There's Now A Silent, Wearable Breast Pump You Control Via App, & The Future Is Here

Remember today, because it's one that will go down in the mommy history books. On Sept. 14, Elvie, the award-winning health and lifestyle "femtech" brand, is releasing their brand new Elvie Pump: a silent, wearable pump that fits into your standard nursing bra. With this radical redesign, there's no more lugging around big electric breast pumps, no more tangled cords, and no more of that unmistakable pumping sound. The world's first silent, wearable breast pump is about to change the pumping game.

This old breast pump was due for some much-needed innovation. According to research conducted by Elvie in August 2018, only 29.5 percent of US women surveyed "believed that products designed for breastfeeding are as technologically advanced as other consumer technologies." Why? Tania Boler, London-based co-founder and CEO of Elvie, found those stats unacceptable. "It's an essential product for new moms. It gives women the freedom to be the women they want to be, to get back to work, to be the mother they want to be," Boler says in an interview with Romper. "And yet, if you're familiar with the old-school products, they're all tethered to a wall, they're noisy, they're painful, they look like some kind of kickback from the '80s."

Elvie has already made a name for itself with award-winning Elvie Trainer, a kegel exercise tracker, and now the Elvie team had their sights set on a new product that could improve the lives of new moms everywhere. "I began writing on a piece of paper, 'if I could design the perfect pumping experience, what would it be like?'" Boler says. That paper began to fill up with ideas: it would be silent, it would tuck right into your bra, it would be totally unobtrusive, and you could control it through an app on your phone. It sounded like lofty goals for a breast pump, but three years later, the Elvie team has brought Boler's vision to life. "It was all about taking more of a consumer design to what is traditionally seen as a medical device," Boler explains.

The Elvie Pump is designed to be used one-handed (because, as moms know, that's how most things are done once you have a baby). The device is worn under clothing, and the milk is quietly collected in the self-contained pump. Best of all, you don't need to worry about groping yourself in public, trying to adjust things just so. "It's all about just giving women choices, making it as easy as possible. You can either control it on the product, or there's an app," Boler says. The smartphone app, which is compatible with iPhone and Android, shows real-time milk tracking, and even keeps a pumping history for each breast. "Every time, the product can get smarter, know what works for you, and give you better programs," Boler explains. The Elvie Pump allows women to pump on their own terms — just as it should be.

The Elvie Pump comes with 5-ounce, reusable, BPA-free bottles that are both dishwasher and microwave safe, as well as two sizes of breast shields. The pump has seven intensity settings, so you're in total control. The Elvie Pump is available for purchase on the Elvie website and Amazon beginning Sept. 14, and will retail for $479 for a double unit. It will make its way to select physical retail stores — like Target and Buy Buy Baby — pending FDA approval (which is expected to happen before the holiday season).

"Once women get used to a pump that's this easy to use, this discreet, this quiet, why would they go back to the old architecture?" Boler asks Romper. That's a fantastic question... and I don't think we will go back. The days of loud, inconvenient, bulky breast pumps are behind us, and it's pretty darn exciting.