When You See This Genius Breast Pump You'll Wonder Why It Took So Long

Mom invents the breast pump we’ve all been waiting for

Breast pumps are an absolute necessity for some moms: not all of us are able to nurse on demand for various reasons. Some moms have a work schedule that makes it impossible and some moms exclusively pump. Have you ever wondered why there isn’t a better option than the traditional loud, bulky breast pumps we all use?

It’s a question Samantha Rudolph asked herself after reading a NYT article titled, “Shouldn’t the Breast Pump Be as Elegant as an iPhone and as Quiet as a Prius by Now?” Why, yes. Yes, it should. That question inspired Rudolph — an entrepreneur — to spring into action. She knew she’d be a working mom some day, so why not figure this out before that happened? She began working on a prototype for a better breast pump with her engineer husband, Jared Miller.

“I had spent a decade pushing the accelerator on my career so that I had as many options as possible when I had a baby,” Rudolph told Scary Mommy. “I didn’t know if I would lean in, opt out or find something in between, but breastfeeding was always important to me.”

“What I didn’t know before reading that article was just how outdated breast pumps are. It’s hard enough being a mom. I don’t care if you’re a stay-at-home mom, a work-from-home mom, a work-in-the-office mom or any other label you prefer…the struggle and the juggle is real,” Rudolph added. “Given how far technology has come in the last decade, I found it utterly ridiculous that a product that helps FEED BABIES was still stuck in the past.”

Preach.

The couple came up with a revolutionary product called the “Babyation” breast pump. The most ingenious part of the design is that bottles don’t hang right off the suction device. Instead, the milk flows into the bottle via a long tube attached to the suction portion of the device: a small black nipple shield. The breast shields are meant to be worn with a bra.

Instead of a giant separate motor, the motor will be able to fit into any “reasonably-sized purse.” The pump is controlled by an app on your phone, wirelessly. If you prefer to not use the app, the pump can also be turned on with a simple “on” button and suction and speed can be controlled from there as well.

The app will track how much you pumped, how long it took, and if you’re not extracting milk from both breasts simultaneously, which one you pumped last. That function alone will probably sell the product. How many times did you forget which breast you pumped from last? And as you’ll see in the video below, it’s very quiet.

It’s been two years since the couple set out to make a better breast pump, and they’ve done it. It’s only at the prototype stage, but it’s lactation consultant and pediatrician-approved. In order to finalize the design and manufacture the product, they launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of raising $50,000, and with six days to go they’re almost there: they’ve raised just short of $40,000. For $350 you can pre-order the pump at a discounted price for March 2017 delivery, but there are also various donation tiers for those who just want to support. They plan to sell the pump on Amazon and from their website.

“We want women to be able to determine how to fit their pumping around their lives, instead of having no choice but to fit their lives around their pump,” Rudolph says.

Hallelujah.