Living with Low Milk Supply

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Baby Buddha Breast Pump Review

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Have you ever heard of Baby Buddha breast pump? I first heard about it from the IGT and Low Milk Supply Mom Facebook group.

I’m interested to try it because the review said that this little pump can beat Spectra S1 in terms of its powerful suction, wow..

As a fan of Spectra S1, I am intrigued to see how this little pump performs. Are you curious, too?

Read more on this Baby Buddha Breast Pump review.

baby buddha breast pump review


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Disclaimer: I received a Baby Buddha Dual Breast pump in exchange for honest review (All opinions are my own).

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Baby Buddha breast pump is one of the smallest electric breast pump that I’ve ever tried. Despite its little size, this breast pump is pretty powerful.

  • Breast pump type: runs on battery (built-in rechargeable battery)
  • Single / double: double (can be used as single)
  • Suction level: 5 for stimulation mode, 9 for expression mode 
  • Speed adjustment: adjust together with suction 
  • Breast shield diameter: 24 mm (without the massage cushion), 21 mm with massage cushion. 
baby buddha breast pump close up
  • Breast pump dimension: 12 cm x 3 cm x 4.5 cm(super small!)
  • Weight: ~210 gr (very light!!)
  • Available at: Amazon
 CHECK OUT BABY BUDDHA COMPLETE SPECS

What You Get Out of The Box

baby buddha breast pump review - out of the box

1. Breast pump motor
2. Pump charger
3. 2 pumping kits: breast shield, massage cushion, membrane, valve
4. back flow barriers 
5. bottles, bottle caps and teats 
6. lanyard to hang the pump
7. drawstring bag to store all the pumping items

HIGHLIGHTS

What's so special about this little breast pump?

baby byddha vs iphone 6

Baby Buddha side by side with iPhone 6, look at how compact it is!

  • Very small and sleek. If I’m not wrong, this is the smallest electric breast pump that I’ve encountered so far (with built-in battery that can last for one hour pumping). This makes it a perfect portable breast pump for moms on the go.
  • One button operation. When I first saw the picture of Baby Buddha, I was wondering how you would operate the pump. There’s neither massage button nor +/- button. But after further reading, I realize that this pump uses track-ball technology, so a single button is enough. Press the button to switch between massage and expression mode (it work like a toggle), scroll up to increase the strength and scroll down to decrease it. Pretty nifty, huh!
  • Super strong suction, beware! I never go past level 2-3 in expression, level 4 feels painful. I wonder how level 9 feels. As comparison, I always use max vacuum strength in other breast pumps (level 12 for Spectra S1 or level 10 for Medela).
  • Unique massage mode. After about 10 short pulls, comes one long pull (about 2-3 seconds). This long pull surely hurts if you are not used to the pump. 
  • Automatic mode. Other than manually switching between massage and expression mode, you can use its automatic mode which works purely on massage mode but the vacuum strength gradually increases with time. Once it reaches level 5, it stays in level 5 unless you switch it to other level / mode. 
baby buddha breast pump review - quick guide

Baby Buddha quick guide - for those loving visuals =)

RELATED:

Looking for similar portable breast pumps? Check out my other portable breast pumpp reviews:

1. Spectra 9+ portable breast pump review (gentle to breast)

2. Milk Genie Plus breast pump review (sleek and programmable)

3. Top 5 Portable Breast Pumps for Pumping On The Go


OTHER PROS THAT I LOVE FROM BABY BUDDHA:

