Breast Milk Collector vs. Breast Pump: What’s the Difference?

Breastfeeding technology has advanced dramatically in recent years due to fantastic innovations brought to the market. One common question amongst new mums is what the difference is between a breast pump vs. milk collector?

Discover what options and breastfeeding accessories intrigue you and will work best for your feeding preferences.

What is a Breast Milk Collector?

A breast milk collector is an ingenious breastfeeding accessory that you can wear whilst nursing to collect breast milk that would otherwise leak into a breast pad. Whilst you pump or nurse your baby on one breast, you can wear a breast milk catcher on the other side. A milk catcher is a versatile breastfeeding accessory because you can also wear it when you’re out and about, working, or shopping. Saving each drop of breast milk means you can safely store it away and prepare a feed later.

Lola&Lykke MilkCatch+

MilkCatch+ is designed to sit discreetly and comfortably inside your nursing bra to collect leaking breast milk. Breast shells are super handy to collect your letdown as you pump or feed on the other breast. It also protects your sensitive skin and nipples from rubbing and chafing against your clothes or breast pads. Unlike a wearable breast pump, the MilkCatch+ doesn’t require any suction.

To get the best use from the milk collection cups, follow these simple steps:

1. Push the cup into the groove of the silicone pad, making sure to push it completely into place.

2. Place your nipple at the centre of the nipple hole.

3. Place the breast milk collector into your bra so that it is securely held in place. For the best comfort and fit, we recommend wearing the collection cups with a nursing bra.

4. Wear the milk catcher on the other breast to collect your let-down while nursing or pumping.

5. You can also wear two milk collection cups at the same time inside your bra to collect leakage throughout the day.

6. Check the amount of milk regularly to ensure the cup does not overflow. You should not let the milk level exceed the bottom of the nipple. When the cup is full, pour the milk into a bottle or milk storage bag through the nipple hole.

 Read more about Lola&Lykke MilkCatch+

Milk Collector vs. Silicone Breast Pump?

In the world of breastfeeding tools, silicone breast pumps are somewhat of a hybrid between breast pumps and milk catchers. A silicone breast pump is made from soft silicone and uses natural suction to draw out milk. While it doesn’t require power or manual pumping, it provides a low-effort way to collect milk, often used during feeding on the opposite breast. However, the suction strength is limited compared to electric or manual breast pumps.

Milk collection cups don’t require any suction to express milk. Instead, they collect milk leakages and natural let-down. Whereas a silicone breast pump is gently squeezed when applied to the breast to create suction, helping to draw milk out from the breast. Electric breast pumps go one step further and take out the manual work of stimulating the breast to express milk. This makes a breast milk collector a great accessory to any breast pump, manual or electric.

While silicone breast pumps can be useful in certain situations, such as relieving pressure during engorgement, softening the areola before latching, or collecting letdown, they are not always the best long-term solution. The suction mechanism can extract more milk than what would naturally leak, which may lead to imbalances such as an oversupply, leaving less milk for the baby, or causing issues like sore nipples, plugged ducts, or even mastitis. For these reasons, they are best used sparingly and with awareness of potential drawbacks.

Another great feature of milk collection cups is that they don’t require any setup, power, or batteries. Simply place it correctly inside your bra, and you’re ready to go! For the ease of catching excess breast milk, this is sometimes easier than using an electric breast pump to do it for you. However, they can be used in tandem to maximise your breast milk output.

Why Use a Milk Collector If You Already Have a Breast Pump?

Mums who use their Lola and Lykke breast pump may wonder if a milk collector is needed as well as their electric breast pump. A common question asked by nursing mums!

Whilst an electric breast pump is necessary for efficient and time-saving expression, a milk catcher has other strengths. Breast milk collectors can be used, as well as an electric breast pump, to catch breast milk throughout the day. Collecting the milk in a breast milk collector helps to protect your nipples if they are cracked or sensitive. The soft silicone in the breast shell acts as a protective barrier against your clothing or a breast pad.

