So You Need to Pump

Now, no one wants to pump. In the first few months, your boobs are sore and cozying up to a machine at 2 AM just doesn't have that cuddly new-mom allure. But if you're a NICU mom (like me) or a mom with supply or latch issues (like many of my friends) quality time with the Medela may be in your future.


Before we begin, a disclaimer: Regular moms who need to pump occasionally and other normal situations, I'm not as familiar. But I know the exclusive pumping route, backwards and forwards. My boobs are legend amongst lactation consultants, let me tell you, mostly because I'm the freakish micropreemie mom who managed to wind up with an oversupply, an exclusively nursing micro, and well over 4,000 ounces donated to the Milk Bank and private families. 

That's a lot of time with the pump. To this day I fantasize about burning my Pump In Style in a pagan ritual in the backyard, and only my inherent cheapness prevents me from sending that machine back to its maker on a pyre. So I can answer any number of questions about how to exclusively pump without completely losing your mind, but I'll try to just go into Pumping 101 here.


What supplies do I need?

You'll need the pump, tubing, bottles to pump in to with lids, and then the 'horns' part of the assembly. That should all come in the package with the pump. The only spare parts you should need are the white flaps (I think Medela calls them membranes) because they occasionally get small tears when you disassemble the thing to wash it. 

You might need a different size 'cup' in case the included one is either uncomfortable (and so too tight) or ineffective (and so too loose). It's even possible to need different sizes on different boobs, but in my experience that should even out once you're past the initial engorgement stage. Consider getting a couple of different sizes to experiment with, keep in mind that your size may change as your boobs adjust to breastfeeding or pumping.

I don't really know what the real names are for each part, so I'll just give a photo of my kit.

My pump bag has:

the pump

the tubing

bottles (with spares if I'm going to store it in bottles, otherwise I carry some Lansinoh storage bags for freezing)

a tube of Lansinoh lanolin - use an ample amount, protect your poor boobs from chafing

a clean cloth for wiping the extra lanolin off my hands and off my boobs once I'm done pumping

an insulated bag for taking the milk home (usually with an ice pack in there; an insulated pocket in a bag works fine)

a tupperware holding my pump kit - also used as a wash basin when cleaning parts

a very small bottle of dish soap with a wash cloth for cleaning parts

spare membranes

a steam bag, in case I'm running too late to clean the parts thoroughly 

my apron for covering up (hooter hider, bebe au lait, etc)

It sounds like a lot, but really it just breaks down to the pump, a ziplock bag full of small stuff, the tupperware with pump parts, and the apron. Also, for god's sake pack an emergency manual pump. There is no panic like the 'my boobs are going to explode because my pump broke' kind of panic.

At home you might want a spare set of pumping parts so you don't have to wash them too often, but that will depend on how frequently you wind up pumping. For me, three sets would have been nice for pumping 8 times a day, but two sets works out fine for pumping 3 times a day or less. 

Timing?

For the first 12 weeks or so, an exclusively pumping mom will want to pump every 2 to 3 hours in order to establish a supply. That's every 2 to 3 from the time you start pumping, remember. Yeah, it's a lot, but it gets better. At night you can stretch it out in order to get some sleep (assuming you're not up feeding the baby anyhow) but you want to maintain at least one middle of the night pump in order to keep those hormones working for you. Assume that you'll be pumping around 7 times a day.

Once your supply is established, you can start to relax a little. I wound up pumping about every 4 hours, with a 6 hour stretch at night (if my boobs allowed it - leaking is a bitch). Now, aside from leaking issues, you don't necessarily need to pump according to the clock. If you know you'll have a meeting at 1, for instance, you can pump at 10, noon, and 4. It's all about planning ahead - the main issues I experienced were discomfort and crazy leaking if I went too far over my four hour limit. Plan ahead, pump early to get you past the time when you won't be free to leave.

Boredom?

I set my computer up to play TV and movies while I pumped. Other popular strategies are to use a recipe stand to hold your reading material, an eReader, or a hands-free or 'Madonna' bra with a backpack carrier for the pump. (By the way, if those models in the hands-free pumping bras don't make you say Awww Yeaah, then I don't know what will. My bra was the red and white polka dots. You're welcome.) 

Boosting supply (and other questions)

All pumps are not made equal. If you're having supply issues or establishing your supply as a preemie mom, a Medela Symphony rental is probably your best bet. Once things start to turn around, you can return the rental and go back to a plain old Pump In Style or otherwise. If you're exclusively pumping, though, stick with the double pumping models in order to keep your supply up.

You can also try eating oatmeal and drinking LOTS of water to boost or maintain supply, adding in extra pumping sessions, and herbal supplements like fenugreek. With fenugreek, if you don't start to smell like maple syrup, you're not taking enough. There are prescription meds you can ask your doctor about, but I don't know much about them.

Other questions? Post a comment or check out KellyMom.com.

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I realized that I tend to write Cliff Notes on request for my friends and family - the basics on XYZ. I've written emails that encapsulate everything from what to do in Anchorage in a day to how to learn to knit. It's not always fun to talk (or hear) about post-NICU life, and sometimes law school is a drag. But How To's? Always entertaining. I sense a series coming...

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