  • Comes with funnel cover. I’m in love with this funnel cover because that means you don’t need a zip lock bag to store your pump in between pumping sessions. Just store the pump part secured to the bottles directly inside the cooler bag. All are kept hygienic because of the cover.
  • Easy to see the milk spraying from the nipple. The pump body / flange seems more transparent compared to other brand so that I can easily see the milk spraying. This gives 2 benefits: (a) When you do hands on pumping, you know which part of breast to massage to get more milk flow. (b) Don’t you feel happier to see your milk spraying when pumping. I do, and I believe that gives positive feedback to my happy hormone, thus better milk production. 
  • Transparent membrane and valve so you can see if there’s milk pooling in the valve. Save every milk drop! For your info, the membrane and valve are compatible with Medela.
  • Easy to switch between double to single pumping. I really love the pump switch. In other pump brand, to switch to single pumping, you need to unplug one tubing and cover it with a plug. BabyBuddha surely makes things easier. You just need to adjust the switch to left or right to activate single pumping. Middle position is for double pumping. No more unplugging the tube and fiddling with tiny plug. 
  • Quiet, I would say it is comparable to noise produced by my Spectra S1. 
  • Built-in battery last for one-hour pumping. Depending how often and how long you pump daily, you may need to charge this pump in between pumping sessions. 
  • You can use general phone / power bank charger to charge this pump, wohoo... truly truly love this feature. That means one less cable to bring if you carry this pump to work or travelling. 
  • Bottles compatible to other wide-neck bottles (e.g. Avent, Spectra)
baby budha breast pump review double to single switch

It's super easy to switch from double to single pumping - no tube fiddling required

THE CONS

  • Breast shield size is limited. The only size they have is 24 mm, and further reduced to 21 mm if you use the cushion. So if you are using this pump with its own parts as it is, this may not for moms with big nipples. But I feel strongly that you can use Pumpin Pals for those needing bigger flanges. Update: as for now, flange sizes 28 and 32 mm are available, but sold separately.
  • PS: If you need help deciding which breast shield size to use, don't forget to check my breast shield sizing guide.
  • Bottle measurement starts at 40 ml, a bummer for those pumping a little milk at one time, because it feels like you don’t even reach the lowest mark. I wish it has 20 ml mark just like other bottle brands.

FAQ: Can You use Baby Buddha With Other Pump Parts?

The answer is yes. A lot of moms use it with Freemie cups (use the closed-system version), Spectra flanges, even Medela. The keys are two:

  • If you use pump parts that require tubing without end connector, remove the white tube adapter from Baby Buddha tubings.
  • Keep it closed system. So if you use Medela parts, please use back flow protector before connecting the flanges to Baby Buddha tubings.

Baby Buddha even shows how to do these 'hacks' in their website. Click here to learn more about it.

My experience using baby buddha breast pump


Knowing that Baby Buddha has its own programmable pump setting, I started pumping using that setting solely. However, after a few days trying to pump with it, I realized my body did not respond well with its long pull in the stimulation mode. It actually hinders my let down.

So I changed plan and helped to stimulate let down with manual nipple roll and stroke on one side and switching between level 1 and 2 in massage mode before the long pull happens.

This combination works for me to reach let down much faster, yay!

Click here to read more tips to achieve let-down faster.

As for expression mode, speed matters a lot to me. Level 2 matches my perfect speed setting, while the vacuum strength is slightly weaker than my preference. However, with the help of hand massage, I was able to get amount almost comparable to what I get with my usual pump.

Having said that, I’ve heard several several reviews that’s saying that Baby Buddha works extremely well for them, cutting down pumping time up to 30% and yielding more milk. Here’s one of them.

Remember that:

  • It takes a while to get used with a new breast pump. Do experiment on what setting is best for you
  • Each individual responds differently to a breast pump. At the moment, it seems that my body respond slightly better to my usual pump rather than Baby Buddha. But, other people may respond better to Baby Buddha compared to other pump.

BABY BUDDHA PUMP SETTING | TIPS FROM OTHER MOM WHO LOVES BABY BUDDHA

Flip the mode. Use expression mode level 1 to stimulate let-down, then switch to stimulation mode (level 1 or 2) for expressing milk. The long pull seems to drain breast better.

MY VERDICTS

Portability makes Baby Buddha breast pump a great choice for 

  • working moms
  • exclusive pumping moms on the go 
  • for travelling. 

If I need to travel and bring a pump, I would definitely bring my Baby Buddha and leave my bigger pump at home. 

 GET BABY BUDDHA NOW!

QUICK COMPARISON WITH OTHER BREAST PUMPS

BABY BUDDHA VS SPECTRA S1

These two breast pumps are completely different. Baby Buddha is portable and has pretty standard pump setting, while Spectra S1 is more heavy duty and have more adjustable pump setting (you can adjust cycle speed independently).

