Gerber Express & Go Massaging Manual Breast Pump Kit
As a fairly recent entrant in the breastpumps industry, Gerber has certainly launched themselves quite cautiously. A leader in the baby-food segment since 1927/28, the company's management has strived to make all the right moves in order to succeed in a cut-throat, competitive market.
The Express & Go Massaging Manual Breast Pump Kit was launched in April 2004, and hit the shelves of Babies R Us, Target and Wal-Mart within three months. The natural star of the kit is the manual breastpump; which has been designed in collaboration with Dr. Tone Fleischer, a Norway-based physician, who patented the pump's masssaging funnel.
The uniqueness of the Gerber pump is that it uses two sets of specially designed pads known as SoftMassage pads, which simulate the baby's lips and tongue in their movement. This gives a very comfortable experience for the mother, whose body gets the impression that it is the baby that is suckling at the breast. This causes her to let down faster, and in a natural manner. Another beauty of this pump is that there are no small parts in the whole device - and all that it takes is just four easy steps to assemble it.
When ready to express milk, the mother simply has to center the funnel over the nipple and the areola. The funnel has to be pressed firmly against the breast, so that no air escapes. When the pump handle is pulled down, some sort of vacuum is immediately felt in the region cupped by the funnel. Simultaneously, the two pads begin their massaging activity at the breast tissues. This results in letting down of the milk. When the handle is released, the flow of the milk stops. This action can be repeated till the entire amount of milk in the breast has been exhausted.
The Express & Go Kit has, besides the breastpump, two bottles of 5 oz. capacity for the purpose of collecting expressed milk. It also has two slow-flow nipples and one bottle stand. The valve inside the breastpump is vulnerable to be damaged over a period of time; hence the kit also contains a spare valve. There is an ice gel pack and a nursing pad sample pack for mothers to soothe the tensions in the breast muscles and tissue.
Gerber has not yet come out with the electrical version of their breastpump. This means that their target focus continues to be mothers who are not going to work. By their very nature, manual pumps take longer time as compared to their electric counterparts when it comes to speed of expression. For stay-at-home moms, however, the unique two-pad combination that massages the breasts at just the right time to stimulate letting-down would be an attraction.
Mothers who occasionally face the problem of engorged breasts, as well as those who suffer from mastitis, may also find the Gerber manual breastpump quite handy. In case of any evening out, the mother would find it quite convenient to express milk in advance and store it in the refridgerator, so that any late returns do not bring any guilt feeling of the baby not being fed on time. At an economical price, the pump is quite a deal.