10 pumping supplies I couldn’t live without as an exclusive pumper

Check out these 10 pumping supplies I couldn’t live without as an exclusive pumper. Breastfeeding is hard, pumping is hard, and exclusively pumping is the most exhaustive baby-feeding journey I’ve personally experienced. My third baby had to be transferred to a children’s hospital at 24 hours old and unexpectedly needed open-heart surgery at 3 days old. I clung to pumping as it felt like the only thing I could do for her. Her surgery left her with a paralyzed vocal cord which caused her to aspirate on milk. This means she was deemed “NPO” (from the Latin nil per os meaning nothing by mouth). My nursing plans were pushed aside and I had to learn the ins and outs of tube feeding and pumping. Exclusively pumping feels like a separate job. It takes a toll on your physical and mental well-being. The early weeks were extra rough. But I was determined to do this for her. Over time I found certain things that made exclusively pumping a bit more bearable. I tried so many pumping products. My pumping supply stash was out of control. I was always searching for the one thing that would magically make my exclusively pumping journey better, easier, or more fruitful. Spoiler alert: there was no one magic product. Now, there are tons of supplies and products to help pumping moms. Which is great, but it can also be overwhelming and not everything is necessary. Along my journey, I found these 10 pumping supplies and once discovered, I couldn’t live without them as an exclusive pumper. I did find some other things helpful not listed below, but these 10 things were my most essential, couldn’t live without, pumping supplies. Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com at no additional cost to you.

1. Pump

Having a breast pump is key if you’re an exclusive pumper! I did read someone trying to “exclusively pump” by only hand expressing. Maybe that can work for a few random women, but this is unlikely to work for most and seems extremely taxing. Furthermore, having a double electric wall (not wearable) breast pump is likely the most efficient, effective, and reliable option for an exclusive pumper. Make sure to check with your insurance as most cover part of or even the full cost of a pump. I had a great experience with my Spectra S1 pump.

2. Hands-free pumping bra

All the minutes, hours, and days spent pumping add up quickly. A hands-free pumping bra allows you more freedom and efficiency while you pump. Maybe you want to simultaneously feed your baby, doze off, or scroll your phone. However you choose to pass the time, a hands-free pumping bra is essential for any exclusive pumper.

3. Pumping spray

This one needs to be talked about more! I wish I learned about pumping spray much earlier in my exclusively pumping journey. You spray it on your flanges before pumping to reduce friction and make pumping more comfortable. Once I started using it, I never wanted to pump without it. An alternative option is to use coconut oil.

4. Backup pump

As my main pump started randomly turning off, I frantically purchased another in the middle of the night. If you exclusively pump and do not have the option to nurse your baby at all, you have to make sure you always have a way to express breastmilk. Hand expressing can work in a pinch, but would be difficult to keep up for long. It’s not uncommon for exclusive pumpers to have 2, 3, 4, or even more pumps. I felt covered by having a double electric wall pump, a portable wearable pump, and a manual pump.

5. Extra parts

Looking back I don’t know how I managed to survive so many nights blearily washing my pump parts at 12 am, 2 am, 5 am, rinse, and repeat. If you’re exclusively pumping, I recommend having multiple sets of pump parts. How many? It depends on each individual’s schedule and needs. Some women like to have enough pump parts to get them through work hours without having to wash them. I had 3-4 sets at most times and this worked well for me. Maymom, Nenesupply, and several other companies make Spectra, Medela, Elvie, Willow, etc. compatible pump parts which are more affordable than purchasing so many original extra parts. First, don’t miss out on checking with your insurance company though, some will cover not only a pump but also supplies.

6. Drying racks

Washing, washing, and more washing. As an exclusive pumper, you’re always washing pumping parts and bottle parts. My counter was always towering with parts. I used multiple different drying racks but found using both this one and this one the most efficient for handling several parts.

7. Dapple soap

Sometimes breastmilk fat and residue can stubbornly stick to bottles and pump parts. Dapple soap works so well at cutting through and leaving your pumping supplies clean. For on-the-go, the wipes work well. Dapple is a plant-based clean ingredient cleaning solution.

8. Dishwashing gloves

I hate to break it to you, but the washing never ends when you exclusively pump. My hands were so raw after the first couple of weeks. I quickly invested in dishwashing gloves to save my hands.

9. Cooler & ice packs

Maximizing every little bit of extra sleep you can get is important if you pump. Instead of going downstairs and back up throughout the night to refrigerate milk and get bottles, I used a cooler bag and ice packs. I would prep whatever milk she needed overnight ahead of time, and store it in the cooler with ice packs in our room. I would also add my freshly pumped milk to the cooler throughout the night. Alternatively, I’ve heard many exclusively pumping moms swear by using a micro mini fridge. Personally, the cooler method worked for us and we also use it to store her milk and medicine while being out and about or traveling.

10. Extra storage bottles

Does your dryer eat socks? Well, I think my dishwasher eats milk storage bottles. I was always running out of storage bottles and I found it a lot less stressful to make sure I had plenty extra. These extra storage bottles connect and work with Spectra and Motif pumps. And these classic Medela storage bottles are standard players and do the job well.

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