Is the Elvie Breast Pump Worth It? An Elvie Pump Review from a Twin Mom

Is the Elvie breast pump worth the money? In a word, YES. It absolutely is. But it also depends on some other factors! Here are my honest thoughts and feelings about using the Elvie breast pump with our twins.

My breastfeeding journey

With our first son, I did not love breastfeeding. It was a struggle the entire time. We made it three months and then we switched to formula. It was absolutely the right choice for us, but as the months passed, I wished I would have given breastfeeding more of a chance. So when I became pregnant with our twins, I knew it was time to reevaluate how we would handle nursing. I decided this time around would include a LOT of grace (sometimes they’d have breastmilk and other times they’d have formula) and it would be okay! I also decided to invest in a breast pump that was going to be practical for our lifestyle, which is why I started looking into the Elvie!

Elvie breast pump vs. others

I was not able to get insurance to pay for my Elvie pump, which was a huge bummer but also fine because I still had my Spectra S2 from my first breastfeeding adventure. So I placed the Elvie pump on our Amazon registry and hoped and prayed that someone would buy it for me. Spoiler alert, nobody did. Womp womp.

When our twins arrived at 33 weeks and I suddenly had to drive back and forth from the hospital every day, I just purchased the pump on my own. AND IT WAS LIFESAVING. Suddenly I could pump in the car. I could pump while walking through the grocery store. I could pump while checking into the NICU. This made providing milk for our premie babies so much easier.

Before I purchased the Elvie breast pump, I was using the Medela Hospital grade breast pump that the hospital loaned to me. It was great, but when I was home, our two-year-old son realized he could pull the cord out of the wall and turn the pump off. (FUN) I also realized being chained to a pump every two to three hours while I waited for my milk to come in and then trying to get my milk production up just wasn’t realistic.

The hospital-grade pump may have been a little better at getting milk out, but the restrictions it gave me made it so much harder to use than the Elvie pump. And when I compared the Elvie with the hospital grade pump, there was less than a quarter of an ounce difference in the milk I was pumping, so I would just pump for about five extra minutes with the Elvie, if I needed to, to make up the difference. (And I could move around while doing it!!)

Why I chose the Elvie breast pump

When I looked at other wearable breast pumps, the Elvie was the only one that had a reusable container you could pump into. That’s no longer the case! So while I can’t attest to the other breast pumps, I can say that I am very happy with our Elvie breast pump. And it’s available for Target pick up or delivery – which, let’s be honest, was my real deciding factor! I ordered the pump and had it delivered within two hours.

How has the Elvie pump held up?

When I plan on going out for the day, I charge my Elvie pump and it holds a charge for at least three pumping sessions, which is plenty for me. If I need more, I just bring the charger with me and plug everything in to charge. They’re small and super portable, which makes them great for all uses. I mainly nurse our twins, so I do not pump every day, but having a wearable pump makes it so easy to pump when I’m out and about.

I’ve worn the Elvie breast pump while walking around in our downtown area, at a restaurant, and while running errands. It’s way quieter than traditional pumps (about as loud as typing on a keyboard, if even that loud) and discreet, but it does make your boobs look about 2-3 sizes bigger and there’s a small light on the pump that you can sometimes see through your shirt. I don’t think I would wear the pump while teaching (unless you’re teaching online) or in a meeting, but that’s a personal choice. If you wanted to wear it, and don’t mind people knowing that you’re pumping, you absolutely could!

I don’t feel any discomfort or pain while I’m pumping with the Elvie breast pump… at least no more than usual! You do need to make sure you have a good fit, just like any pump. The bottles each hold about 6 ounces of milk before auto shutting off. Sometimes when I lean forward too much the milk will shift in the container and mess with the sensor, turning the pump off automatically. Luckily I can turn it on with the press of a button on the pump or using the app on my phone! Having the app makes it so easy to control the pump.

Quick story: Once I was at lunch with my husband when I needed to pump, so I went to the bathroom, placed the pumps in my bra, and walked back out. I then used the app to turn it on and off and pumped at the bar while we waited for our lunch to arrive. I’ve had zero issues with leaking or poor suction.

Do you need a pumping bra to use the Elvie pump?

You don’t need any special pumping bra to pump! I just wear a regular nursing bra (I LOVE this one) and high-waisted leggings pretty much every day. Also – I wore THESE maternity leggings throughout my entire pregnancy with twins (at 33 weeks pregnant I was measuring like 42 weeks if it were a singleton pregnancy). And still, wear them multiple times a week, 6 months postpartum. They are buttery smooth and have held up amazingly well. The leggings have nothing to do with the Elvie pump, I just love them that much!

I also wear sports bras or bralettes frequently and have no issues pumping while wearing those. You do not need a pumping bra to pump while wearing the Elvie Breast Pump!

Well – what do you think?

Have I convinced you yet? If so – head on over to Target or Amazon to order your own! And then be sure to come back here and let me know what you think.

Ready for some help keeping your newborn baby busy while you pump?