Must-Have Pumping Supplies

No matter what pump you have, there are some must have pumping supplies. Of course some of the items will vary between different brand pumps, but these are some of the basics.

Some of the most common pump models are:

Hospital Grade

Medela Symphony

Ameda Elite

Personal Use

Medela Pump in Style Advanced (starter kit – pump only)

This pump is commonly offered through insurance.

Pump in Style Advanced with Tote

Medela Freestyle

Medela Swing 

Ameda Purely Yours

Spectra S1 (advertised as hospital grade)

Now, what else do you need?

Hands free bra – Simple Wishes is the best. You can it on Amazon. It really does fit sizes small to extra large.

Simple Wishes Hands Free Breastpump Bra

Extra set(s) of flanges (if you use medela, the one piece ones are easier to keep up with) Medela parts are sold almost everywhere – Target, Walmart, drugstores, and Babies R Us. Part of the reason their pumps are so popular, the supplies are the easiest to find.

Medela One Piece Flange

Ameda Flange

Extra valves and membranes. The membranes (white flap piece on medela) should be replaced every 3 months or so (to improve suction) and they tear easily. Always keep extras on hand. Also extra valves may be handy (you never know when one will roll under a cabinet and you won’t be able to retrieve it while you’re cleaning your parts – speaking from experience ).

Ameda Valves

Medela Valves (and membrane)

Extra bottles – you can buy cheap Gerber or Evenflo bottles that will fit your pump. Also, Dr. Brown bottles should fit.

Gerber 5 oz. bottles

Drying rack – you will be washing bottles and pump parts. No way around it. I liked the Boon Grass drying mat for home and found the Munchkin drying rack that folds flat to be the best to keep at work.

Boon Grass drying rack

Munchkin Drying Rack

Great Cooler that is big enough to put your pump parts in. (You don’t have to wash them if you keep them cold in between pumps – i.e. in the fridge). If it’s a lunch bag type cooler you can put it in a shared fridge at work and no one will be the wiser! I prefer a soft-sided cooler, but you may already have something else that works!

I used this bag, and it was the perfect size to hold all my stuff, and had an outside pocket (J World Lola Lunch Bag) Found at Amazon or Target online.

Ice packs. I really like the Medela ice pack that is shaped to fit 4 bottles against it. However freshly pumped milk can be kept at room temperature for a few hours without spoiling.

Medela Ice Pack

Milk freezer bags. Lansinoh and Target (up and up) are the best because they can freeze flat (which takes up the least amount of freezer space). Medela bags are awful (although they do make an attachment to put them on the pump while you are pumping but it is very hard to use.) Do not try to measure the liquid in the bags, it won’t be accurate because they are flexible.

Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags

Know Your Pump Parts

Oh my gosh! Pumps have so many parts! Get to know your pump parts because you will be using them a lot! You may also want to order an extra set to use when you travel, go to work, or so you can always have one clean. I kept my second set of parts at work.

Here’s an overview of the main pieces for two popular brands of pumps, Medela and Ameda.

Medela

Flange – the cone shaped piece that goes on your breast. Also called a shield. These come in different sizes (the diameter of the tube based on nipple size). The standard size is usually 24mm.

Medela makes one piece and two piece flanges/shields. The two piece ones usually come with the pump, but the one piece ones are easier to keep up with and clean.

Freestyle

Valve (On Medela, the yellow piece) – yes it comes off. New pump parts are notoriously hard to get apart. Push the flat surface of the valve and try to rock it back and forth to get it off if it is stuck.

Membrane – the white flat disk. Replace regularly – every 3 months or so. It will improve suction.

Tubing To connect your breast pump to the shields. You can order extra tubing through Medela, or a brand called Maymom carries on Amazon. Some of the accessory kits also have an extra set of tubing.

Freestyle tubing

Ameda

Flange – the cone shaped piece that goes on your breast. Also called a shield.

Diaphragm – cup shape goes into the top of the flange.

Membrane – duck-bill shaped piece that goes on the bottom of the flange (where it connects to the bottle)

Tubing To connect your shield to the pump where the motor is.

