6 Tips That Helped Me Survive As a Full-time Pumping Mom
As is often the case with parenting, the moment I felt like I was finally getting the hang of things, my fifth baby came along and decided to do things differently. She was born prematurely and refused to latch, so I became a full-time pumping mom for the first time. And as a mom who breastfed four babies previously, I’ll tell you the truth: Pumping is no joke. Washing parts, hooking yourself up every two to four hours, missing sleep, schlepping around coolers and supplies—it’s a lot. Supplying my baby with breast milk was important to me, but there were several times when I almost gave up on pumping entirely. Fortunately, a few strategies helped me make it through a full year of pumping. Here my top survival tips for any pumping parent.
My first tip, as someone who has fed a baby in pretty much every way possible, is more of a pep talk for my fellow pumping parents: Breastfeeding does not have to be all or nothing. As much as I wanted to provide breast milk for my baby, I was quite literally making myself sick trying to pump around the clock. I agonized over the decision to supplement with formula, but the moment I did, my baby was happy, and I felt an enormous weight lift off of me. It took me some time, but when I realized that any amount of breast milk could provide benefits, it completely changed my perspective. I wasn’t “failing” if my baby had a bottle of formula; I was succeeding in a tough situation by pumping whenever I could.
Time to get honest—after exclusively pumping with a traditional pump for several months, I was about to throw in the towel. With a newborn, work, no childcare and four other kids to take care of, full-time pumping was completely overwhelming me. I simply couldn’t do it all anymore, and I knew I needed help. I decided to try a hands-free pump before giving up—and I’ll forever be glad I did, because it changed everything.
The moment I used a wearable hands-free pump, I knew I had found the solution to my pumping woes. I was no longer tethered to a wall; instead, I could take care of my baby while pumping. I was able to feed her, change her, hold her, do laundry, walk around with her and even take client calls and attend Zoom meetings all while wearing the pump. I can’t speak for all working moms, but the ability to pump anywhere, no outlet required (I had many a parked-car pump session!), made it possible for me to continue giving my baby breast milk.
I also personally found that, contrary to what some people fear, a hands-free pump actually increased my milk supply. I was so stressed and dreading pumping with a traditional pump that it was affecting my output. With a hands-free pump, however, the stress was lifted, pumping no longer hurt and because I could pump anywhere comfortably, I increased my sessions and milk output. Win-win!
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We’ll level with you: Of course, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend always cleaning and sanitizing pump parts between pumping sessions. But sometimes you just need a break, and that’s where the fridge hack comes in. If you’re at work, pumping in the middle of the night or home alone and just don’t have a chance (or the energy) to fully wash parts, you can safely stash all the pumping parts in the fridge for a few hours to slow the growth of bacteria until your next pumping sesh.
The CDC adds that, if you go this route, you should ideally still rinse all the parts, put them in a sealed bag to prevent additional contamination and then store them in the fridge. And of course, as soon as you are able, properly wash and sanitize all parts.
Speaking of not always getting a chance to wash your pump, I found it very helpful to buy a second set of parts, so I’d always have a clean option ready. Both the Momcozy Air 1 and M9 hands-free pumps have spare flanges, inserts and valves you can buy. It’s not a necessity, of course, but having a spare set ready to go saved me a lot of time and energy as a pumping mom. My other on-the-go pumping hacks included: a breast milk cooler for storing freshly pumped milk, a diaper bag with a built-in insulated bottle pocket for when I needed to be ready for an upcoming feeding and an extra tote in which I could stash all my supplies.
I also found it helpful to connect my pump to the charger immediately after pumping—that way, it was always fully charged and ready to go. I love that the Momcozy Air 1 has a fully wireless charging storage case, because it makes keeping everything charged so much easier while on the go.
Pumping opened my eyes to an interesting rule: It’s perfectly safe to keep freshly expressed breast milk out, at room temperature, for up to four hours. That means if you pump at 3 a.m. and your baby usually wakes up at 5 a.m, you can simply keep the breast milk in a bottle by your bed and have it ready to go. It took some time to adjust to letting milk sit out, but keep in mind: Breast milk is very different from milk you can buy at the store. If you won’t be using the milk within four hours, it’s safe in the fridge for four days and in the freezer for 6–12 months.
For a long time, my husband and I warmed our baby’s bottles because it’s what we thought you were supposed to. Then, one day, in my sleep-deprived state, I accidentally offered her a bottle straight out of the fridge. To my surprise, she happily drank it. It turns out, you don’t have to warm up breast milk. The CDC says thawed or fresh breast milk can safely be given to your baby, warmed up or cold. When we realized that our baby just did not care about the milk’s temperature, we started skipping the warming part, especially for late-night or on-the-go feedings. If she was happy, we were happy. So much of being a pumping parent requires a lot of work, so if there is anything you can safely do to reduce your workload, go for it.
Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.
