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

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!

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.

How Big is a Newborn’s Stomach?

As a new breastfeeding mom, I really could not tell how much my baby was eating. I was second guessing and doubting myself the whole time. But the things that helped me through it and gave me confidence was support of friends and family and knowledge.

Those first days, I knew my milk hadn’t come in. But I knew not to worry because I was making colostrum, which is super packed nutrition for baby. Quality, not quantity.

One info-graphic I had seen helped me a lot. The size of the newborn baby’s stomach.It is SO small. He didn’t need that much volume to get filled up. Remembering this gave me confidence that my baby was getting enough.

How big is a newborn’s stomach?

How To Tell If Your Baby is Getting Enough

How can you tell if your newborn baby is eating enough?

As a first time mom, it is so overwhelming to be taking on 100% of the nutritional needs of a new baby through breastfeeding. You might worry whether baby is getting enough milk from your breasts (I know I did) – but your milk supply changes to meet your baby’s needs and their tiny stomach can’t hold large amounts of breastmilk yet.

One of the things that worried me the most in those early days was whether my baby was getting enough and gaining enough weight. I needed reassurance that my baby was getting enough to eat. My baby was jaundiced, so it was even more important. Thankfully, I had a great pediatrician who reassured me that my baby was gaining enough weight and made me not feel stressed. But as soon as I left the Dr. office, I was full of doubt and worry.

I used other signs to help myself feel more confident that everything was working as it should and my baby was eating enough.

These are some of the signs that I used to tell that my baby was getting enough milk in those early days weeks.

How many wet and dirty diapers is baby having each day?

This one you will hear a lot. In the hospital the nurses will want you to keep track of the number of wet diapers. Your baby should have at least 6 wet diapers and 3 yellow stools per day by about day five after birth. This generally continues for the first 6 months as well. The diapers with the wetness indicator are so helpful in being able to tell if the diaper is really wet.

Is your baby eating frequently?

In general, a baby should nurse 8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period for the first few days to weeks.  Every 2-3 hours. THIS IS NORMAL! Breastmilk is a perfect food for baby so it is digested quickly. Because a baby’s stomach is so small it just eats more often. Nursing frequently will also help you establish and maintain your milk supply because your body produces milk on a supply-and-demand basis.

How much weight is your baby gaining?

This stressed me out the most in the beginning, but I knew that it could take up to 2 weeks for a baby to be back up to birth weight, so I was not going to be bullied into feeling guilty if he wasn’t there by one week. By 10-14 days after birth, your baby should recover any lost birth weight. Then, for the first 4 months of a baby’s life, average weight gain is about 5-7 ounces per week.

Does your baby determine the length of feedings?

It’s best to let your baby determine when a feeding is over and avoid ending a feeding before they are finished. Some baby’s are fast eaters and some baby’s are slow eaters. Your baby will either come off the breast or fall asleep when they’re done eating. But know that some baby’s will fall asleep before they get a full feeding. If you need to keep baby awake during feedings, undress baby down to the diaper, try to stroke the baby’s cheek to keep him or her awake. I had to do this with my baby, constantly “messing with him” to keep him awake for a whole feeding.

 How does your baby look and act? 

This is where mama instinct comes in. Trust your gut. In general, if your baby is receiving enough breastmilk they should look outwardly healthy and be active, alert and content. If you think something is wrong, don’t be afraid to see you pediatrician or a lactation consultant.

 Are you hearing or seeing swallows during feedings?

While baby is nursing, you should be able to hear or see your baby swallowing as your milk flows. You can see them take long gulps as their chin moves slowly up and down.

Hopefully a combination of visible signs that you can measure, and your own instinct, will help you feel more confident as your baby grows. It’s hard to keep it all in perspective at the very beginning, but once you learn your baby’s patterns and signals, you will start to develop your won rhythm.

What is “letdown?”

“What is letdown?” You may hear this work thrown around in breastfeeding group, la leche league meetings, or just other breastfeeding moms.

Letdown is the initial release of milk from a mother’s breast. When the milk is actually “let down.”

It is triggered by the baby or pump sucking on the nipple. Some women may feel a tingling sensation when her letdown occurs. Some women don’t feel anything. Usually once the milk “lets down” the baby’s sucking pattern will change from a quick short suck pattern (suck suck suck) to longer suck-swallow suck-swallow pattern.  Some pumps also have a let down feature with short, quick pumps and then change to slower, longer sucking pumps.

Some women have an uncontrolled letdown when they hear a baby cry, look at a picture of their baby, or think about their baby. Also, for this reason, some women find it helpful to keep a picture or video of their baby to look at while they are pumping. The letdown can also be helped by smelling something with the baby’s scent on it.

To help with a let down try to relax. You can also try to do some light massage before feeding or pumping or help get things flowing. Use gentle sweeping motions toward the center of your breast and nipple.

How to Latch

If you are nursing in an upright position (cradle, cross cradle, or football) you will be controlling the latch more than the baby. A good latch is the foundation to breastfeeding. It will help your baby feed more efficiently and it will reduce the possible pain your could feel.

Follow these steps to get a good latch.

1. Baby should be at breast-level. Use as many pillows or other supports as you need so that you don’t have to support the baby completely with your arms. They may be small, but holding them in the same position for 20-30 minutes can make your arms tired.
2. Hold your breast with one hand (usually the same side as the breast you are nursing on) with your fingers under the breast supporting it, and your thumb on top. Put your pinky finger all the way against your body, you are FULLY supporting your breast, not just the nipple.
3. Pull your baby close. Tickle baby’s nose and upper lip with your nipple. This will help stimulate the baby’s sucking reflex. Wait until baby’s mouth opens wide, like a yawn.
4. Quickly bring the baby onto your nipple and breast so that his chin touches your breast first and he gets a large mouthful of nipple and breast. Like you are stuffing a hamburger into the baby’s mouth (you know how you fit a huge burger into your mouth to get a big bite – just like that!)
5. If anything hurts or doesn’t feel right, your baby is probably not latched correctly. Use your finger to gently break your baby’s latch by sticking it in at the side of the baby’s mouth. DO NOT just pull your breast out of the baby’s mouth! Ouch!
6. Try again to reposition your baby. Don’t give up! You and your baby can do this. You are each learning something new!

If you have a good latch, you should notice the following:

• bay’s nose almost touches or touches your breast. Baby can breathe by flaring his nostrils and breathing from the sides of his nostrils.
• Baby’s lips are flanged out all the way around his mouth. You can use your fingers to help get baby’s lips out after baby is latched if you need to.
• 1/2 and inch of your breast is in the baby’s mouth

What is hand expression?

Hand expression is using your hands to express milk from your breast.

It may seem like an intimidating task at first, but after you practice and learn your body, it can be helpful in many ways.

Some reasons to hand express include:

• Some women get engorged in situations where they can’t get to a pump or their baby. Just to get some relief, you can express out some milk (hopefully into a bottle). If not, into a sink or toilet.
• Some women have a slow letdown, and their baby gets frustrated trying to get the milk flowing. To get milk flowing before nursing, you can start hand expressing until the milk is flowing and then latch the baby on.
• Some women have a very heavy flow and let down, almost to the point where the baby will choke on the milk. Using hand expression, you can get the milk flowing to the point where the flow has slowed down some, and it is less forceful before latching the baby on.
• Some women find that even after they can’t get any more milk out with a pump after a pumping session, they can get a little more (some get a lot) if they hand express from each breast after pumping. This milk is also the highest in fat content.

Stanford has a great video about hand expression at:

http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/HandExpression.html