Read more at Medelabreastfeedingus.com and Ameda.com

Choosing the Right Size Breast Shield

Finding the right breast pump shield is a little like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. One is too small, one is too large, but hopefully one is just right.

Your nipple should fit inside the shield comfortably, and should either not quite touch the sides or just barely touch the sides. You may need to experiment with what size will fit best.

Based on diagrams, I thought I needed the small size (21mm) but the medium 24 mm was more comfortable and I think I got more milk out. Most women will get a bigger size if the medium size does not feel comfortable.

This is an old Medela document, but very helpful in understanding the different fits.

Here’s a Maymom guide

You can also find great information in this Medela article.

Medela PersonalFit Breastshields (2/pack) – Large – 27mm

Medela PersonalFit Shields Small – 21 mm

Galactagogues – Increasing supply

What is a Galactagogue?

A galactagogue is an herb or supplement that is used to help increase breastmilk production in nursing mothers. Below is a list of some of the more effective and popular ones. There are many teas and supplement pills available that combine some of these ingredients together. Be sure to research each to find what might work best for you.

I have personally tried Fenugreek, Marshmallow root, shatavari as well as some blended supplements that combined several of the herbs mentioned below (not all at the same time).

Fenugreek – Fenugreek will make you smell like maple syrup, and may cause gas in you or your baby. It is probably the most popular  galactagogue. It’s also cheep and easily found. Fenugreek is also used for lowering blood sugar, and is not recommended for use by diabetics. Fenugreek is not recommended for use during pregnancy as it can cause uterine contractions.

Goat’s Rue – Goats Rue is often included with other herbs in Nursing Teas or tincture, and is most often helpful for women who have insufficient glandular tissue.

Fennel – Fennel is often included with other herbs in Nursing Teas, supplements, or tinctures, and is also helpful in soothing upset stomachs. It can also be found as a tea.

Alfalfa –  is often included with other herbs in Nursing Teas or tincture and is high in vitamin K. Alfalfa is a rich source of vitamins E, B1, B6, A, C and K and minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron and potassium.

Nettle – high in nutrients, a gentle galactagogue

Blessed Thistle – helps with digestion and liver function, a gentle galactagogue

Marshmallow Root – may also help calm stomach issues, a gentle galactagogue

Shatavari – contains natural, plant-based phyto-estrogens and helps balance hormones.

Other foods that may help supply

Oatmeal – this is often reported to help milk production. Use old fashioned oats or steel cut oats. I love Bob’s Red Mill.

Brewers Yeast – this fine powder doesn’t have much flavor, I think it tastes a little like cheese. This is not the same thing as bread yeast. Provides protein and vitamins. You can mix it into smoothies or oatmeal or lactation cookies (yum!). You can also hide it in soups and sauces.

Dark Beers – may also help the mother relax, which can help increase supply

Ovaltine – contains malted milk powder, which may help supply. And it tastes pretty good.

Sports drinks – Patorade/Powerade If nursing and or pumping, you need to stay hydrated. Many women report that drinking a sports drink helps their supply as well.

How to Get a Free Breast Pump through Insurance

When you get a breast pump through insurance (thanks to the ACA) you will probably order it through a durable medical equipment supply company (DME).  You may also be able to get one at your hospital. Hopefully these would be less expensive than you would pay at Babies r Us or Target if you do have to buy one.

Step 1 – First, contact your insurance company to find out when you can get a pump (most will allow you to order one 30 days before your due date, but some make you wait until giving birth).

Some will give you a list of preferred suppliers (or ones that will take your insurance) but you are not limited to those choices. You can contact other suppliers and ask if they will accept your insurance and use them.

Step 2 – Research what pump would be your first choice. Different medical supply companies will offer different pumps based on your insurance.

Step 3 – Contact the medical supply company, and ask the medical supply company which breast pumps they carry and are covered under your insurance. Also ask if there are any models that you can get for an “upgrade fee.” This can be $25 to $100, but may well be worth it.

