Over the last few weeks, I’ve started having to pump more and more due to my time being stretched too thin between 2 children and not being able to spend as much time nursing. Pumping is A LOT of work. Aside from the pumping itself taking a good portion of your day, there’s lots of “set-up” and “takedown” to also think about. I decided to put together some tips and tricks I use to make the most of my time and make things as easy as possible.
1. Go-hands free with the Lilu Massage Bra! 🔅
You’re going to be tethered to a pump for a good part of the day so may as well be able to get stuff done while doing so. I’m obsessed with this because I get more milk out in a fraction of the time. I also have long dealt with a delayed milk letdown that added another 5-7 minutes to my pump time. When I use the bra it helps me get a letdown quicker. It’s been heaven-sent for me.
The Lilu actually adds pressure to the breast while you pump with inner massage cushions that inflate and deflate mimicking the motions recommended by experts to stimulate milk glands. I used to have to hold the pump with one hand and add pressure with the other. It tied up both hands and therefore making it so that nothing else could be done for those 20 minutes every 3 hours.
I bought 2 extra sets of pump parts from amazon so that every time I finished pumping I would put the used ones in a ziploc bag and put them in the fridge until I could wash them all at the end of the night. Pump parts aren’t supposed to sit out or soak and are supposed to be washed immediately, so putting them into the fridge for 12-24 hours until you can wash them all together will save you the time you spend standing over the sink washing parts.
3. Pump into bottles you will feed the baby from. 🔅
When I’m pumping for the day's milk I like to pump into the bottle he will drink from. The Avent Bottles screw onto the Spectra Pump. 🙌🏼 This will save you time from washing double the bottles.
4. Have a pumping basket that you can take and move room to room. 🔅
This is what’s in mine:
My Lilu bra
Burp rag (for spills and drips)
Favorite Book for myself
iPad
Charger
Full water bottle
Bag of Cashews
Baby toy & Toddler toy (once you’re hooked up you don’t want to not have anything to give them if they’re asking for your attention)
Once I got these things working, pumping became second nature and so much more enjoyable parts of my day. ❤️
This blog post was written by Lilu Mom MaginLee Birrenkott and originally published on Feb 28, 2019 atcompletelymaginlee.com. You can follow MaginLee on Instagram at @completely.maginlee.
Lilu is a Women’s Health company building tech-enabled devices to empower new moms. Our first product, the Lilu Massage Bra, mimics compression massage, so you can empty your breasts fully to establish, increase and maintain your milk supply. Pump up to 50% more milk each session, all while going hands-free.
Introducing the revolutionary Lilu Lactation Massager Bra - designed to make your pumping sessions more efficient and comfortable than ever before. With our lactation massage cushions, you can experience the benefits of hands-on compression motions recommended by lactation experts, without using your hands. Our bra holds the cushions securely in place, massaging both breasts while you pump, helping to increase milk flow and maintain your milk supply.
