Wish list.. or rather my "MUST HAVE!" list. Prepare yourself for rambling, and you'll probably only find this of interest if you are looking at needing to pump in the future!
I thought I'd put together a list of what I plan on purchasing before the baby arrives. Friends and family may attest to the fact that I am a planner, I like to make sure things are in place before the event at hand. I believe this planner in me came out more after my twins arrived, showing me that I needed to think ahead or else doom and gloom could occur (okay, that's a bit dramatic!).
So, on to my list.. I am an experienced pumper, in that I've exclusively pumped more than once (first time after my twins were born, then after my surro babies). There's a lot more products on the market now that make pumping a lot easier than it was 9 years ago when my twins were born! A lot of items aren't absolutely needed, but they make pumping so much more convenient. And exclusively pumping can take a lot of time out of your day, especially if you have a baby (which I won't, of course), so convenience is worth the money it costs, I think!
Number one! A breast pump. Some women manually express their milk with their hands, I know, but I am lazy. I'd rather get my breasts out and put the shields on them and let the pump go to town in drawing the milk out of me.
As of now, I've only used Medela pumps. I used a Lactina with my twins, and it worked pretty well. I have a feeling my supply wasn't up to snuff because of the stress of newborn twins! After my surro babies, I used a Medela Pump in Style. I was worried that not having a hospital grade pump would result in lower output, but I found that I am what some call a hyperlactator - I make around 100 ounces day even with the Pump in Style!
I debated between Medela, Hygeia, Ameda, but in the end I am pretty sure I will go with my tried and true pump from the past (though I'll have to get a new one, since I passed along my old one to a friend).
Number two! Breast milk storage bags. I've tried various bags, and it seems all have occasional issues. Overall I've found that I like Lansinoh bags, and while they've leaked a time or two in the thawing process, there's a way to avoid wasted milk. You put the frozen bag of milk into a Ziploc bag, then put the Ziploc into a bowl of hot water to thaw the milk. Even on the rare occasion that a bag leaked, it leaked into the Ziploc, so we could get the milk out of the Ziploc and baby could still have that milk! Obviously, being an EPer that doesn't have a baby at home, the thawing process is of no concern to me really. Though I do want to make sure that whatever bags I put my milk into won't be leaking or what have you for my surro baby's family or any other family I may donate too.
I am debating on trying some other bags this time around - I've heard wonderful things about Honeysuckle brand, and I've yet to try Simplisse as well. Again, any thoughts? Reply to this post!
Number three! A hands free pump bra. This is something I did not have with my twins, and I can't tell you how many times I sat there, holding the pump shields to my breasts.. frustrated. From having to itch your nose or grab something from a few feet away, it wasn't possible, unless you wanted to prop the bottle on your thigh, praying the shield didn't fall from your breast and lose suction! Ugh!
So, I am definitely going to get a pump bra. Last time I used an Easy Expressions Bustier, but I wasn't all that pleased with it. It seemed to stretch out rather easily and very quickly, even though it was tight at first! I was bummed. This time around, I am going to try the Simple Wishes bra as well as the PumpEase. Overall, the PumpEase looks to be easier to use, but this is just from my seeing images online in comparing the two! I read the reviews for PumpEase on Amazon, and as one woman said, she just wore it around her abdomen and when needing to pump, she pulled it up over her breasts and put the shields in and began pumping. I plan on having at least 2-3 pump bras available, just in case one is dirty, also one to have on the go, one for home. I want to make this as easy as possible on me, since EPing at first is incredibly time consuming!
Part two of my Pumping Wish List will be posted tomorrow!
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