When I finally gave in to the idea of exclusively pumping, I felt a mixture of feelings. Mostly the feelings were ashamed but also a sense of relief.
Ashamed, because as a mom, I blame myself for everything that goes wrong or not according to plan. (And constantly forget to give me credit for all the things that I can do “right” daily). Yet I also felt relieved because getting my son to latch without the nipple shield felt impossible and with the nipple shield it was extremely stressful.
I still wanted my son to receive breastmilk and realizing he could be a breastfed baby through a bottle, I surrendered to the pump. Exclusively pumping requires a few more products than nursing a baby would. Let me share with you some of my favorites!
The Most Important
Reflecting on my own experience, the most important takeaways were properly fitting flange sizes and operating the pump correctly. To be perfectly transparent, I had BOTH of these wrong when I started out!
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The breast pumps that I have used came with flange sizes 24 mm and 28 mm. I just assumed that because these were the sizes provided, one of those would work. I was very wrong! I had to order the correct size (20 mm) which is not included with the pump itself.
As a new mom who is sleep deprived, with raging hormones, raw nipples, and stitches after delivering my baby… let’s just say it was hard to do my research on all of the things. The good news is that through the hospital where I delivered my son, the outpatient lactation consultant was a part of my postpartum care. She was able to tell me how to use the Spectra S2 correctly so that I would no longer have pain. I also did not realize that I wasn’t switching it to stimulation mode when I first turned it on.
If you are having any doubts about your fitting size or operating your pump it would be best to reach out to your lactation consultant. In addition, try to be your advocate after delivering your baby. I only found out about the outpatient services because I asked, not because anyone suggested it to me.
The Pump
The next important piece of the puzzle would be to choose high-quality products within your budget or covered by your insurance. I chose the Spectra S2 pump and have been using it for almost ten months now. The wearable pump that I chose to use was the Elvie. Another portable pump that I have recently started using and have had great success with is the Pumpables Genie Advanced. I’m grateful that pump companies have social media pages because they share educational and relatable content.
Having access to a lactation consultant is always very beneficial, however, if you need more support the pump companies themselves have resources.
Spectra has appointment scheduling available to help you with properly fitting flange sizes. Here is their website: Spectra Lactation Consultant
Pumpables has liquid shield kits and the virtual fitting room link is here: Fitting Room
The Lube
The next key ingredient I would say is taking care of your nipples! As I previously discussed, I had no idea that I would need to purchase the flanges separately from the ones I received with the pump. As soon as I was wearing the proper size, my nipple pain was relieved. I also learned from my lactation consultant that I could use lubricant, which was a LIFESAVER! The two types of lubricant I have used are coconut oil and CoBoo Spray.
I like both of these options, however, I prefer the CoBoo spray because it is easier to use and travel with. The spray also doesn’t make an oily mess, spill, or stain my clothes. Pumping dry doesn’t even make sense anymore! We may as well be comfortable if we’re going to do this multiple times per day.
The Bras
And what holds these boobs and pumps in place? The bra! There are a ton of different nursing and hands-free pumping bras out there with wide price ranges. I didn’t plan on exclusively pumping and therefore didn’t buy the nicer hands-free pumping bras. Some of the brands I’ve purchased have been wonderful and others are collecting dust in my closet. The dusty ones, I won’t bother to share them with you because I didn’t like the way the flanges fit inside of the bra or they were just extremely uncomfortable to wear all day.
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The everyday pumping bra I wear is from Sarah Wells. The Hands-Free Pumping Journey Bra is amazing for any outfit and supportive! The Velcro straps make it so easy and convenient to slip wearable pumps inside or put your flanges inside of the cups as well. Another favorite I wear, especially during and after a workout is the Strappy Back 2.0, made by Love & Fit.
If you’re looking for a lower price point the Momcozy hands-free bra from Amazon is another great option. Everyone is different and I feel a strong need to share about bras that work for exclusively pumping.
The Clothing
Over the last nine months, I would say I’ve been much better about actually getting dressed. I don’t walk around in shorts all day with a hands-free pumping bra with old, dried milk on the front and dry shampoo for two or three days in a row.
I have started getting dressed in the morning and some days I even wear jeans. I have been wearing a few different brands recently that are so much easier to wear while pumping. I used to take my top off to pump or just wear a robe around the house all day because I thought “What’s the point?”. Finding these brands though has helped me feel better about getting dressed for the day and changed my mindset for the better.
I feel better about myself when I put clothes on for the day.
The clothing brands for breastfeeding that I currently wear can be found on Amazon, Nursing Queen Clothing, and Of an Origin. I have found with easy-access tops and dresses I’m happier when I’m pumping because I don’t have to get naked.
The Travel
I used to feel extremely stressed by the thought of traveling and leaving the house for any amount of time, even for an hour. However, now I’ll leave the house for a few hours or for a week at a time. I have a few products that can make it feel a little easier for other moms who choose to exclusively pump. Previously, I discussed two portable pumps, which I would highly recommend for traveling.
After pumping, storing your milk safely on the go is very critical. One of the storage containers I use often is called Ceres Chill. This is like a thermos so you can store the ice in one compartment and milk in the other.
This also can convert to a bottle to feed your baby on the go. You would have to look at the website to get the full picture of this storage container, but it is amazing!
The cooler backpack that I take with me, especially on planes or road trips is the Corkcicle Cooler Bag. It’s a backpack so it’s easier to carry and you can store pumped milk, baby bottles, other solid foods for the baby, and your own goodies. I am so grateful that I had this cooler for our plane rides. It was extremely helpful during our first flight with our son.
Another travel bag that I highly recommend is made by Sarah Wells, it’s called the Abby. This bag holds a pump (or two) in the bottom compartment. In addition, my laptop can fit inside with flanges, charging cords, bottles, etc. The Abby bag is versatile and could work for traveling or even for going to work and bringing all of your necessities.
The Social
I think we can all agree that social media has a time and place. But sometimes when you are awake with the baby at 2:00 AM and you feel like no one else in the world is going through the same thing… someone is or has before you.
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I think finding a few credible lactation consultants on Instagram or YouTube was extremely helpful for me. They share different tips and tricks and even have Q & A format for moms to connect with them. A few of my favorite IBCLCs are @karrie_locher @bemybreastfriend and @lactationchat
The Conclusion
I would consider exclusively pumping a sacrifice. At least it is for me. However, it is the best decision I made for me and my son. During the formula shortage, I felt secure knowing that my body could supply the nutrition he needed. When life throws us challenges, we find a way to pivot. That is what we do as moms. I am extremely passionate about helping other moms have a positive and successful journey through breastfeeding and pumping.
