I'll start here first. If you plan on pumping, you need one of these babies! (a different brand of same quality works too, but I've only used Medela) *just an FYI - you can typically buy them from the hospital at a much lower price than any other store. Along with replacement parts*
- Buy it before you even leave the hospital and start pumping right away! (I'll explain why later)
- I like this one compared to the other Medela brands because its so portable. I love the bag that it comes with and the machine is so small.
- I can charge this bad boy up and use it for 3 days without ever having to charge it
- The parts are so easy to clean, the other Medela pump, the membrane is so small, I would loose them so quickly.
- The functionality is so great. Has a let-down setting which is super helpful and then the express setting.
The next item you need to purchase right away are these...
You microwave these (typically 10 seconds) and they act as heating gels. Don't wait until you have a clogged milk duct or mastitis to buy them. Have these ready to go. The night before I went back to work I was so plugged I sat in the bathroom crying while I pumped on and off for over an hour. The next night I went out and bought these and they have been a life saver. Anytime stressful events happen in my lift I get clogged. So I always have these in my pumping bag and take them to work with me. If I am clogged I heat them up and use them all day and with 24 hours I'm no longer clogged. If you don't take care of your clogged milk ducts you will probably get mastitis (something I have not gotten..thank goodness)
Other items I would recommend (experience trying a few out). The Lansinoh Nipple cream is the best in my opinion. I have tried Medela's and its so oily that it makes a mess. I also like the Lansinoh storage bags the best. They seem to be pretty decently priced and they store more milk and also freeze better.
Last suggestion in regards to products. Right away buy a second set of pumping parts. I also intended to do this..but of course put it off and put it off and then one night I was sorry. I left my pumping parts at our new house (40 mins away) and it was the worst rain/thunder storm. Pete had to drive back down to our house, at 11PM at night in the storm to get these because of course he tried 2 stores and they didn't have them. Invest in a second set RIGHT away!
Ok now you have all of your supplies...here goes my list of tips and tricks
- Start pumping right away! I didn't plan on doing this but Landon was jaundice which made him a sleepy little bugger that wouldn't wake up long enough to eat. We had to give him formula once a day for a couple of days because my milk hadn't come in. I decided to pump every 2 hours for about 4 days straight. I worked it so I would feed him and in between feedings I would pump and then feed again. It was exhausting, but totally worth it. It helped build my supply and stock up the freezer.
- Get your frozen supply built up right away. It helps not to be panicked when you are back at work that you will run out of milk (stressors, leads to clogged milk ducts...vicious cycle!). Again it was really exhausting, but I would pump after I fed him and just freeze that milk. If you freeze it right away you won't be tempting to skip nursing (because sometimes its just hard!) and just use your pumped milk.
- When you go back to work, set times up that you can pump. I can only pump twice during the day and only have 15 minutes each time. I picked 2 times and stay pretty consistent during the day.
- Find something to do while you pump. I will read a book, watch Netflix, play a game on my phone, FaceTime with my little guy (my fav) just something to distract yourself. If I don't have something to distract myself then I never pump as much.
- I would suggest having 2 different breastshield sizes. One that fits well and one that is the size up from that (they both come in the Medela kit if you buy it). When I have a clogged milk duct, its much easier to use the larger size one and helps it unclog quicker along with the warming gel pads.
- Since I pump twice a work day, how do I clean the parts during the day? Well I don't, I don't have a sink at work with hot water (more on why that is so important later) so here is what I do. I pump into the 5 oz bottles provided in the kit you buy and then I pour what I pump into a larger bottle and put that in a freezer cooler that I have. I also put my pumping stuff in the same freezer. The milk will stay good for 4-7 hours and I pump 4 hours apart so that works for me.
- Washing! I am of the opinion that its super important to wash with HOT water and with soap. I buy the baby dish soap. Breastmilk is full of proteins that make it slimy and if not washed properly will form bacteria. I dont like feeling the bottles be slippery at all. The dish soap helps. Its also important to scrub your pumping parts. If you don't the milk will crust on there making it difficult to pump. Wash Wash Wash...it helps eliminate bacteria that can cause thrush...no bueno!
- Weekends: I nurse Landon on the weekends (thank goodness - I need the break), but unfortunately I still pump. Here is what I found that works for me. I always have more milk in the morning so we wake up and he eats and then plays while I pump. I won't pump the whole rest of the day (yipee) except at night I will pump one more time. This helps build my freezer reserve and also prepare for Monday if I haven't pumped enough the Friday before.
- Pumping in the morning before work. Landon usually won't wake up so I can feed him before work. So I'll pump in the morning while I am getting ready. I am too lazy to wake up early and pump before I get ready (we need all the sleep we can get!!) The kits comes with handsfree stuff and I totally recommend it! They are so awesome, I can get ready and pump at the same time!
- Eating and drinking water. I find that if I have a snack before I pump then I will have a more successful pumping session than if I do it starving hungry. Same with water - drink up baby! I am not the best at this, but when I do I notice a great difference.
- Landon is 7 months old and I am pumping 4 times a day for about 20-30 minutes each time. That is a lot of time clocked on that machine. I noticed that it was more difficult to empty a couple of weeks ago. The more I worried, the less milk I got. I decided to just try the new parts that I bought (see story above) and what a difference! I think after a couple of months (if you notice a change in production) use the new parts. There is a tighter seal and the membrane isn't stretched out so it works a 1,000 times better
- Understand that some days will just be better than others. Take it one pumping session at a time. Don't try and compare what you are producing to what a friend is producing. Find what works for you and do it :)
Pumping and working is such a sacrifice and is really exhausting, but totally worth it. If you are able to do it, it will save you money, but it takes time, patience and a lot of sacrifice. Some days I just want to quit because its painful, I wish I could use my lunch for something other than pumping (maybe taking a nap when I have those sleepless nights) and sometimes it would be nice to just be done. Give yourself credit for whatever you are able to do for however long :-)
Any suggestions that I haven't mentioned? I'm always looking for something new to try!