Catching milk leaks will not only make your laundry pile smaller but also save you from embarrassing leaks and spills on your clothing. We remember to pack spare clothes for our babies, but not often for ourselves! The extra milk that’s collected can be stored safely to reduce waste, increase your milk stash, and support your milk supply too. Triple win.

Milk Collector vs Pump: Key Differences

Let’s use a visual to display the differences between a milk collector vs breast pump. Each breastfeeding accessory has its strengths and different uses. Seeing the features laid out this way can help you decide how you can use either breastfeeding tool, or both!

When to Use a Milk Collector vs a Breast Pump

When would you use a milk collector vs a breast pump? As a mother who breastfed her babies for up to 3 years combined, I’ve shared how I got the best use out of both. Breast collectors and breast pumps can be used separately or together.

When do you use a breast milk collector?

Personal experience from Fran:

“I found a breast collector very useful in the early days of breastfeeding. Even before my daughter was born, I had colostrum leaking for days! Breast pads were great, but once they were wet, they needed washing and disposable ones can be expensive to buy repeatedly. 

The breast milk collector outweighed all the other options because it was discreet, easy to use, and meant I didn’t need to keep changing my t-shirt every 10 minutes!

Once I had started breastfeeding, I felt engorged for the first week as my milk came in and my skin was really sensitive against my clothes. As well as applying nipple cream, the milk catcher helped my skin by giving it a chance to heal and keeping the milk off my skin when I wasn’t breastfeeding.

When I returned to work, my milk supply needed to adjust to this sudden change. One day, I even felt my milk start to let down as I was sitting at my desk! Gulp. After this, a breast milk collector was an accessory I carried around in my bag most of the time because it was so useful throughout my breastfeeding journey.”

When do you use a breast pump?

Personal experience from Fran:

“With my firstborn, she took to breastfeeding like a duck to water. I exclusively breastfed her until she was 2.5 years old. Throughout our breastfeeding journey, I very rarely needed to use a breast pump because my supply was maintained, and she fed very well.

With my son, we needed a little more help! I used an electric breast pump alongside nursing to increase my milk supply. He struggled to latch correctly, and over time, we noticed that he fed better from a bottle compared to feeding at the breast. Slowly, we transitioned to combi feeding, and I used an electric breast pump in tandem with the milk collectors to help build a stash of expressed breast milk.”

Other families I have spoken to over the years have their own stories and reasons for using a breast pump, such as:

• Increasing or maintaining their milk supply

• Expressing milk for others to feed with when returning to work or when they are away from their baby

• Feed their baby using syringes of expressed breast milk when they are in the NICU

• Feeding multiple babies, e.g. twins or triplets

Tips for Choosing the Right Option for You

When comparing a breast pump vs a milk collector, it’s best to ask yourself what you need to help you with breastfeeding. Ask yourself…

• Do I need to collect or express?

• Am I on the go or at home?

• What's my budget?

Also, consider whether you would prefer a more discreet way of collecting milk whilst on the go rather than breastfeeding or pumping in public. Some mums are totally cool with it, and others prefer some privacy - both feelings are completely valid, and it may sway your choice.

Many breastfeeding mums use both a breast milk collection cup during nursing sessions and a breast pump to create a stash of breast milk. The best part is that you can make both tools work for you to make breastfeeding easier for both you and your baby.

Read more: Discover 7 of the Best Breast Pumps in the UK

Conclusion

In a nutshell, both tools have their strengths, and you can use these to your advantage throughout your breastfeeding journey. Every mother will find her stride with breastfeeding, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. A milk collector vs pump is a decision you can weigh up to find what works for you, whether that’s combining pumping and collecting to get the best of both worlds or using a breast milk collector to protect your clothes when you hear another baby cry!

A breast milk collector can take away the stress of leaking breasts when you already have enough to think about! And a breast pump can support you and your baby to breastfeed for as long as you wish to. They’re like an iconic duo that has each other’s backs. 

We encourage you to find what works best for your body, your baby, and your lifestyle to give you the best start to breastfeeding with the tools you feel necessary right at your fingertips.