Last week, Mikaela (my partner for the breast pump) and I realized that it has been one complete year since we began the project. We started with a foot-powered pump that was extremely difficult to operate, and we worked on this for 7 months. In February, we essentially started from scratch to reach our current rocking chair-based model. In the past year, we have come a very long way, and I am excited to see where the project goes. With this in mind, it is fitting that I went to Queen’s yesterday to receive feedback on our design. This was a great opportunity to learn where Mikaela and I can improve our design. I presented it to the morning handover meeting for Pediatrics and received some very useful responses.

Many of the doctors wanted to see more tests done before being comfortable implementing the design, and some of these tests were for things I had not thought would be a problem. First, they want to see information regarding the maximum weight limit of the pump, since a considerable amount of force is being placed on the canister on the corners. Although it has supported 200-250 lbs in the past, these have only been for small amounts of time We need to have the breast pump support this amount of weight, or greater, for the time of a full expression while rocking is occurring, then examine it for any damage.

Another test that they were interested in regards which portions of the device become contaminated by breast milk, leading to concern about the spread of bacteria and HIV. Initially, I had not considered droplets traveling up the tubing, but quickly realized that this was a possibility. If the tubing becomes contaminated, so could the syringes, making our “multi-user pump” a “single-user pump”. To combat this, Mikaela and I need to find a way to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses into the tubing. We know that this is possible, as breast pump company Ameda has a method of doing this described in the video linked here.

Beyond these concerns, most of the doctors who looked at the breast pump enjoyed it! They think that a rocking chair-based breast pump is a clever idea and they think it could be helpful for mothers in the pediatrics nursery as well as in Chantinkha, as many mothers there have trouble expressing. Many doctors sat in the breast pump and operated it, feeling the suction on the hand or arm. They were surprised by the amount of suction it could generate and enjoyed the rocking motion.

I am excited by the feedback we received in this meeting. The feedback was not all good – many doctors made comments about portions of the design that I had not considered problematic or brought up concerns that I had not thought of, but that is a good thing! Mikeala and I now have a better idea of where we need to focus our work in order to produce the best design possible. I cannot wait to return to the OEDK in August and continue working, iterating, and improving.