Designed to Disappear: The Breast Pump That Fits Real Life
Because no new mum has time for tangled wires, leaking bottles, or being plugged into the wall.
There’s a quiet shift that happens somewhere around week two of motherhood. You’ve survived the whirlwind of birth, the half-eaten toast, the hazy nights of trying to remember which boob you fed from last. And then one morning, while balancing your newborn in one arm and a cold cup of tea in the other, you realise you are now a person who gets deeplyexcited about a breast pump.
Not just any pump, though. A wearable, hands-free, app-connected piece of wizardry that lets you express milk while scrolling Instagram or trying to remember how to make porridge. Enter: the Medela Wearable Magic InBra™ Pump—the device new mum Hannah Tomlinson credits with giving her back the tiniest slice of her time, her sanity, and her morning routine.
From Tethered to Free: How This Pump Quietly Changed Everything
“Breastfeeding came naturally for us, which I feel lucky about—but expressing? That felt like a dark art,” says Hannah. “The first time I tried a traditional pump, I looked like a hostage wired to a milking machine. And I could barely move. The Medela InBra changed all of that.”
Unlike the clunky contraptions of motherhoods past, this is a hands-free pump that actually is hands-free. It tucks inside your bra, works silently in the background, and doesn’t require you to be tethered to a wall. “It’s genuinely wearable,” she says. “I’ve pumped while drinking coffee, brushing my teeth, even walking around the garden trying to get Naia to sleep. It’s that discreet.”
“In the haze of new motherhood, anything that makes life easier earns its place. This did.”
The setup is surprisingly simple: soft silicone flange clicks into the curved collection cup, which you position inside your nursing bra so your nipple sits in the centre. One button (or a tap in the app), and it kicks off with a fluttery stimulation phase—just like a baby’s latch—before switching to a slower, more rhythmic suction. It collects milk directly into a spill-proof cup you can pour out into bottles later. No dangling bottles, no noisy motor, no tubes trailing across the sofa like medical waste.
“The suction is brilliant. Proper hospital-grade, but not in a way that makes you wince. And I get just as much milk as I used to with my plug-in pump,” says Hannah. “But now, I’m not stuck in a chair like my charger is a leash.”
The freedom, she adds, is everything. And the way she puts it makes you realise just how revolutionary a little mobility can feel when your body isn’t entirely your own.
“I can multitask, which sounds boring, but when you have a newborn, it’s gold. I’ve used it while washing up, answering a WhatsApp, or lying perfectly still pretending to be asleep.”
“It’s discreet enough to answer the door with it on. I’ve spoken to Dominic mid-pump and he didn’t notice.”
“It’s comfortable, soft, and once it’s in the right place, I forget I’m wearing it. No awkward angles or leaning forward to catch every drop.”
“It’s quiet. I’ve pumped during a Zoom call with my audio on. No one knew.”
“Most importantly, it doesn’t make me feel like a dairy cow. I don’t dread pumping anymore—it just fits into my day.”
Cleaning, Charging, and Other Logistics
In the newborn haze, anything that adds faff is swiftly exiled. But Hannah says the InBra passes the test. “There are fewer parts than other pumps I’ve tried—no fiddly tubes or ten tiny valves to keep track of,” she says. “I rinse it after every use and pop the parts in the Baby Brezza steriliser. It fits perfectly and comes out dry and ready.”
Battery life is another win: it charges via USB-C (same as your phone), and she only charges it once every day or two. “I plug it in overnight like my phone—it’s second nature now.”
She’s also a fan of the Medela app, which syncs with the pump to help you track your output, session time, and which side you pumped from last. “It’s not essential, but it’s so helpful when your brain is operating on three hours of broken sleep.”
“I didn’t realise how much I’d value being able to pump on my terms. It’s helped me stick with breastfeeding, but it’s also given me flexibility. Dominic can give Naia a bottle while I shower or take a breath, and I don’t feel like I’ve lost that connection,” she says.
“It’s one of the few baby products I’ve used that genuinely gives more than it takes—more time, more freedom, more ease. And in the early days, that’s everything..”
Available from £249.99, the Medela InBra is stocked at Medela.co.uk, Boots, and John Lewis — and, according to Hannah, it’s worth every penny.
