Tips for Pumping

There has been so much more information for exclusive pumpers than there was even just two years ago. I wish I had known all this with my first little one!

1) Pump at least 7-8 times a day or every 2-3 hours for the first 12 weeks to establish a good milk supply. Make sure to pump at least 25-30 minutes each time to prevent a clogged duct or mastitis.

2) After 12 weeks, you can thankfully start dropping pumps by extending the time in between such as pumping every 4 hours instead of every 2 or 3. You can continue to drop pumps as the months go by, by cutting out the middle of the night pump or once again extending the time in between.

3) One of the worst parts about pumping is all the equipment that needs cleaning! Bottles, tubes, flanges, argh!!!! Call me lazy but I hate cleaning them every time I'm finished pumping.  So instead I put the flanges and bottles in the fridge after I'm done (with the idea that any residue will stay fresh) until the end of the day when I clean them all and sanitize.

4) A hands free bra is a must!!! Before I found out this idea, I just sat on the couch and held the stupid flanges to my chest for 30 minutes but with the bra, I can browse Pinterest or Facebook and the 30 minutes flies by! The cheapest way is to buy a sports bra or an underwire and cut little holes out to stick the flanges in. Easy!

5) I own a Medela Pump In Style Advanced and the battery pack takes 8 double A batteries which btw only lasts about 2 hours worth of pumping! I swear its a conspiracy concocted by the battery companies. For some reason I end up pumping in the car a lot because it always runs into my schedule so I invested in a car lighter adapter (for only $7!) and my life has changed! Hey anything to make life easier is ok with me.

6) An awesome piece of advice is to NEVER GIVE UP ON A BAD DAY!!! There have been so many days that I've maxed out and overwhelmed with being a wife/mother/ministry/work/lack of sleep that I've wanted to quit so bad. But the day passes and I find the strength to keep going and I am always glad I did.

7) There are a ton of ways to increase your milk supply but different things work for different women. Here's a few to try...
-Fenugreek caplets: take 3 pills 3 times a day....This has been the ONLY thing that has worked for me.
-Almond milk
-Oatmeal (not the instant kind)
-tons of water! (I notice a huge decrease if I'm dehydrated)
-flax seed (you can add it to just about anything you bake)
-Power Pumping: Take one of your pumping sessions and pump on for 10 mins and off for 10 mins for an hour

8) Start your freezer stash early! The sooner you can start freezer extra, the better because as baby grows and eats more, the harder it is.

So proud of my stash! Thats 1,071 oz of pure gold.

9) And last but not least....Find the Exclusively Pumping Group on Facebook. These ladies are the most helpful and understanding group of gals you will ever need to keep yourself encouraged every day.

Happy Pumping!!!