The first few weeks to few months of newborn life are the most exhausting. And if you’re also pumping around the clock, you’ll want anything to make your life easier. Below are a few of the pumping essentials that we found most helpful.
Mini Fridge
I was pumping around the clock and through the night for two of my newborn babies due to latch issues. Before getting this mini fridge, after pumping in bed, I’d have to get up, go downstairs to the kitchen to store the milk, then wash the parts throughout the night. And I would do this every couple hours throughout the night. With this mini fridge plugged in next to my bed, I could store all my night pump as well as the pump parts between feeds.
Nursing Bra
I know some mommas pump without a hands free nursing bra. I’ve tried it before, but it just takes one nose itch to cause me to spill my liquid gold. Save yourself the trouble and get a pumping bra. I kept it in my pumping caddy and would only put it on when pumping.
Pump Transport
I like to keep all my pumping supplies together, from pump, to charger, to bags and even supplements. This way I could transport it from room to room at home or take it on the road if needed.
Pump Cart
Even better than a pump caddy is a pump cart. You can put your pump caddy on here, as well as other needed items like a water bottle or extra bags.
Pump Spray
All that friction from excessive pump sessions during those first few weeks will lead to raw, painful nipples. My lactation consultant suggested applying some oil or pump spray before each session to my pump flanges and it made pumping so much smoother.
Supplements
Whether it be for clogs or increasing milk production, I’m a strong believer in taking supplements.
Lactation Cookies
Sometimes stress or illness can cause a dip in supply. Keep these in your pumping caddy to help boost supply or even for a delicious pick me up.
Pump
Can’t forget your pump. Remember to place your order during your third trimester so you can play around with it and have it ready before baby arrives. If you have insurance, you may need your OB to write a prescription or help you with the order. The Spectra S1 is tried and true, easy to use, and perhaps the most popular. And unlike the Spectra S2, you don’t need to be tethered to an outlet to pump. A full charge lasts me a several days. This pump is free with many insurances or may include an upcharge, depending on your insurance and what company/site you use. Also don’t forget to replace your duck valves. If you pump frequently, you should replace these every few weeks.
Bottles
All the lactation consultants I’ve worked with have recommended Lansinoh bottles with slow flow nipples for breastfeeding babies. Supposedly this is most similar to the breast and will less likely lead to bottle preference. If you are exclusively pumping, then you may need to experiment with a few bottles to see what your baby prefers. My babies did not like to breastfeed and would take any bottle. But most of my friends’ babies had a hard time taking a bottle, or would only prefer certain ones. Below are links to a few popular bottles.
- Lansinoh Anti-Colic Baby Bottles for Breastfeeding Babies
- Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Anti-Colic Options+ Narrow Baby Bottle
- Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle with Natural Response Nipple
- hegen Newborn Baby Bottle Basic Starter Kit- PPSU Bottle for Babies
- Nanobébé Flexy Silicone Baby Bottle, Anti-Colic
- Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Baby Bottle
Bottle Cleaning: Sterilizers
When it comes to washing baby bottles, it comes down to whether you prefer to save time or save money. If you value your time, then you can go the electric sterlizer route. All bottles and pacifiers should be sterilized before first use, but not necessarily after that. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you can continue to sterilize at least through the newborn phase (first 3 months). Below are few popular bottle sterilizers. The Wabi is on the pricier side but is the most aesthetically pleasing (if you want to hide all the bottles from you kitchen) and comes in different color options. You can save money by instead using microwave bag sterilizers or simply by boiling in hot water.
- Electric Sterilizers
- Microwave Bag Sterilizers
Bottle Cleaning: Traditional
If you are mostly direct breastfeeding and only pumping once in a while, or only pumping after three or six months of direct breastfeeding, then it wouldn’t justify getting an electric sanitizer. Or if you don’t mind handwashing bottles yourself, you can go the traditional washing route, in which you would need a sponge, baby dish soap, and a drying rack. The drying rack and sponge may come down to personal preference and your space. But for baby bottle dish soap, we love Babyganics foaming dish and bottle soap. It gets rid of the milk residue without leaving behind any soap residue. We also love that it is fragrance free. Also being in foam form helps to moderate the amount of soap used each time.
Milk Storage Bags
Some insurances have specific storage bags that they cover. If you don’t have insurance, or don’t want to go with what is provided, the Medela and Lansinoh ones have been around for a long time and are quite popular. I personally love the Kiinde system as it allowed me to pump directly into it and feed directly out of it. This saved several additional steps in the pumping/feeding process and saved me from having to wash any bottles.
