When you’re exclusively pumping, your breast pump can feel like a ball and chain. The Baby Buddha breast pump is a great mobility pump that can give you a lot more freedom while still getting your pumping sessions in! Here’s a Baby Buddha review.
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What is the Baby Buddha?
The Baby Buddha is a great mobility pump.
One of the hardest things about exclusively pumping is feeling tied down. If your pump doesn’t have a battery pack, you’re stuck next to an outlet.
And even if your pump doesn’t need to be plugged in, a larger pump can leave you more or less stuck in one place because it can be a hassle to pick up and carry around.
The Baby Buddha pump has a rechargeable battery and is super small! It comes with a lanyard, so you can hang it around your neck, or you could easily fit it into a pocket.
How to use the Baby Buddha
Like most breast pumps, the Baby Buddha has two modes: letdown and expression mode. Most people start the pump off in letdown mode for a few minutes and then switch to expression mode after getting a letdown.
However, others find it works better to use one or the other for longer. The Baby Buddha is a little different from other breast pumps in that every few “pulls” is longer pull. Experiment and see what works best for you!
To adjust the settings on the Baby Buddha, you can use the roller ball. Press it to switch modes, and roll up to increase suction or down to decrease suction.
You can see more of how to use it in these stories that I did:
Suction strength
I’m not going to lie. The suction on the Baby Buddha is STRONG.
(The company sent me a pump after I’d weaned and I decided to try it anyway just for fun. Research, right? My nipples have clearly gone soft – I couldn’t get past the first setting because the suction was so strong!)
This can be great if you have problems getting letdowns and feeling “empty” after pumping. However, some people find that they need gentler suction.
Hacking the Baby Buddha to use other pump parts
Because the Baby Buddha is often purchased as a second pump, many parents want to use their existing pump parts with their Baby Buddha pump.
Using Baby Buddha with Freemie Cups
If you want even MORE freedom, you can also use the Baby Buddha pump with closed system Freemie collection cups.
Image courtesy Kahla from Exclusively Pumping Mamas Facebook group.
Note that the Baby Buddha tubing can be difficult to get in there, so this setup is attached with Bella Baby tubing.
You can also use Legendairy Milk collection cups with this pump.
Want to check these out? Legendairy Milk reached out and gave me a discount code – take 15% off with the code EPUMP!
Medela Pump Parts
You may be able to use Medela pump parts with the Baby Buddha. Here’s how I did it with the closed system parts used with the Max Flow:
With older, open-system Medela pump parts (such as the Pump in Style Advanced), you need to attach a backflow protector to prevent milk getting into the tubing.
To set this up, you can connect the pump to Medela pump parts using the Maymom long stem backflow protector. (Here is a detailed overview on how to do this; instead of connecting the tubing to your Spectra, you connect it to the Baby Buddha.)
Motif Luna/Spectra Pump Parts
You can do something similar with Motif Luna pump parts.
Here, I removed the white tubing connector from the Baby Buddha tubing, and attached the tubing to the Motif Luna backflow protector.
Baby Buddha Discount Code
Baby Buddha gave us a special discount referral code for you guys – you can get 10% off with the code EPM10!
The Baby Buddha consistently gets good reviews in our Facebook group, and I think it’s a great investment for exclusive pumpers to be more free of the “ball and chain.”
Do you have a Baby Buddha breast pump? Share you Baby Buddha review in the comments!
Hi Stefanie!
I got my BB a couple of weeks ago and thought it would be love at first pump based on the reviews but it has fallen short of the hype in my case. I’m a spectra s1 user and I get most of my milk within the first 10 minutes(with pumpkin pals silicone flanges). I’m having trouble getting letdowns in the same time with the BB and the letdowns don’t produce as much milk-I always pump about an ounce less each time, even if I pump for 20 minutes. I really need a portable pump because my 6 month old has shown little to no improvement after his tongue and lip tie release(late diagnosis due to posterior tie) and I rely heavily on pumping to maintain supply. Do you have suggestions for a portable pump that may work better or tips for making the BB work?
