Working and pumping

I feel so incredibly fortunate to work in an environment where not only is breastfeeding and pumping normal, but it's encouraged and celebrated. Being a nurse we are allotted two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch on our 12 hour shift. I unfortunately am not a fast pumper. It usually takes me anywhere from 25-35 minutes to get the 8 ounces I need every pump to feed the LPs. And usually I only get 7 ounces and have to hand express an additional ounce. Luckily, I explained this to my supervisors and they have been willing to work with me. It's a horrible feeling to know there is work to be done and people who are pulling my weight when I'm pumping. I feel guilty, but on the other hand, I feel more guilty if I'm not getting my babies everything they need. They are my number one priority. I will say it again- I am SO BLESSED to work where I work and with the people I work with. 

Here are some essentials for me for pumping at work:

1.  H2O - I cannot explain how thirsty I get or how important water is for hydration while breastfeeding. I've also noticed that if I'm not producing as much as I'd like, drinking - ok gulping in my case - some water usually leads to another letdown which equals MORE MILK!

2. My hands free pumping bra. What would I do without this bad boy!?!??  It frees up my hands so I can catch up on work emails and charting. 

3. Medela Pump and Style Breast Pump. I was able to get mine free through my insurance company and I highly recommend that everyone look into this. Not all insurances will do it but take advantage of it if they will! We use medela pumps at the hospital and I am currently renting a hospital grade pump at the house. Their products are the only ones I've used so I cannot base how well other products work - I just know I'm happy with what I've used thus far! Their parts are easily replaceable and you can even find their replacement parts on amazon!

4. Lancinoh breast storage bags. These are what I use to store my breastmilk. We have a breast milk refrigerator and this makes it easy to label my milk with my name and time I pumped in order to keep it separate from the other nursing mamas. 

5. Snacks! I always eat a snack while pumping. Sometimes it's hard to get a bite in at work because we are busy. Having a snack on hand helps me feels satiated and helps keep my supply up. 

6. Speaking of supply.... My supply definitely went down when returning to work. I was started on reglan to help bring it back up. I've noticed some small changes which I appreciate. I make exactly what the LPs eat. Not going to complain about that. 

7. Medela Sanitizing Steam bags. I just toss my bottles and parts in one if these bad boys, add some water, and pop it in the microwave for three minutes and whala! Sterile parts for the next session!

8.  Freezer size ziplock bags. If I'm running low on time, I don't worry about sanitizing my parts. Instead, I lock them in my Baggie and stick em in the fridge. It keeps bacteria from growing and I can use them for my next pumping session without an issue! So glad I found that tip on Pinterest. 

9. Pinterest brings me to my next item. My phone! If I'm done charting and done checking my email, then my iPhone enters the picture. I can look at pics of the LPs which helps me make more milk and allows me to have a little time to myself to play on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook. Ah, modern technology!

10. Last but not least, a nursing tank. This makes putting my hands free bra on a lot easier. I just pull down my tank and pull up my hands free bra. Easy as pie! You're set to pump. 

Is there anything you absolutely can't live without while pumping??? Let me know!

All pics are courtesy of a google search! If they are yours, thank you!!!! Please let everyone know. Still working on how to figure out tagging people on here and giving them credit. :)