For example, this is the list I received when I ordered my pump (May 2014)

Model #	name	collect up front
17070PMW	Ameda Purely Yours without Bag	$0
Y4613	Tomy	$0
10-0056	Hygeia Q	$25
57081	Medela PNSA Starter	$25
17084	Ameda Purely Yours w/ Backpack	$75
57062	Medela PNSA Backpack	$155
57063	Medela PNSA On-The-Go Tote	$155
57036	Medela Metro	$200
67060	Medela Freestyle	$250

Step 4 – Once you decide which pump you want and which company you want to use, you can order the pump. Sometimes online. The medical supply company will usually take care of contacting your doctor to get the prescription (yes, a prescription is required) and filing it with your insurance, but make sure to ask,

Here is a list of popular medical supply companies that provide breast pumps.

Aeroflow

http://www.breastpumps.aeroflowinc.com/qualify-through-insurance/

Byram

https://www.byramhealthcare.com/breastpumps/

https://www.byramhealthcare.com/breastpumps/breastPumpFAQ.php

https://www.byramhealthcare.com/breastpumps/breastPumpOrderForm.php

Edgepark

https://www.edgepark.com/faqs_breastpumps

Genadyne (Lucina)

http://lucinacare.com/

http://lucinacare.com/breast-pump.html

McKesson

http://www.mckesson.com/providers/home-care/breast-pump-program/

MedSource

www.insurancecoveredbreastpumps.com

How Long Is Breast Milk Good For?

You will see various guidelines for how long breastmilk “lasts.” The most common is 6 hours room temp, 6 days refrigerated, 6 months frozen (regular freezer – longer in a deep/chest freezer).

I personally went with 4-6 (hours/days/weeks).

You know, it depends.

A lot depends on your body, how quickly it gets refrigerated, the temperature of your fridge, if it’s carried in a cooler for any length of time, etc.

It’s not like Cinderella’s magic pumpkin, breastmilk won’t suddenly expire on the 6th day/hour/month. Use common sense. Always do the smell test if you’re not sure. If it doesn’t smell bad, it’s probably ok, but again, use common sense.

Breastmilk is precious!  When in doubt (smell it first) and do not throw it out!

Nursing Teas

Many popular nursing teas combine some of the most popular galactagogues. They do not taste great, but may help your supply, or the ejection of milk. Compare ingredients to see what might work best for you.

Popular Nursing Teas

Traditional Medicinals – this can be found in most grocery stores.

Nursing Time Tea – this is a loose leaf tea. Ingredients include: fennel seed and anise seed, goat’s rue, blessed thistle, and alfalfa.

Yogi Tea – Nursing Support contains chamomile flower, fennel seed, nettle leaf, anise seed, fenugreek seed and lavender flower.

How Much Milk Should I Leave for My Baby?

Worried about how much milk to send with your baby when you are away?

Most babies should eat 1 -1.5 ounces of breastmilk for each hour in between feedings.

Example, if you nurse your baby at 7 am, and they will eat again at 10 am, they should take between 3-4.5 ounces.

Many mothers struggle with this when they go back to work, often hearing from their care provider that their baby is still hungry or eating more than they are leaving.

There are many reasons that this may happen, and it is possible that the baby is going through a growth spurt, but use your own intuition and judgement.

Possible reasons include:

• Care providers may try to feed the baby any time they are upset, when they might not be hungry.
• Baby enjoys sucking on the bottle nipple after they have finished all the milk in the bottle, leading the care provider to think they want to eat more.
• Baby can get milk faster through the bottle than the boob, and doesn’t realize they are satisfied because they finished the bottle so quickly.
• Formula fed babies usually do eat more as they grow. And the composition of formula doesn’t change as the baby grows. However, breastmilk composition does change, and the same amount should be enough for the baby as it grows.

Of course, every baby is different. Above all, trust your instinct.

The amount of milk to leave for my baby was one of the hardest things for me when I went back to work. He started out in the 2nd-3rd percentiles for weight. I was KEENLY aware of how much he was eating.

I played around with the timing between bottles and the size of bottles as time went by. I started with 3 oz bottles every 3 hours. But sometimes it worked better to feed smaller bottles slightly more often, or I sent a smaller fourth bottle for the day “just in case.” The whole time I was barely keeping up with pumping as much as he was eating, but I tried to remind myself to trust my body, and if needed it was okay to supplement with formula.

