Heated breast shield

A kit comprising:

• a breast shield that is configured to be coupled to a breast pump and to seal around a breast of a lactating user, the breast shield comprising a resistive heating element, a breast-shield energy source, and a thermal mass that is configured to store thermal energy and transfer stored thermal energy to the breast when the breast shield is sealed around the breast;
• a housing comprising a preheating element, a housing energy source, and a cavity that is configured to conformably cradle the breast shield;
• and
• a control circuitry;
• wherein the control circuitry:
• (i) causes, during a recharging phase, energy to be transferred from the housing energy source to the breast-shield energy source to recharge the breast-shield energy source;
• (ii) causes, during a charging phase, energy to be received from an external source and to replenish the housing energy source;
• (iii) activates, during a preheating phase in which the breast shield is conformably cradled by the housing, the preheating element to convert energy stored in the housing energy source to thermal energy that is transferred to and stored in the thermal mass;
• (iv) activates, during a pumping phase in which the breast shield is removed from the housing and applied to the breast of the lactating user, the resistive heating element to convert energy stored in the breast-shield energy source to thermal energy that is transferred to the breast of the lactating user and to the thermal mass;
• and (v) regulates the thermal energy that is converted from the energy stored in the housing energy source, converted from the energy stored in the breast-shield energy source or delivered to the breast or the thermal mass.