BabyBuddha Pump Settings
Most breast pumps now have two distinct settings- stimulation and expression. Typically, this is a pairing of lower suction with faster speeds to help stimulate a letdown for stimulation or massage mode. For expression, you are pairing slower speeds with more powerful suction.
Some pumps also have what we call a mixed mode, which is a pattern where you have short bursts of suction at higher speeds paired with periodic longer pulls.
And on most pumps, there are a fair number of the lower settings on these various modes that are essentially useless because they lack the strength to stimulate the nipple and empty the breast for the average pumping parent. Most parents fare well with stimulation speeds and strength between 110-170 mmhg with cycles at 60-80 cycles per minute. On expression mode most tend to successfully use 120 mmhg-200 mmhg with 150 mmhg being the sweet spot for suction and cycle speeds between 40-60 cycles per minute.
The BabyBuddha pump is running a unique program that simplifies suction options to target these “sweet spots” and pairing cycle speeds that don’t match conventional pumps in the best of ways. What can get confusing, though is the use of the terms stimulation and expression. BabyBuddha is a unique pump, and these suction patterns just don’t fit into our traditional understanding of these terms.
So let’s call them by easy-to-remember names and go over how they work to help you better understand how to use them:
Wavy Lines and Milk Drop.
When you turn the pump on, you are starting in the Wavy Line mode.
This is a mixed-mode suction pattern with ten short bursts with one longer pull. This mode is designed to stimulate milk flow and encourage the breasts to empty faster and more reliably than traditional suction patterns.
This mode is what people are talking about when they refer to the “long pull.”
The “long pull” on this mode is typically about 250-270 mmhg, depending on the parts you have hooked up. Which is a lot of suction! If your nipples are not stretched yet, and you aren’t expecting that pull, it can be a lot! Most parents find it takes some time to adjust to this longer pull and that they may need to focus on flange sizing for this pump a bit to make it comfortable to use.
Milk Drop Mode
This is more commonly called expression mode and is the standard suction pattern people expect with a breast pump. Where this differs from normal is the cycle speeds and suction level start out faster and lower than the average pump.
So, milk drop mode level 1 is more like a traditional stimulation feel. And level 2 is a slightly slower and stronger stimulation than level 1. Level 3-9 are more what we expect from a conventional expression mode.
So, this mode functions like a traditional stimulation and expression mode all in one. It has the cycle speed and suction pairings that most commonly work to cover the majority of parents in 9 simple modes.
So which settings should you use?
This pump has 15 settings that can be combined into countless combinations to help achieve the milk expression you are looking for. Unfortunately, there is no special guaranteed combo that will meet every parent’s needs. Still, we have several tried and true options to pick from.
Here are my top go-to’s, and if you are still having trouble, let’s get you in for support. Baby Buddha actually provides free access to lactation support, so if you are having issues, just email customer support at support@babybuddhaproducts.com and ask to connect with me for lactation support! It’s that easy to have me optimize this pump for you!