If I use a spectra s2 and a mommy s12 and can’t get above level 2 of suction. Should I avoid this pump?
Hi Stefanie! I probably wouldn’t get this pump, I’m sorry. Maybe an S9 would work for you?
Is this something that will last if using it during an 8 hour work day, 3-4 days a week? I groom dogs, wanting something I can throw on during a 40 minute groom and still be able to work! I work one on one with dogs, so I don’t need to worry about people coming in and seeing me pump.
Hi Tylor, yes that should work fine!
I love my Baby Buddha and I got freemie collection cups for extra flexibility (mostly so I can wear a wider variety of bras and still be hands-free). But I get way less milk when it’s hooked up to the freemie cups. I thought it might just be because I can more easily compress/massage with the BB flanges but I don’t think that completely explains it. I tried 2 different freemie cup sizes and it didn’t seem to make a difference. Any other suggestions?
Hi Nora! Have you tried a tighter bra at all?
Oh good suggestion, I haven’t experimented with that!
How did you get the yellow connectors off the Medela PIS Max Flow tubing?? Mine are really stuck on there and do not budge!
Hi Maya! Mine weren’t that hard to get off – that’s so weird that it’s different. I’m sorry!! Maybe you could try getting an extra set from amazon and see if they are just as stubborn? Just an idea. Sorry about that!
Baby Buddha is amazing.. I’ve been using it since February 2021 ; But unfortunately today my roller doesn’t switch to the expression mode !
Did you face this problem or what should I do with it !!
Hi Fatma! I’m so sorry! Have you tried contacting their customer service at all?
So I am not loving my baby Buddha but I think it’s user error. I tried the freemie closed cups and it was barley working and then I tried to use it with my Medela closed system but couldn’t get the yellow end off the tubing and didn’t want to break it. Any tips? Thank you!
Any tips? I would love to use my baby Buddha but also don’t want to break the medela tubing. Thank you!
Where can I see how you hacked the Medela Pump in Style max flow closed system?
Hi Noa! Can you see this story?
https://exclusivepumping.com/web-stories/baby-buddha-medela/
Hello! I EPd for my first a few years back and used my spectra S1 which I loved after starting with the awful PISA. I am now 3 months with my 2nd and looking like I will be pumping full time again. I purchased the Baby Buddha and have used a few times since it provides the portability and size. But I have recently gotten a very painful clogged duct 2x after switching between the two pumps throughout the day. The BB empties me faster time wise so I stop when I see my usual volume because I don’t want to keep going in fear of increasing supply ( already have oversupply) vs the spectra. Curious as your thoughts if using 2 pumps may be the issue or if I really have to add more time while using the Buddha ? I figured it would be just about the volume I remove to signal replacement, but maybe I am missing something ?
Hi Laura! Hmm – are you taking lecithin at all? That might solve the clogged duct problem. Here is more info:
https://exclusivepumping.com/lecithin-recurrent-plugged-ducts/
I wouldn’t think that using two different pumps would be a problem if you’re pumping the same volume but breastfeeding can be really weird. 🙂
Do you have a review for bella baby? Is the suction strength comparable to babybuddha?
I have never used it but that’s my understanding – it has strong suction. A lot of people like it. The company that makes it is out of China and the customer service you’ll get is pretty minimal.
I LOVE my Baby Buddha. I used a Medela Pump in Style for about 3 months before I had to “untether”. I just bought the Freemies Closed System AND the Pumpin Pals (with the Maymom hack) and trying them both out to see what works the best. So far, with the Freemies I’m completely mobile and most importantly able to pick up and take care of my little one while I pump. Still wouldn’t want to be in public without some additional coverage on, but I think I could use this on a flight in a pinch.
Would recommend this to anyone exclusively pumping. Standard pump setup just isn’t convenient enough.
Also ordered this pump bag from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L5RTBPX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_QWLVDbNXWNABQ
Totally worth the $30. Putting freezer packs in the bottom kept the entire bag cool and easily fits 3-4 smaller bottles (4oz baby bottles), the Baby Buddha pump and the Freemies with some room to spare. Perfect for semi long outings.
Thanks so much for this review and info!