Is Your Spectra Pump Hurting Your Pumping Experience?
The Spectra s1 and s2 are long standing favorite breast pumps. The Spectra Synergy gold and gold compact are increasingly fan favorites. The s9 never really got the love but it’s a lower suction pump so it’s not for everyone. Spectra pumps are known for getting solid and reliable output and for being high quality pumps at an extremely accessible price point. They are affordable pumps with solid warranty coverage, and the replacement parts are easy to access and cost effective. Moms love these pumps. Lactation consultants love working with these pumps. These are good breast pumps.
Spectra s1, s2 and the Synergy Gold also deserve an honorable mention as being efficient enough to compete with the industry gold standard Hospital Pumps in terms of performance. Part of the reason Medela Symphony’s, Ameda Platinums, and other multi-user rental pumps have fallen out of fashion is that these Spectra pumps can pull of the same performance at a fraction of the price for individual moms.
But that doesn’t mean these pumps are supporting your pumping goals.
It’s possible they could be hurting your pumping experience. It doesn’t logically seem possible that an affordable, well performing, reputable pump that’s relatively easy to keep running smoothly could be undermine your experience.
But it can. And it does.
Because at the end of the day the best pump for you is the one that supports YOUR goals. And there are 100% features that Spectra simply doesn’t have. Like true portability. Higher suction with cups. The ability to pump on the go without carrying a bowling ball with you. Even the Dual Compact portable is not exactly small- the dual motor aspect is even inhibited by the restrictive cycle speeds. So these pumps can be everything in terms of how well it actually moves milk- and that can mean little to nothing if it’s making pumping an unrealistic chore for you.
The best breast pump for any parent is the one they can actually use frequently enough to stimulate the milk supply they want. Sometimes this is a Spectra pump. Sometimes it’s just not.
What is not being considered in the Spectra is the best cult like mentality of the lactation community is that individual parental goals trump efficiency, and there are unintended consequences of the vibrations Spectra uses.
What many parents are finding though is after a period of weeks or months of relying on their Spectra they are struggling to utilize other pumps because of the unique vibration Spectra offers. That vibration is responsible for the ease of letdown we see with it- and given the letdown reflex is trained reflex. The body can quickly learn that vibration sensation means it’s time to start letting down, it can even become almost addicted to the vibration and non-responsive in the absence of the vibration.
This is increasingly an issue in the last 18-24 months as the motors being used in the Spectra pumps appear to have changed. The vibration is a touch stronger, and less of a smooth rhythmic vibration that was previously easily substituted with a lactation massager. Newer pumps are producing an ever so slightly different vibration and we are seeing parents struggle to respond to vibration free pumps or even pumps with a more gentle vibration. We used to say nothing shakes quite like a Spectra- but it was just a figure of speech. Now we kinda mean it. Spectra’s vibration is tricky to mimic, it’s highly effective, and it can be addictive. A lot of mom’s are finding after using a pump like this they are struggling to respond to other pumps and the process of weaning the body away from the vibration while protecting the supply is taking up to 3-4 weeks in some cases.
And Spectra isn’t the only brand we see this. Motif Luna’s original Luna model and the Medela Maxflow both show this same pattern, but these are not as popular or as effective as the Spectra is so typically parents tried to use other pumps sooner. Motif Luna’s original pump stood to become just as popular as Spectra before the changed to the weaker less effective motor and programming.
The cult like fandom of the Spectra is making it hard for moms to commit to what it takes to walk away from a vibrating pump even when the vibrating pump isn’t making them all that happy. When you glorify a breast pump without having an honest dialogue about the downsides you make moms doubtful there is an option for them that could be better in the long run. And that’s not a good thing.
So what do you do if this is happening to you?
You need to work with me to set up a realistic plan for how to teach your body to respond to the lighter or no vibration pumps. It can be done, it’s not easy, but we can make it happen for almost every parent who has the bandwidth to take back control of their journey. Spectra can be an excellent choice in breast pumps but if it’s not the pump that is meeting all of your needs we have options to free you to pump with other pumps.
