AWARD YEAR
2023
CATEGORY
Body
GOALS
Good Health & Well-being, Gender Equality, Generational Harmony
KEYWORDS
breastfeeding, women’s health, motherhood , breast pump , postnatal care
COUNTRY
United Kingdom
DESIGNED BY
Elvie
WEBSITE
https://www.elvie.com/en-gb/shop/elvie-curve
Elvie Curve
Elvie Curve is a compact silicone breast pump designed for women on the move.
How does it work?
A smart and hassle-free technology, Elvie Curve is a silicone breast pump that can be worn inside any nursing bra for a seamless milk expression. The discreet, hands-free device requires no cords, batteries or a motor, and it follows a simple mechanism. Once positioned on one breast, one could press the contours of the flexible silicone cup to trigger a natural suction that pumps milk. The beauty of it is that one could simultaneously engage one breast to express milk from the pump, and feed the child from the other. The product, as per the Elvie team, "is the ultimate tool for 'mom-tasking' — even when she is on-the-move."
Why is it needed?
Differentiated from the Elvie Pump in the absence of the need of batteries, both the innovations, however, allow flexibility and comfort for mothers to “pump anywhere, anytime”. The device is made of a compact plastic body housing the hemispherical silicone cup. A curved opening at the top of the product enables women to adjust their nipple, in position, before pressing the silicone surface for milk express.
What makes Elvie Curve stand apart from the conventional breast pumps is the lack of a need of continuous pressing to suck the milk out. Upon squeezing the cup, Elvie Curve creates a vacuum that renders gentle suction on the breasts by the slow deformation of the pouch. One just needs to apply a tender pressure every one or two minutes for consistency in the milk flow. A valve built within the container, when pressed, allows one to easily take the product off, or to lessen the suction.
How does it improve life?
What was available in the market in the name of pelvic floor trainers and breast pumps were gadgets that were too clumsy in their mechanism and which largely inhibited women to use them with confidence in public areas. The perception of these products as well as of women’s health during postpartum and breastfeeding experience were issues that were downright tabooed.
Elvie Curve is born from the efforts of a team of women designers and several mothers from across the globe whose thought-provoking insights helped building the final product. Other products launched as part of the breastfeeding range are the Elvie Catch (a set of breastmilk collection cups with slip-proof security) and Elvie Stride (a hand-free electric breast pump). The wearable technology marks a revolutionary step in de-stigmatising the notion of maternity aids by giving woman freedom to express milk wherever and however they like, without a speck of hesitance.