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Advancing Breastfeeding Outcomes: The Clinical Impact of Symphony PLUS®

Time to read: 6 min.

For more than 60 years, Medela has led the field of lactation science through close collaboration with global researchers and clinicians. This commitment to evidence-based innovation lead to the Symphony PLUS® Breast Pump with Initiation Technology™.

Symphony PLUS features patented Initiation Technology, uniquely designed to replicate the natural sucking patterns of a newborn during the critical early phase of lactation. More than just an innovation, this clinically proven technology has been shown to significantly improve key breastfeeding outcomes—supporting mothers in establishing and maintaining milk supply during a pivotal period in infant feeding.

The Science Behind Symphony PLUS: Optimizing Lactation Through Evidence-Based Technology

Successful breastfeeding hinges on a mother's ability to "come to volume"—the point at which milk production reaches a sustainable, sufficient level. This milestone is crucial, especially for mothers of NICU infants, as it serves as a strong predictor of whether a baby will receive their mother’s own milk at discharge. Notably, mothers who reach this threshold have 9.7 times greater odds of providing their own milk at the time of NICU discharge.¹

Initiation Technology: Supporting the Critical First Phase

Symphony PLUS integrates Initiation Technology, which uniquely replicates the irregular, non-nutritive sucking patterns of a healthy term infant in the first days postpartum. The pump is designed to optimally stimulate breast tissue and initiate milk synthesis during the sensitive window of lactation initiation.

Clinical research demonstrates that use of Symphony PLUS with Initiation Technology can double the proportion of motherswho successfully come to volume2-4 and is associated with a 50% increase in overall milk supply.*²

Seamless Transition to Maintain Mode

Once the mother has reached the "coming to volume" threshold—sometimes referred to as the establishment of lactogenesis II—Symphony seamlessly transitions to Maintain Mode. This mode mirrors the more rhythmic, nutritive sucking of a term infant during established lactation. It begins with rapid suckling and transitions to slower, deeper suction patterns that support effective milk removal and volume maintenance. 

Both Initiation and Maintain modes are pre-programmed and automatically controlled—requiring no manual adjustments to vacuum settings by the clinician or the mother, ensuring ease of use and consistent performance.

Clinically Proven, Extensively Studied

Symphony PLUS stands as the most rigorously studied hospital-grade breast pump currently available. Its clinical efficacy is supported by a robust body of peer-reviewed research, including 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 1 non-randomized controlled trial (NRCT), and 2 cohort studies.

This comprehensive evidence base underscores the pump’s ability to improve key lactation outcomes while also driving cost efficiencies for healthcare systems by reducing reliance on formula and donor human milk.

Visualizing the Impact of Initiation Technology

The chart below illustrates milk volume progression across various pumping regimens. The green line represents the use of Initiation Technology followed by Maintain Mode—closely mimicking the output pattern of a fully breastfed infant (depicted by the yellow line). In contrast, the gray line shows average milk production when only Maintain Mode is used, approximating the performance of pumps lacking initiation-specific functionality.

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Claims vs. Clinical Proof: What Sets Symphony PLUS Apart

Some competitor breast pumps claim to offer technology comparable to Initiation Technology, but their pumping pattern designs are not grounded in clinical research or natural infant sucking behavior. In contrast, Medela’s patented Initiation Technology is grounded in real infant physiology and supported by multiple clinical studies, offering proven effectiveness—especially in critical NICU environments.

Additional resources and information

References
  1. Parker et al. (2016), Journal of Perinatology, vol. 36, no. 9, 2016, pp. 686–692
  2. Meier PP et al. J Perinatol. 2012; 32(2):103–110.
  3. Yuan S et al. Breastfeed Med. 2023; 18(7):506–513.
  4. Post EDM et al. J Perinatol. 2016; 36(1):47–51.
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We invite you to explore Medela University where you will find online courses for healthcare professionals on breastfeeding & lactation. We also offer a number of free webinars.

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