "Ladies what breast pump do you recommend??"
Unsolicited extra tidbits.... but this is all stuff I learned postpartum that I wished I had known while still expecting... I had an emergency c-section, hemmoraged, and had an emergency blood transfusion.. my doctor advised that my milk may never come in after all that mess and to prepare myself if that doesn't happen. I was very fortunate that not only did my milk come in, but I was a bit of an oversupplier. My third (!) lactation consultant we saw said there was no point in focusing on breastfeeding when I didn't even have milk. She put me on a strict pumping schedule, at least 8x/day (we did 3/6/9/12 am/pm). This usually coincided with when my son ate, which was great. My milk came in quickly after I had a consistent pumping schedule. After our first pediatrician appointment postpartum where he was cleared for proper weight gain, I would pump whenever my son ate and mirrored his schedule for pretty much the entire year I EP'ed (so when he slept through the night, I dropped my MOTN pump). I didn't mind (but never had to) combo feed with formula, and I truly think that mindset took stress off myself and therefore helped my supply (stress kills milk!). Your milage may vary with this! At the risk of repeating what you already know: - pump should have a hospital grade vacuum. As stated above, I adored my Spectra SG Portable - order flange inserts and experiment with what feels best - an improper flange diameter can kill supply. Nipple size is not constant - when my period resumed my nipples swelled, so my go to flanges became too small and hurt like hell. This is normal (and BS lol) - pump for at least 15min every session, longer if you're still extracting milk at the end of the 15min. With my Spectra there were two modes: massage (your warm up, if you will) and expression. I'd run massage mode until I saw milk coming out (plus 30s or so) then switch to expression for the remainder. In the hospital, I used the hospital provided madella and used the preset program (I think it was 20min? I can't remember). - hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! I had four 1 liter insulated cups scattered around my house that my husband would fill for me postpartum, it helped immensely - eat! I've heard of people keeping a fridge in their bedroom for overnight pumps. Stock up on easy to eat stuff that you can munch on while pumping. You're burning an insane amount of calories making milk, and your supply will be the first to go if you're not consuming enough calories - sleep is really important. My husband only had a few days off initially before returning to work, but he'd take the 9pm - 1am ish shift where he'd change and feed our son and wash bottles and pump parts, and all I had to do was pump. I'd take the rest of the night (1am - 5am ish) so he could sleep for work. This worked really well for us. Good luck, mama! (:
Thread: "Undersuppliers, this is for you! Thinking about getting a wearable?"
Happy to read this! I have/ had a willow go, spectra gold portable, zommee and buddha with legendary milk cups. I swore i was done trying to find a wearable but after finding out my baby a (twin mom) is lactose intolerant and needed to change my diet dramatically to continue pumping, i gifted myself an m5! Im still waiting for it to arrive. I purchased directly from mom cozy as they have a 30 day product guarantee and 20% off coupon.
Thread: "Are portable breast pumps worth it? "
I use the spectra portable pump and I love that I can carry it around. I’m not a fan of pumping so if I can fold some clothes or wash dishes while I pump, the time goes faster.
Thread: "Undersuppliers, this is for you! Thinking about getting a wearable?"
Oh I hear you! It’s an expensive trial and error, but when you find something that works, it makes it all worth it. Considering you have twins and extra work with your change of diet, I truly hope m5 works out for you 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
Thread: "First Time Mom Choosing A Breast Pump!"
They have upgraded the baby buddha to the 2.0 that still has all the same programs and strength of the original but also has a softer setting without the painful long pull as well. I have the original but also ordered the 2.0 and plan on selling my original when the new one arrives. I also plan on purchasing the new eufy wearable that has heated cups, app control, and a charging case. If you shop around you can find some really good deals! Pumps I have: -Pumpables Genie Advanced portable (paid $53) -Baby buddha (soon to be the 2.0) (got the original thru insurance but paid full price for the 2.0) -Spectra S1/S2 (I never use the S2 as it's not rechargeable) ( paid $30 for the S1 and the S2 I got thru insurance with my last baby) -Spectra S9 (still new in the box as I haven't had time to try it, and the reviews aren't that great) (paid $30 new in box) -Spectra gold portable (paid $40) -Momcozy M5 (paid $60) -Momcozy S12 Pro (paid $50) -Momcozy Mobile Style (paid $229) Cups I use when pumping: I use multiple different cups so that I'm not washing all day but always have something clean and available and only have to wash once at the end of the day. I then pop them in the serilizer/dryer (spent $18 on mecari for a nice one) so that everything is ready for the next day. -Momcozy V1/V2 cups ( I have 2 sets to rotate) (paid $40 for the first set new on ebay and like them so much I paid $80 for the second set on Amazon) -Caracups (paid $30 new on mercati) -Elvie stride cups (since you cannot buy these cups separately, I paid $50 on mecari for all the pieces new in box) -Baby Buddha Cups (got these bad boys for $5 new in the box) -Legendairy cups (I don't prefer these, so I don't use them) (paid $35 on mecari) I strongly dislike traditional flanges with the bottles so I don't use them either. I do plan on buying the Eufy next month when it becomes available, and then I'm going to have to stop spending money on my I gotta try them all breast pump addiction lol. I also use Ceres Chill for my milk storage. I use two at work depending on my output for the day, and we keep one at home to heat bottles in. It's such a neat thing to have. I bought a bundle of two at a discounted price, and they sent me the wrong color and then replaced it for free. That's how I ended up with 3. It doesn't cost a fortune to have many options. You just have to search around for good deals! Edit to add: Since this post I have purchased the Eufy S1 pro and the willow go. I also bought the new momcozy 22 ounce portable cooler. Eufy S1 pro isn't really a necessity... it works just about as well as any other wearable and my suggestion is it's overpriced... the heating doesn't always work, the case keeps them charged for about a day and a half (not 5 days), and I get similar output as my other wearables. Willow go: Honestly, I've been super pleased with this pump. I truly thought I'd hate this one... but I love it. I only grabbed this one because someone was selling them new sealed in the box for $100 and I thought why not just try it. Well I use it several times a day now and it just makes my heart so happy lol Momcozy 22 ounce cooler: I'm on my first time using it today, and I LOVE IT so far it's beating the ceres chill out of the water! My milk stays safe and contamination free in the bottles, and it has stayed cold all day at this point.
Thread: "What is everyone’s favorite pump these days?"
I have the Spectra gold portable pill looking one. But I love my portables too.