It was hard to know exactly how things went while I was away from him, and for the most part he was breastfed on the weekends so I couldn’t measure how much he was getting. I asked his daycare teachers lots of questions, especially when they told me he was more hungry or “wanted more.”

I also waited until 6 months to start my baby on solids, so I felt like he needed a bit more milk by 6 months. I went up to 4 – 4.5 oz bottles.

After starting solid foods, the pressure I put on myself went down, and I felt much more relaxed about it.

15 Pumping Tips for New Moms

The Top 15 tips to Help Moms with Pumping

1. You don’t have to wash your pump parts every time you pump.

If you pump multiple times a day, just store your parts in the fridge (in a zip top bag, or cooler bag) and wash at the end of the day. This is a HUGE time saver.

2. Ask to pump at the hospital.

You will get a free pumping kit (probably medela). And you can get the lactation consultant to check the fit of the flanges and get familiar with the pieces.

3. Get a hands free bra.

The highest rated, Simple Wishes. Seriously, pumping is no fun, so if you have your hands free to look at facebook or pictures of your baby on your phone time goes much faster and you stress less about how much you’re pumping. Or you can work on a computer or laptop, or even pump while your driving or doing your makeup! Multi-tasking mama!

4. Massage!

This may sound strange, but you will get more out faster. Just gently squeeze, and push your fingers from the outside of your breast towards the nipple. Google videos or images for helpful instructions.

5. Use the “let down button.”

This is common on Medela pumps. It stimulates a baby’s quick sucking motion to get your body to “let down.”  It may even work after the initial let down (usually  the longest one) to get your body to let down a second time. Other pumps may have a speed control, quick light suction will simulate a let down.

6. Don’t stress about how much is coming out!

The average woman pumps ½ – 1 ounce per hour between feedings or pumpings. The average woman will pump 3-4 ounces every 3-4 hours on a normal pumping schedule. Yes, some women pump more. But if this is how much you pump, it is enough!  If you are pumping in between two feedings 1 ounce is a totally normal amount to get.

7. The cheap Gerber, Evenflo, or even Wal-mart (parent’s choice) bottles fit most standard pump flanges.

Don’t spend extra money stocking up on Medela or Ameda bottles. Dr. Brown standard bottles also fit if you use those.

8. Store and freeze breastmilk in breastmilk storage bags (they are sterile).

Do not use regular zip top bags. Lay them flat to freeze. This is huge for saving space and for organization. Then you can store them stacked upright. This will take up less freezer space, and they will thaw faster. The highest rated bags are Lansinoh.  Target (up & up) also makes very similar bags. I did not like Medela bags.

9. Measure your milk in a bottle before pouring it into the storage bag.

Bags are nearly impossible to get an accurate measurement on because they change shape.

10. Most women need to pump for 15-20 minutes

to get mostly empty (you are never really “empty” your body keeps making more milk).

11. You don’t need to sterilize your bottles or pump parts every day

(unless you have a preemie, or otherwise immune compromised baby). Just hot soapy water will do. If you do need to sterilize, the microwave sterilizer bags are great!

12. Learn your pump.

You don’t have to turn it up to the highest suction to be effective. It shouldn’t hurt (once you get used to it). It may hurt a little the first time you try pumping.

13. Know how long milk is good.

You will see various guidelines for how long breastmilk “lasts.” The most common is 6 hours room temp, 6 days refrigerated, 6 months frozen (regular freezer – longer in a deep/chest freezer). Always do the smell test if you’re not sure. If it doesn’t smell bad, it’s probably ok, but again, use common sense.

14. Pump and dump is not a real thing.

I repeat, do not pump and dump, SAVE THE BREASTMILK. Unless you need to pump to relieve engorgement there is no reason to do it. Pumping will not get the alcohol out of your body. Alcohol is metabolized out of breast milk at the same rate it is metabolized in your blood. If you are safe to drive you are safe to nurse or pump (and save the milk!!!). Alcohol is metabolized at the rate of one drink per hour for the average person. Just wait until you aren’t feeling a buzz, and then feed or pump. But you know your body best

15. Have at least two sets of pump parts

That way you always have a clean set ready to go. Or keep your second set at work, or as a back up. Or if you visit family often, keep a set there.