Right now I'm transitioning to pumping only 3 times a day. Having that much non-pumping time is absolutely liberating and I have no clue what to do with all the free time on my hands. (Ha!) Even though I'm almost done with pumping, here's some essentials I couldn't have made it this far without.
1. This bottle brush is great. We'd always get some fatty discharge stuff in the bottles from the milk, and this brush caught everything. and the nipple bristle is a life-saver too!
2. Keep those nips moisturized. Put it on prior to pumping instead of lanolin, which made my pump parts all sticky.
3. Get extra membranes. You don't want to run out during your middle of the night pump. And replace them often (I do every month or so), the suction with a new one is amazing.
4. This is the pump I used when I only had a single manual pump. Even though it wasn't an ideal situation using this instead of a double electric as an exclusive pumper, I love this little guy. I still carry it in the diaper bag if I know we're going to be away from home for a long time. Also, bonus! If I have a really stubborn clog, I'll use this after finishing with my electric pump. For some reason, this single pump pops the clog right out for me.
5. I've got a love/hate relationship with this. I call it my second baby. I love this Medela pump because it has definitely saved Ollie's and my breastfeeding journey, but get tired of logging so many hours with this thing.
6. This works so well with all the intricate pump parts and bottles. We have a little corner set apart on our counter next to the sink for all the baby stuff, and it helps so all the bottle parts are in one spot and ready to go when we're putting stuff together. It also helps that this drying lawn is adorable.
My goal for breastfeeding was initially 6 months. Since I've made it past that, I'm taking it month by month now (although sometimes day by day). I had mastitis a few weeks ago, and that made me nervous to wean, but very, very ready to be done breastfeeding.
And here's a picture of our family and the little pumpling, Oliver, for those who just come for baby pictures. ;)
I was a pumping Mama, and all of these were total musts! Thanks for sharing!
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