I am Kaiyla Washington the project specialist that will be the main designer and builder of our prototypes.The characteristics that I personally think I would bring into this project in just an open minded view. In order to get a perspective of the needs of a mom, research was done regarding usually asked questions when purchasing a breast pump. For those that might be confused between the choices of breast pumps available to the market. Here are a few key components a mother should look at when buying their first breast pump; effectiveness,type of pumping , and motor noise level .
Effectiveness of breast pumps are usually based on how often the pump cycles, the closer a pump is to the sucling of a baby the more effective it will be at drawing milk from the breast. A nursing baby will suck approximately 45- 55 times each minute. The effectiveness of a breast pump increases when put through an auto-cycling pump. As my role I will be researching and going more in depth about the pump’s suction in order to mimic the cycling rate of a baby’s suction as well as proportioning the strength to minimise nipple and breast pain .
Nursing Angels. “Choosing the Right Medela Breast Pump for Your Needs.” . Nursing Angel . Web. September,2014. <http://www.nursingangel.com.au/blog/choosing-medela-breast-pump>.
Types of pumping can come in three ways. Single pumps allow the mother to pump one breast at a time this can come in handy for mothers who want to breastfeed and then pump the milk from the other breast. Double alternating pumps both breasts but at alternating times, this is done to avoid too much pressure on both breast at the same time. Double simultaneous pumps both breasts at the same time, though mothers tend to complain about pressure levels. The optimum breast pump that we have in mind if one that will have the option of single or double and will take the average amount of time that a baby naturally suctions milk in an effective manner.
Motor noise can be a problem with many breast pump due to the size of the motor. Studies show that larger motors tend to be quieter while smaller motors are louder this is because larger motors use less effort to get the machine pumping were as smaller motors take more energy due to their smaller battery source thus making the machine more noisy. The balance between size and motor noise level will be a difficult one to manage due size being a critical aspect of transport-ability.
Beth Starkey. “Nursing and Breast Pumps” .PREGNANCY MAGAZINE.Web.September,2014. <http://www.pregnancymagazine.com/buyers-guide/breastpumps>
Apart from the research provided we took the time to interview moms that have tried a diverse group of breast pumps in order to get a full grasp on the different problems faced. We were able to conclude that a common problem was the price of the pump. This was a major issue because the women who just used a pump that was provided by the doctor noticed that it was big, heavy, and noisy. While the mothers who purchased their own pumps, noticed less problems but that they were very expensive.
For additional information you can visit
Pumping issues. ” Milk expression tips & pump information.”. KellyMom. Web. September,2014<http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/bf-links-pumps/>.
Moms. (2010). How to choose. Retrieved September 21, 2014, from Breast Pump
Comparisons website: http://www.breastpumpcomparisons.com/how-to-choose.html
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