Vlogging Mama Liesel Gives Her Pumping Must Haves
Breastfeeding and pumping do not have to be difficult or stressful. A little bit of preparation and the right essentials can go a long way towards making you more comfortable, and your feeding and pumping sessions more productive.
Traditionally breastfeeding has been simply a mom, a baby, and a good latch. But today, there are a lot more products and tips available to moms and their babies. In this post, BeauGen Vlogging Mama Liesel, of MommyLaborNurse, shares her breastfeeding and breast pumping essentials. You can watch the video below or simply read on to learn more.
Liesel's Pumping Essentials and Tips:
Tip Number One: Invest in a Breast Pump
Whether you planned to pump or exclusively breastfeed, a pump can be a powerful asset. Pumps can help boost your milk supply, so you can produce more while breastfeeding baby and you can increase what you have stashed in the freezer. Having a backup milk supply can help carry you through unexpected travel, cover for your babysitters, etc.
For many moms, the right breast pump makes all the difference. Today most insurance providers cover the cost of a breast pump, so you might be able to get a quality pump for free.
Tip Number Two: Get BeauGen Breast Pump Cushions
To make your breast pumping experience more enjoyable, breast pump cushions help to reduce friction between your breast and the hard plastic of the flange. Using these cushions can help to make pumping more comfortable. When your pump sessions are less painful, you relax and these sessions can become more productive.
Tip Number Three: Invest in a Comfortable Chair
While you will most likely be breastfeeding or pumping in different places both throughout your house and beyond, having a comfortable chair or glider makes a world of difference. You can settle in, and have a place for everything within reach help to make breastfeeding and pumping feel less of a chore.
Tip Number Four: Curate Entertainment
A book, tablet, or television can be very helpful in passing the time while feeding. Something you enjoy reading, or watching helps to make feeding or pumping more enjoyable.
Tip Number Five: Have A Coverup
When pumping in your own home, it can be nice to have a coverup nearby in the event that someone unexpectedly drops by. Even if you are comfortable with breastfeeding your baby, it’s nice to have the option. Coverups are also great to have when you’re out and about. Many are multi-use and can be worn as scarves while you are not using them to feed your baby. And others still can be used as a carseat cover to provide a bit of privacy for your baby or darkness for your little one to nap.
Tip Number Six: Try a Lactation Massager
Some moms will experience clogged milk ducts. Having a handheld lactation massager on hand can provide relief. These massagers are available in both manual and electric models, both of which are quite portable.
Tip Number Seven: Choose a Battery Powered Pump
Many pumps work via an electrical connection to a wall outlet. But some pumps offer a battery option that will enable you to bring your pump with you. This is great for working moms who might not have much flexibility in their pumping locations. For home pumping sessions it also means that you aren’t tethered to one spot and can get up and move around, to say, chase around your older toddler while you pump. Moms have also been known to pump in the car while running errands, or on the airplane while traveling!
Tip Number Eight: Get a Bottle Brush
When expressing your milk and bottle feeding your baby, invest in a good bottle brush. Just like cleaning your pump parts is important, really cleaning the baby’s bottles is essential. A good brush will help save time and make this task a lot easier.
Tip Number Nine: Seek out Heat and Cool Compresses
Whether you are breastfeeding or breast pumping, these compresses are a great aid to have on hand. Heated compresses help increase the flow of your milk when your supply is low, while cool compresses are great for relief from engorgement. You can find these for the specific temperature use, or some options allow you to use one compress for either situation. There are also reusable and disposable options available.
Tip Number Ten: Stock up on Quick Clean Wipes
From cleaning up spills, to wiping down the parts of your pump, these are simply a great option to have on hand. They make life a lot easier for busy moms.
Tip Number Eleven: Pictures and Videos of Your Baby!
This is, after all, the reason you are working so hard. Pictures and videos of your baby are not only nice to look at and help pass the time, they also have been shown to help speed up your letdown and make feeding or pumping easier. Having a stockpile of photos and videos on your phone is a great aid for moms who are pumping away from their baby.
Do you have a tip or an essential that we missed? Submit your thoughts in a comment below. Our Mommy Care Team can’t wait to hear from you.