Design for relaxation during milk expression using biofeedback

Abstract

Many women experience difficulty expressing milk using a breast pump. A negative influence upon their success is stress, hampering the milk ejection reflex. We explore biofeedback to enhance relaxation during milk expression. We discuss context, the principles of biofeedback and the design of an experiential prototype. The effect of biofeedback on milk expression shows promising trends towards increased relaxation, shorter time to milk ejection, and more milk production. Themes that emerged are: control, distraction, endorsement, setting of milk expression session, and pragmatism. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.