We all know if we are going to be pumping the most important thing you need is a good pump! A lot of insurances now cover them, which is amazing. I ordered mine through AeroFlow, they were amazing to work with and I had my pump early!! Some companies would not send out my pump until a couple weeks before my due date and i wanted it early to prepare, as a bonus you can pick out a great pumping bag something I suggest no matter what!! I have listed my top 9 essentials for pumping, pumping is not easy so you need to prep for success.
1. Correct Flange (Breast Shield) Size
Having the correct Breast shield size can make a great difference on your milk as well as the health of your nipples. Not having the correct size can affect the amount of milk you are pumping and cause clogged ducts . Each Breast Pump Manufacturer sizes their breast shields slightly different. I use both Spectra and Medela.
2. Good Pumping Bra
I’m a plus size, medium size chested gal and its not always easy to have a pumping bra. I wasn’t totally a double pumper at first, mainly because I had a hard time finding a bra that worked well, hands free with a larger chest. I found that the Medela hands free works great for pumping.
3. Haaka
This was a game changer for my 2nd baby! I wish I would have known about this with my first child. This gem helped me build my supply as well as catch any leaking milk I might have while pumping/feeding. I recommend the name brand to the Generics, as I love that it comes with a cute flower top to help prevent spilling and I also love that it has a suction bottom so it won’t tip over. I’m still very careful because it can of course tip but it gives a little extra assurance, we all know our milk is gold!
4. Extra Pumping Parts
When it comes to things I would consider as essentials for pumping, it always seems that my membranes/duck bills, back flow protectors and tubes need to be replaced in the middle of the night. I always like to keep an extra 1-2 duckbills or membranes for my pumps as well as extra tubes and back flow protector. Each pump has its own parts, I have 2 different pumps so I keep a few RubberMaid containers near my pumping areas.
5. Extra Bottles
Bottles, bottles and more bottles are needed if you are an exclusive pumper!! I would buy cheap ones to store my milk in the fridge. Most Bottles fit on the Medela Pumps, but for the Spectra I needed to buy the small cap converter for the narrow neck bottles.
6. Breastmilk Storage Bags/Container
This is huge, I don’t know about you but i want to make sure all my milk I pump makes it to my baby and that can’t happen if the bag breaks while defrosting or freezing. The bags I have tried that i love hands down are Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags. I think you should also have something to help keep milk flat if you plan on freezing a lot. I didn’t have to worry about this with my first child, as I was a just enougher. The second time around I just started putting milk in my freezer not thinking I would build a supply since i was breastfeeding but I have found a way to be able to do both this time around and this has helped maximize my freezer space.
7. Cover-Up
I’m going to be honest i don’t use one often but i have a couple for when I happen to be in public or pumping in my car or having guest to my house. Oh How I love Chevron.
8. Nipple care items
If you are new to breastfeeding and pumping, just know that your nipples will feel different than normal. With Pumping, my nipples were okay feeling and at times they would hurt. Just adding a little nipple cream on my flange worked great. I started off with Lanolin and would use it occasionally. I honestly had minimal issues while exclusively pumping. I was also lucky to have no big issues with clogged ducts or mastitis either. My favorite nipple cream for breastfeeding is Earth Mama Nipple Butter, thank you to my sister Angie for that find! If you are going to breast feed the first ten days can be painful I highly recommend gel nipple pads my amazing sister-in-law Randi sent me, these hydrogel pads, they are reusable and amazing I ended up purchasing multiple. They also sell disposable ones too.
9. Snacks and Water
Make sure to keep drinking water close in hand, honestly this should be my number 1 when it comes to essentials for pumping. As for Snacks, my favorite things are Oatmeal Creme Pies, anything dark chocolate, and trail mix. For some additional Ideas Check out this Kindred Bravely Post.
Conclusion
When it comes to pumping, everybody has a list of things that they would consider as being essentials for pumping. I have always been the kind of girl the prepares for everything. One of my largest pet peeves is needing something last minute, so I like to have these things ready and available. Good luck to you on your journey, and feel free to add any of these to your list of essentials.