This report describes the project background, design process plus the final result of my MFA degree thesis in Advanced Product Design at Umeå Institute of Design. A breast pump is generally a mechanical or electrical suction device for withdrawing milk from the breast of a lactating woman. Even though the first pumps were patented in the mid-19th century as medical devices for in-hospital use, breast pumps as widely available consumer products have only been around for a little more than 20 years. Existing breast pumps do not address functional as well as emotional needs of many mothers and there is great potential for improvements and innovative solutions to transform pumping into a more enjoyable and positively associated experience. The main purpose of this project is to rethink the way breast pumps are currently used in order to push the boundaries, and come up with a forward-looking, conceptual design solution as a final result. This human-centered design project was carried out in close collaboration with various experts in the areas of pediatrics, breastfeeding and lactation counselling. Moreover this project was done in cooperation with leading design and innovation consulting firm IDEO. San Francisco basted design director Thomas Overthun provided mentoring throughout the design process. Regular check-in calls and feedback sessions were set up throughout the project to discuss project milestones. Anders Smith, an experienced industrial designer from Denmark, closely followed throughout the project as an external design tutor at Umeå Institute of Design. Several tutoring sessions were held on a regular basis. Continuous involvement of experts and external project advisors helped to make sure that the project remains valid and provided a great source for relevant insights, expert knowledge and professional feedback. "Being able to develop an impactful and forward-looking design solution that can encourage positive change both on an individual and societal level has been my main motivation to tackle this design challenge".

[Truncated abstract] In women, as in other mammals, the ability to successfully lactate depends on both complete functional development of the mammary gland and the stimulation of the milk ejection reflex to enable the suckling young to remove stored milk. Prior to my studies, Sir Astley Cooper’s carried out the most comprehensive investigation of the gross anatomy of the lactating human breast in 1840. I have used ultrasound to image the anatomy of the breasts of fully breastfeeding women (1-6 months, n=22) with particular emphasis on the distribution of the main milk ducts, glandular and adipose tissue. Scanning of the milk duct system demonstrated that the anatomy in the region of the areola and nipple is different to that depicted in standard anatomical textbooks. The main milk ducts were small (diameter, left: 1.9 ± 0.6 mm; right: 2.1 ± 0.7 mm), superficial (depth, left: 4.50 ± 1.98 mm; right: 4.74 ± 1.59 mm) and branched close to the nipple (within 8.20 ± 6.27 mm, left; 7.00 ± 3.98 mm, right) (mean ± SD). The lactiferous sinuses (described in current textbooks) were not observed and the number of main ducts detected at the base of the nipple was less than the quoted 15-20 (9.4, range 4-18). Quantitative descriptions of the morphology of either the lactating or, indeed, the non-lactating breasts have not been attempted using ultrasound. I developed a systematic approach to ultrasound imaging of the breast that provided a semi-quantitative description of the distribution of glandular and adipose tissues within the lactating breast. Approximately two thirds of the breast was comprised of glandular tissue. Intraglandular fat was identified as hypoechoic transects within the hyperechoic glandular tissue. Over 65% of the glandular tissue together with 50% of the intraglandular fat and 25% of the subcutaneous fat was located within a 30 mm radius of the base of the nipple. The absence of lactiferous sinuses and the arrangement of tissue within a 30 mm radius of the nipple suggested that the current conceptualisation of sucking dynamics of the infant requires revision. Successful milk removal depends on the stimulation of the milk ejection reflex and currently subjective assessments of milk ejection such as the mother’s sensations and an alteration in the infants sucking and swallowing are used clinically to confirm milk ejection whereas in research two stressful invasive procedures; changes blood oxytocin and intra-ductal pressure have been used. I have developed a non-invasive ultrasound technique to detect milk ejection in women

During this unique moment of feminist inquiry wherein breastfeeding has been a focal point of interdisciplinary research, little sociological scholarship has been presented which has centered on the various meanings that African American mothers, as a diverse group, attach to their experiences with breastfeeding and/or infant formula use. While patterns of behavior have been explored in a cross-racial context, most social science studies have not focused on how the choice between breastfeeding, using infant formula, or using a combination of the two has impacted (or has been shaped by) African American mothers’ constructs of self, motherhood/mothering, their birth experiences, and their sexuality. In order to understand the interplay of the decision-making process and these constructs, I conducted a qualitative study in which I participated in face-to-face interviews with a diverse group of thirty African-American mothers. They ranged in age from 18 years-old to 50-years-old. At the time of her interview, each mother had at least one child who was three-years-old or younger. Through our discussions, we explored how pre-pregnancy perceptions, lived experiences as a mother, familial influences, and the discourses surrounding motherhood within an African-American context affected the perceptions and experiences that the mothers in the study had with their infant feeding practice(s). Findings suggest that while African Americans mothers know that “breast is best,” that knowledge is not the only reason for their decisions. The first step in understanding why African-American mothers choose the feeding method(s) that they choose is embracing the reality that choosing is an ongoing and dynamic process which is often informed by what she does versus “is supposed to do” versus how she is portrayed weighed with the consequences of her choice(s) for herself and her family. Further, African American mothers are in the active process of negotiating an evolving definition of themselves within this post-Civil Rights, Affirmative Action context wherein choices appear abundant, but the choosing always comes with a price.

