Make Pumping Suck Less

Let’s face it: pumping SUCKS. In, well, sooo many ways.

The scene gets old – an annoying machine tearing at your formerly beautiful boobs (sometimes LITERALLY tearing at them), loudly preventing you from successfully completing the 428 mom duties you must neglect during your pump session. Always looking for outlets to hang out near, or how about the fun of trying to contort your baby’s body around the parts when they start crying during a pump session? Don’t even get me started on the time it takes to clean the parts. And if you’re like me, you’re completing this lovely routine 5-8 times a day. Ugh. It’s the worst.

None of my babies nursed after 6 months of age, but I was intent on feeding them my breastmilk for the first year. It was right for me, it’s not for others, and that’s okay, whatever your story is. But let me tell you, I have provided milk for 1 year, and not a day longer, because again, pumping is the WORST. My littlest is 8 months now, and I’m about 1.5 months away from having enough milk stored that I can stop all the pumping and she’ll have enough milk to make it to a year. When that day comes, I’m going to have a PAR-TAY and you’re all invited.

But listen, if you’re pumping, YOU DESERVE for it to be as easy as possible. I legit believe there are very few moms out there with more pumping experience than me. I don’t like actually giving advice. I prefer to just tell about my experiences. But in this case, I feel very comfortable with my advice, so I’m going for it. Ha!

Let’s chat about things I’ve learned that have made an unbearable situation sliiiiightly more bearable:

1. A hands-free pumping bra. This is an absolute MUST. This thing is worth its weight in gold. My husband actually bought me one from Target after about 3 days of pumping because I was pumping around the clock, every 2.5 hours with my first who was early, and he quickly realized that was a lot of the day I was essentially useless. It was such a relief to get to use my hands during this time! Even if you only plan to pump once or twice a day, it would still be a worthy investment.
2. A pump with a rechargeable battery. With my first two, I had the Medela Pump In Style. With my third, I got this little gem, the Cimilre F1. It is dramatically better for my lifestyle. I plug that bad boy in once or twice a day between pump sessions, and it never dies on me. No sitting by outlets. No lugging surge protectors around with me (yes, I did this for years). I realize that the Medela pumps will take batteries, so if you have a Medela, I recommend investing in the batteries! I’m not knocking Medela – they are a great company with great products, but I’m happy I switched.

3. A quiet pump – I had to make a choice with my Medela pump – hide it under pillows, or actually hear the TV. It was LOUD! My Cimilre is at LEAST 60% quieter. And on a side note, I swore that my Medela pump was speaking to me? Anyone else?! This one is just not loud enough to have a conversation with 🙂

4. A small pump – I had to have my huge bag with my Medela, but my Cimilre is awesome because it’s so small it can fit in a sweatshirt pocket! This totally changes the portability game for me. Unfortunately, the Cimilre F1 does not come with a bag, so I just stick it in my old Medela bag between pump sessions.

5. Zip-up sweatshirts with a pocket large enough to hold your pump. I got like 6 of these from Old Navy, just so I can carry around my pump completely hands-free. Since I’ve now been wearing them for 8 months, I want to burn them, but I still need them for the moment. Between pumps, I now wear other shirts instead of the “pumping” sweatshirts all the day long.

I realize these things are a little bit of an investment, but consider them your payment for completing your part-time job (which is pumping, of course). Also, my insurance has covered all of my pumps, including this (IMO) far superior pump. Definitely worth checking out!!! And I haven’t tried the more discreet pumps you can put in your bra, but those might be worth a look, too, especially if you’re working outside of the home!!

Obviously this list is far from comprehensive, as there are so many other products out there I haven’t tried! These are just the ones that have worked for me, after a bit of trial and error.

Links to the goods (not sponsored – in case you wondered!):

My pumping bra: This bra has lasted through all three kids! (It’s DISGUSTING now, but has held up well!)

My pump: The Cimilre F1. Be sure to check with your insurance provider before you choose where to buy your pump!

My sweatshirts: They’re from Old Navy. I got XL with all my sweatshirts and was happy to have extra room, but they’ll definitely be too big to wear in real life after pumping). Here’s another version as well.

Best wishes on all of your pumping endeavors!!!! I’ll be talking about how I wean from pumping here in the next couple of months!!! CAN’T WAIT!

I would LOVE for you to join me on Instagram or Facebook! See you there!!!

XOXO!

Honestly,

-AM

More About Me: Hi! I’m Ann Marie, a blogging mama of 3 tiny gals, and a wife to a busy Orthopedic Surgeon. You can find me right here for a weekly smattering of inspiration for your motherhood journey, home, marriage (I see you other medical wives!), style, and beauty. You’ll find me most active on Instagram or Facebook for life between blog posts. And I truly can’t wait to see you there, friend. ❤️💋

To connect, shoot me an email at honestlyannmarie@gmail.com ❤️