u8ashark

I had some help early on in my experience with Whisper Wear and have been using the pump successfully for almost a year now. In order to help other women with their Whisper Wear, I’ve collected the following tips for successful use as well as trouble shooting. Not that the Whisper Wear NEEDS a trouble shooting guide more than any other pump does, but because the design is so radically different than other pumps and something you haven’t seen the likes of before. In the early days, perfectly intelligent people couldn’t always get it right. Unlike other pumps where you have lots of mothers who can help trouble shoot for you, the Whisper Wear is so discrete in its use that you may not know where to find a friend to give you help. Turns out many of my friends had used one and I never knew! Let me be that friend to you. See, it’s only [insert time here] O’clock and you already have a new friend.

First, you want to read the user guide that came with your pump thoroughly, carefully, and completely prior to first use to familiarize yourself with the proper sterilization, assembly, and operation of the pump. Seriously, read the directions. Don’t just say “yeah, yeah, yeah” and then only read part of them.

If you have further questions not covered here or continue to experience difficulty, please contact Customer Care at care@whisperwear.com or (770) 984-0905 Option 3 and the nicest, and I mean NICEST, lady will be happy to help you with your pump.

Pump Does Not Turn On:
Verify that the batteries are fully charged (verify the expiration date and or use a battery tester) and installed in the proper orientation (+/-) as shown in the battery trays of the pump. This may seem a little elemental but we haven’t been getting much sleep lately, have we?
If you’re having trouble seeing the battery orientation diagram in the battery compartment, lightly rub with a crayon (you can even choose your favorite color!) and the markings will be easier to see. You will only have to do this once.
To ease insertion and avoid damaging the pump, insert batteries so that the end of the battery towards the metal spring goes in last.

Little or No Vacuum:
-The small, lavender-colored rubber valve must be clean (i.e., no invisible soap or milk fat residue) and fully inserted into the valve opening in the breast cup. Push it in all the way. ALL the way in. Make sure it isn’t partially out on one side. Push it in all the way. Push it all the way in till it won’t go in any more. The valve must be in all the way. This is most important. You should have to push a bit to get the valve into the opening. If it kinda slips in easily then it could potentially slip out easily. [See: Milk Fat and Lotion Soap Residue Cleaning]
-The purple-colored plastic support ring must be properly and fully seated on the breast cup. After washing, ensure that no milk or soap residue or even a microscopic drop of water remain on the inside of the support ring or on the outside of the breast cup or the breast cup could potentially pop out of the support ring while pumping.
- The breast cup and support ring must be fully seated in the pump. Once the support ring, breast cup, and valve are properly assembled, press the breast cup into the pump until you hear and feel it click firmly into place.
-The pump must fit comfortably, yet firmly against the breast. If the pump is tipping away from the breast [most commonly occurs at the "top" of the pump when a too loose fitting bra is used] tighten the corresponding bra strap to ensure a snug fit. If the support ring, breast cup, and valve are properly assembled, the pump will not require an uncomfortably tight fit. The whisper wear pump can be used with just about any bra, nursing AND regular style; you don’t have to buy any special ones. I find I get the best results with a nice, supportive sports bra. However, a “”sleep bra” may be too loose.
-The nipple should be positioned in the center of the breast cup opening.
-A few notes on bras . . . . If after adjusting, your bra is too loose or too stretchy to support the pump (which is exceptionally light weight) causing the pump to lean forward at the top, your bra may not be giving you enough support when you’re not using the pump and doing something other than standing still like climbing stairs or chasing after a toddler. You might want to invest in a more supportive bra for everyday use anyway. We don’t want to have sagging boobies, do we? Only a good friend would tell you that your bra may not be slinging you up well enough. Remember, I’m that good friend. Just thoughts.

Breast Cup Pops Out of the Purple Support Ring When Pumping:
-Follow these steps to remedy:
1. Remove the support ring from the breast cup
2. Thoroughly wash both the support ring and the breast cup with hot water and a degreasing detergent. I like Dawn which will remove even the invisible milk fat residue. I REALLY like the new Dawn Direct Foam for both it’s effectiveness and its ease of use. VERY IMPORTANT: DO NOT USE HAND SOAP OR OTHER DETERGENTS THAT MAY INCLUDE LOTIONS OR OTHER LUBRICANT ADDITIVES. Yep, that may mean the soap in public restrooms. I find that Clorox Bleach Free Wipes (unscented) can clean your pump parts safely in a pinch. Simply dry them afterwards with a paper towel and if you’re unsure, you could rinse them with water and then dry them with a paper towel. If I’m out and the breast cup slips out of the support ring, using one of these wipes always does the trick.
3. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
4. Dry parts completely. Even if you air dry you pump parts, when they look dry take a dry paper towel and rub HARD on the contact surfaces of the breast cup and support ring to help remove any leftover invisible residue as well as absorb even microscopic drops of water that could also ‘lubricate’ the support ring away from the breast cup.
5. Reinstall support ring onto breast cup. (See the User Guide that came with your pump in the section Getting Started)

Milk Leakage:
First of all let me state that the Whisper Wear does not leak. THE WHISPER WEAR PUMP DOES NOT LEAK. If you’ve heard otherwise, it’s because the pump wasn’t assembled properly. I’ve been using my pump for almost a year, for every one of my daughter’s meals, (it’s a very long story) and have NEVER had a leak. NEVER. Never, ever, ever. If you’ve had a leak in the past or heard your cousin’s neighbor’s dog groomer’s best friend had one, it’s simply because the pump wasn’t put together correctly. Perfectly intelligent women who even have expensive educations sometimes couldn’t get it either. No worries though. It’s not your or your CNDGBF’s fault because you didn’t have a friend to help show you how simple assembling the pump correctly can be. . . . but, you have ME as your friend now so you won’t have a leak. Isn’t that nice? By the way, it’s a dirty little secret that the Madela pumps ALL leak. Every woman who uses a Madela knows the exact forward angle one must lean in order to get the milk to go into the collection containers and not run down the underside of her breast. Which it just might do anyway. Oh, and smash the Madela cups as hard as possible against her breasts. Even then still getting some leakage from the Madela pump. Anyway, I digress; let’s proceed.
-The valve must be clean (i.e., no invisible soap or milk fat residue) and fully inserted into the valve opening in the breast cup. Remember this from earlier? Yes, I told you the valve is important. It really, really is. Ensure the skirt of the valve is completely flush to the breast cup. Be careful not to knock the valve out of position when the breast cup is inserted into the pump.
-The breast cup and support ring must be fully seated in the pump. Once the support ring, breast cup, and valve are properly assembled, press the breast cup into the pump until you hear and feel it click firmly into place.
-The stem should be inserted fully into the collection bag so that it’s even with the top of the collection bag. Ensure that the collection bag does not come above the top of the stem and that you’ve removed any ‘hanging chad’ of plastic from where you tore open the bag. Both situations could cause the valve to be knocked out of place. [See: Why the Valve is so Freakin' Important]
-The stem with bag attached should be fully inserted into the pump until it “clicks” into place. When properly inserted, the stem should require reasonable force to remove it from the pump. Give a little tug on the bottom of the bag just to check.
If you have further questions not covered here or continue to experience difficulty, please contact Customer Care at care@whisperwear.com or (770) 984-0905 Option 3 and the nicest, and I mean NICEST, lady will be happy to help you with your pump.