Le tire-lait est un appareil conçu pour aider les mères durant l’allaitement. Selon la recherche préliminaire effectuée, c’est un thème très peu exploré dans les études; il est donc difficile d’affirmer si le produit répond correctement aux besoins reliés à son usage et à son utilité ou comment il s’intègre dans l’allaitement. Les fondements de l’étude exploratoire ont été bâtis sur ces enjeux dans le but de comprendre l’expérience d’usage du tire-lait. Inspirée de l’approche phénoménologique centrée sur l’usager, l’étude a permis d’amasser des données qualitatives à travers des entrevues semi-dirigées auprès de sept participantes. L’analyse de ces données a permis d’identifier les thèmes importants qui ont mené à des constats, rédigés dans une optique de design. L’étude a trouvé que c’est souvent quand la réalité de l’allaitement au sein rattrape les mères qu’elles vont vouloir se procurer un tire-lait, en s’inspirant des marques utilisées dans les hôpitaux par manque de temps. Le tire-lait devient alors principalement utile pour se désengorger et pour la liberté qu’il procure, s’intégrant dans une routine. Le tire-lait est par contre peu ergonomique; il semble y avoir un décalage entre le concept proposé et les manipulations réelles, notamment au niveau de la mise en marche, des bouteilles et des embouts. Ces résultats de l’étude pourraient être intégrés dans le tire-lait pour mieux représenter la réalité du contexte, de la pratique et de l’usage du produit. Ils pourraient ainsi nourrir le processus de conception dans un projet futur afin d’améliorer le design du tire-lait. / The breast pump is an apparatus which can help mothers breast feeding. According to a preliminary study, breast pumping has not been explored a lot in previous studies; thus, it is hard to tell if the product responds well to the needs of its use and utility, or how it is combined with breastfeeding. The basis of the exploratory study was built on those stakes with the purpose of understanding the experience of use of the breast pump. Inspired by the user centered phenomenological approach, qualitative date with semi-structured interviews involving seven participants were cumulated. The analysis of the data made it possible to identify the important themes, which led to statements that have been interpreted from a design perspective. The study found that it is often when the reality of breast feeding overtakes mothers that they will feel the need to get a breast pump, inspired by the brands used in hospitals because au lack of time. The breast pump is mainly used to ease breast congestion and is valued for the liberty it provides, getting integrated in a routine. The breast pump is not ergonomic; there seems to be an offset between its design and its real manipulations. Those results of the study could be integrated in the breast pump to represent better the reality of the context, the practice and the use of the product. They could also nurture the process of conception in future project to improve the breast pump design.

Le tire-lait est un appareil conçu pour aider les mères durant l’allaitement. Selon la recherche préliminaire effectuée, c’est un thème très peu exploré dans les études; il est donc difficile d’affirmer si le produit répond correctement aux besoins reliés à son usage et à son utilité ou comment il s’intègre dans l’allaitement. Les fondements de l’étude exploratoire ont été bâtis sur ces enjeux dans le but de comprendre l’expérience d’usage du tire-lait. Inspirée de l’approche phénoménologique centrée sur l’usager, l’étude a permis d’amasser des données qualitatives à travers des entrevues semi-dirigées auprès de sept participantes. L’analyse de ces données a permis d’identifier les thèmes importants qui ont mené à des constats, rédigés dans une optique de design. L’étude a trouvé que c’est souvent quand la réalité de l’allaitement au sein rattrape les mères qu’elles vont vouloir se procurer un tire-lait, en s’inspirant des marques utilisées dans les hôpitaux par manque de temps. Le tire-lait devient alors principalement utile pour se désengorger et pour la liberté qu’il procure, s’intégrant dans une routine. Le tire-lait est par contre peu ergonomique; il semble y avoir un décalage entre le concept proposé et les manipulations réelles, notamment au niveau de la mise en marche, des bouteilles et des embouts. Ces résultats de l’étude pourraient être intégrés dans le tire-lait pour mieux représenter la réalité du contexte, de la pratique et de l’usage du produit. Ils pourraient ainsi nourrir le processus de conception dans un projet futur afin d’améliorer le design du tire-lait. / The breast pump is an apparatus which can help mothers breast feeding. According to a preliminary study, breast pumping has not been explored a lot in previous studies; thus, it is hard to tell if the product responds well to the needs of its use and utility, or how it is combined with breastfeeding. The basis of the exploratory study was built on those stakes with the purpose of understanding the experience of use of the breast pump. Inspired by the user centered phenomenological approach, qualitative date with semi-structured interviews involving seven participants were cumulated. The analysis of the data made it possible to identify the important themes, which led to statements that have been interpreted from a design perspective. The study found that it is often when the reality of breast feeding overtakes mothers that they will feel the need to get a breast pump, inspired by the brands used in hospitals because au lack of time. The breast pump is mainly used to ease breast congestion and is valued for the liberty it provides, getting integrated in a routine. The breast pump is not ergonomic; there seems to be an offset between its design and its real manipulations. Those results of the study could be integrated in the breast pump to represent better the reality of the context, the practice and the use of the product. They could also nurture the process of conception in future project to improve the breast pump design.