Comparison of Milk Removal Efficiency and Maternal Perception Between a Hospital-Grade and Personal-Use Pump

Background/Objectives: Breast pumps are essential tools when breastfeeding dyads are separated or there are breastfeeding challenges that prevent or reduce effective milk removal. Hospital-grade and personal-use pumps offer different features and performance characteristics. Direct comparative studies evaluating pump efficacy and maternal satisfaction are limited in this area, hampering healthcare professionals in their support of lactating women. We compared the efficacy and maternal perceptions of a hospital-grade breast pump (Symphony; Medela AG) and an electric personal-use pump (Pump in Style Pro; Medela AG). Methods: In total, 28 lactating mothers with healthy-term infants participated in an unblinded randomised crossover trial. Participants attended two pumping sessions using either the hospital-grade pump or personal-use pump. Effectiveness of milk removal and maternal perception were measured. Participants completed a 24 h milk profile to enable calculation of the percentage of available milk removed from the breast. Results: There were no significant differences for milk removal efficacy parameters after accounting for pre-expression degree of fullness of the breast between pumps. Similarly, there was no difference in comfort ratings. However, mothers perceived the hospital-grade breast pump vacuum as smoother than the personal-use pump (p = 0.003) and rated the hospital-grade breast pump as having a more pleasant sound (p < 0.001). Both findings remained significant after adjustment for pre-expression degree of fullness (p < 0.001 and p = 0.030, respectively). Conclusions: The hospital-grade pump and the personal-use pump did not differ with respect to milk removal efficacy and comfort. However, participants did perceive differences in vacuum application.