A new startup named Lilu has recently showcased a prototype of their product: a bra designed to help nursing mothers pump milk hands-free and more efficiently.
It was created by Adriana Vazquez and Sujay Suresh, graduates from MIT and UPenn. They got the idea when a friend had returned to work after having a child, and as they began interviewing working moms, they found out about the struggle of continuing to breastfeed after returning to work. “The biggest culprit was the breast pump,” says Vazquez.
Source: Wear Lilu
The main problem with using traditional breast pumps is that they produce less milk. One of the few solutions to this problem is through breast massage. This helps increase milk production and lets the infant get the milk richer in fats. However, the problem with this technique is that it’s tiring and time consuming, taking about 30 minutes to an hour.
Source: Wear Lilu
So not only are both of the mother’s hands tired and cramped from all that massaging, they’re also preoccupied for an hour, which, when you’re a working mom, is time that could’ve been spent doing a lot of other important things.
This is where Lilu comes in. Lilu stimulates the massage process with compressed air, and uses a compression pattern similar to those recommended by lactation experts.
Source: Wear Lilu
Lilu is worn just like a bra, with a clip-type backstrap and two Velcro straps at the top and bottom of the bra. Mothers can also use it with their nursing bras for extra support. It’s battery powered, with a USB charger below the bra, and has a big power button around the top-center that also allows you to control the strength of the massage. Any standard breast pump can them be attached to the device, so while Lilu is doing the massage part, the breast pump is collecting the milk, making everything hands-free.
Lilu is priced at around $249, and can be pre-ordered on their website.
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