Do you find that you leak a lot of breast milk into breast pads? If so, a milk catcher can help you save it for your baby instead of throwing it away! Here’s a complete Elvie Catch review.
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What is the Elvie Catch?
The Elvie Catch is a breast milk collection cup that you place in your bra.
Many people use breast pads while they’re lactating in order to avoid leaking onto the front of their shirt. The Elvie Catch works just like a nursing pad – you wear it in your bra, and it catches leaks.
However, instead of losing the breast milk to a cotton breast pad, the milk is collected in a small collection cup, and you can save it to feed to your baby.
Is it obvious that you’re wearing it?
In my experience, not at all – but it depends a bit on your breast size and what you’re wearing. If you’re wearing a tight shirt and a bra without padding, or have very large breasts, it might be noticeable.
Here are pictures of me not wearing them and wearing them:
Do you need to worry about milk leaking out?
I wore them around the house for several days with about an ounce of liquid in them, and had no issues with leaking, even when bending over to pick something up off the floor.
I probably wouldn’t wear them when lying down (though some have said they wear them at night), and I would get the hang of them at home before wearing them to work or that type of thing. But overall, I was surprised by how secure they were.
How do you wash them?
To wash the Elvie catch, you take it apart (the top comes off for cleaning), and then wash in warm soapy water, just as you would wash other infant feeding items.
What do you do with the milk?
Once you’ve “caught” milk in the Catch, you can pour it into a bottle or breast milk storage bag.
Tip: If possible, it’s a good idea to use your breast shield as a funnel to avoid spills when transferring milk.
What are the advantages of using the Elvie Catch?
The pros to wearing the Catch include:
- Breastmilk that would have been lost into a cotton breast pad can be saved and given to your baby!
- Easy to use for catching letdown milk on one side while nursing or pumping on the other.
- They can be comfortable for some people with nipple damage, because no fabric or anything touches your nipple directly when you’re wearing them.
- Because they are reusable, it’s a one-time cost and more environmentally-friendly than disposable breast pads.
- Depending on your outfit, it’s pretty discreet (i.e., not obvious) when worn under a lightly padded nursing bra.
What are the disadvantages of using the Elvie Catch?
There are also a few cons to using the Catch:
- If you wear them all day every day, you would need to have multiple sets or wash them every 3-4 hours (if you plan to save and feed the milk you collect). Breast milk can be kept at room temperature for about 4 hours.
- They are easy to take apart to wash, but putting them back together could be easier.
Elvie Catch review – what’s the bottom line?
The Elvie Catch is a great investment for many parents! I would have used it throughout my breastfeeding experience as opposed to normal breast pads, but I think it would have been most useful:
- Early on after you have your baby, when you randomly leak every hour or so. Might as well save that milk!
- While nursing on one side, to avoid either making a mess or losing the milk to a breast pad on the other.
- When dealing with nipple soreness (when the nipple touching cloth is painful).
Have you used this milk catcher? Let us know your Elvie Catch review in the comments!
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