Some moms who have used Spectra S1 before reported that they empty their breast faster with Baby Buddha. However, some others prefer Spectra S1 for it is more gentle and comfortable. Click here to learn more about Spectra S1 and its feature in my detailed review.

BABY BUDDHA VS SPECTRA 9+

These two breast pump are equally portable, with Baby Buddha is slightly smaller than Spectra 9+. In terms of suction power, Baby Buddha is more suitable for moms with strong suction preference, whereas Spectra 9+ fits mom that need a gentle suction. You can check out my Spectra 9+ review here.

BABY BUDDHA VS MILK GENIE PLUS

Both breast pumps are equally sleek and portable. I would say Baby Buddha is slightly more compact than Genie Plus. In terms of vacuum power, Baby Buddha offers stronger suction than Genie Plus. On the other hand, Genie Plus offers more unique functionalities, such as ability to record your own pump setting and ability to adjust cycle speed in expression mode (limited to 3 speeds). You can check more about Milk Genie Plus in my review.

I hope this review helps you to determine whether Baby Buddha breast pump is suitable for your need. I try my best to explain all the pros and cons so you can have an unbiased review about Baby Buddha breast pump.

Interested but want to read more reviews? Check out these moms' review as well:

1.Shauna explains how her pump yield increased over 7 days.

2. Nina got the same yield with less pumping time compared to Spectra S2.

3. How Lenore uses Baby Buddha in her busy working days

4. 87 more reviews on Amazon!!

Have you tried Baby Buddha breast pump before? Or do you have any question regarding this nifty pump? Leave your comment and I'll try my best to help.

Looking for more portable breast pumps? Don't forget to check reviews for the following compact and light-weight breast pump:

1. Spectra 9+ portable breast pump review

2. Milk Genie Plus breast pump review

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Comments

    • Rina says

      Hi, it is a very strong breast pump and a lot of exclusive pumpers use Baby Buddha because it allows moms to be mobile while pumping. Having said that, Baby Buddha is still a portable pump with a small motor, so u can’t compare it to heavy-duty pumps such as Spectra S1 or Super Genie. So, it you plan to use it very frequently, it is always good to have a back up pump for just in case.

  2. Francesca G. says

    How would you compare the sound/volume while pumping between the Spectra and the Baby Buddha? I work from home full-time and field a LOT of conference calls. It’s important to me that my coworkers not be able to detect a loud pumping sound, if at all possible. I love the idea of the Buddha for portability and I’ve heard it is strong, but the sound level is important to me. Any feedback on which of the two is quieter when in use?

    Of note- I have previously been a Medela user. I frequently would pump on the highest setting and had good output. That was 10+ years ago though! I have heard the Buddha is strong, but this does not scare me. I am willing to try but want to find the right fit for my needs. Pumping while on conference calls is the biggest need I have, so portability is not my highest priority. Secondary is a good output in as little time as possible.

    Appreciate your feedback!

    Reply

    • Francesca G. says

      PS To clarify, I am looking to compare against the Spectra S1 or S2, not the S9.

    • Rina says

      Hi Francesca,

      Spectra S1 and S2 is slightly quieter than Baby Buddha. As for getting good output in as little time as possible, I guess there are 2 groups of moms here. Some moms prefer gentler pump and Spectra works better for them. Whereas for the other group, strong Baby Buddha helps them clear breasts much quicker, say, about half the time. That’s why some moms prefer Baby Buddha over Spectra S1. As for me, I still couldn’t stand Baby Buddha’s strong suction, despite using Spectra’s highest suction all the time. I hope this answers your questions =).

  3. Gokce says

    Do not buy this product. I am very comfortable with Spectra’s highest suction setting but this one is ridiculously painful. I tried it three times for 30 minute sessions, and got half of what I normally get.
    The customer service assigns you to a lactation consultant and they don’t really try to solve the problem.
    It is just extra frustrating because it is pinching your nipples while you are worrying about your baby’s milk supply.

    Reply

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