Pro Tip

Pumping

This is the holy grail of pumping tips - all of the things I wish I had known when starting out!

• Angled Breast Pump Flanges. I use Pumpin' Pal Angled Pumping Flanges. These flange are significantly more comfortable than the standard ones that came with my Medela pump. The fit is better for a range of sizes and the angle allows you to lean back a bit more to ease up on the rigidity of sitting up super straight. This will increase your comfort and probably allow you to pump more.
• Hands Free Bra. I use the Medela Easy Expression Bustier. This is awesome now but was essential in the hospital after delivery. I was exhausted and would fall asleep while trying to hold the flanges onto my body. The heartache of losing those hard earned drops of colostrum could have been avoided if I had used this bustier from day one!
• Polysporin. I've found this triple antibiotic to be the best choice because it's effective and low maintenance. There's no need to wash it from your skin between pumping sessions.
• Storage and Cleanliness. At the beginning, I was disassembling the pumping pieces and cleaning every little piece by hand... every three hours... all day (and night) long. Then, I discovered this little tidbit. Store your pieces (membranes, connectors, valves, and bottles) in the fridge between pumping sessions. Breast milk, when refrigerated, is good for up to five(ish) days. This applies to the small amounts of milk left in your pump pieces, as well. As a general rule, I still clean my parts and pieces once per day.
• Hospital Grade Pump. At least for the first three to six months, I would recommend renting a hospital grade pump. I rented mine from Babies 'R Us. Every time I switched back to my Medela Double Electric, I would become engorged and could only get true relief from the Symphony (Medela brand hospital grade pump.)
• Massage, Massage, Massage! Massage your breasts during your pumping session. Give extra care to those areas that seem harder. I have never had mastitis and attribute this to massaging out any plugged ducts before the situation escalated.
• Timing. 20 minutes long; every three hours; all day and all night long (until your supply has been established). Just do it.
• Overproducing? Freeze it! You'll thank yourself later. My supply became inadequate when both of my girls were drinking seven ounces each, every three hours. It helped that I had hundreds of ounces stored in the freezer from those early days when my body was overproducing like a crazy lady.
• Destress. If you're stressed, your milk will not flow as freely. Once I tried to pump on a plane while sitting right next to the restroom with a very long line of passengers during a four-hour layover. As if that weren't enough, my mother-in-law was traveling with us and was overstimulating my poor tired girls, causing them to cry uncontrollably, which meant I had to take one while my husband took the other and try to calm them down while seating in a tiny area with a hoodie across my chest. Needless to say, I pumped a good ounce or two total.
• Pump While the Babes Eat. It was nearly impossible for me to keep two babies happy long enough to get a 20-minute pumping session accomplished (especially during their colic-y phase... it's getting easier now). By some miracle (curse?), it seems as if they're never sleeping when it's time to pump, either! The next best thing? Occupy them with a feeding! They drink their bottles while I pump and we're all finished right about the same time. If they're done first, I can burp them and change diapers as needed.

Why do I think I have any right to give advice on pumping? Because I'm 6.5 months into (almost) exclusively pumping for my twin girls and I'm rocking it! (...if I do say so myself *pat pat*)

Other recommended products:

•  Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump with On the Go Tote (double electric breast pump)
• Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags
• Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads