Easy Expression Hands-Free Pumping Bra: A Product Review

Guest product reviewer Kathy (who raved about LilyPadz Reusable Nursing Pads) returns with a recommendation for the Easy Expressions Hands-Free Pumping Bra. (Just to be clear, that’s not Kathy in the picture below!)

“Since my son Tai was born just over 5 months ago, I have really enjoyed breastfeeding, and it has helped forge a bond between me and my son stronger than I ever could have imagined. What I do not particularly enjoy is pumping. Not only is it impersonal and unemotional, but I find it time-consuming and just plain bothersome. But, as a working mother, it is necessary for me to pump milk for my son to drink while at daycare.

I recently tried out the Easy Expression Hands-Free Pumping Bustier in an attempt to make my pumping experience more enjoyable. I have to admit, when I first started using the bustier I thought that it was pointless. I am the type of woman who needs to concentrate and even look at my son’s photo, to be able to let my milk down. So it occurred to me that having my hands free to read a book, change the TV-channel or type at a computer would not be helpful as those other activities would only district me from the task at hand.

But, with some practice, I have been able to make it work. I do still need to concentrate at first, but having my hands free allows me to flip through an album of my son’s photos. And I have found that once my milk lets down I can turn my attention to something else. And it is indeed very nice to be able to pump both sides at once, yet still have my hands free to take a sip of water, make a phone call, or even do some work.

The bustier is easy to wear and you do not have to take off your shirt, or even your nursing bra, to put it on. After unbuttoning (or lifting up) your shirt and unclasping the front of your bra, you wrap the bustier around your torso and zip it up the front. Two strategically placed holes allow pumping access and hold the breast shields of your pump in place, allowing you to regain the use of your hands.

The only drawback that I have found to using the bustier is that it adds just a bit of extra time to each pumping session. Since the bustier is not something you would want to wear under your clothes all day long (it needs to be quite snug to work properly) you have to put it on each time you want to pump. But even though I always want to get each session over with as quickly as I can, I’ve found that taking the extra minute or two to zip myself in and out of the bustier each time is worth it. I’d recommend this product to anyone who would like to be able to do something else with her hands while pumping.”

Keep in mind that the Easy Expression Hands-Free Pumping Bra comes in various sizes (small, medium, etc.). Check out the Easy Expressions website (not affiliated with Breastfeeding 1-2-3) for more information. Even though the bra is not currently available on Amazon.com, I’m linking to it here so you can read some five-star reviews.

Thanks again Kathy for the helpful recommendation! And hey, now that you’ve got your hands free while pumping, maybe you’d enjoy reading a book I recommend to working and pumping mothers: The Milk Memos: How Real Moms Learned to Mix Business with Babies–and How You Can Too!