It is a time of change for your best girls as they transform from some ~fantastic~ assets to food making machines for your baby. While they are super freaking cool for that, they come with some literal growing pains, especially in the first couple months postpartum. Give them — and you — some grace!
I am aiming for brevity in this post: to give you the down and dirty of what you need. If you want any more information, leave a comment and I will try to expand on things in another blog!
THE SHORT-LIST
- TO BUY:
- Hand pump
- Catch cups
- Disposable breast pads
- Nipple butter
- Reusable heat/ice breast packs
- Cheap nursing bras
THE QUICK AND DIRTY
HAND PUMP
Whether exclusively breastfeeding, pumping, or using formula — having a breast pump is essential for your mental health. And having one that doesn’t need to be charged in the middle of a menty b is even better. In my opinion, it is a non-negotiable to invest (and when I say invest they are all under $30 so…) in a good hand pump in addition to whatever you want to use as your main. Personally, I used Medela because it was what was at Target when I went, but there are tons of great options out there. I really don’t think you can go wrong with any of the main “pump” brands (i.e. Willow, Lansinoh, etc.)
Other than not needing to be charged; why am I raving about hand pumps? They have helped me out of many a sticky situation. Firstly, the charging thing is not to be overstated. I can’t tell you how many times I whipped out my good ole hand pump at work when my wearables ran out of battery and I needed to finish my pump quick to get back to the OR. Also, I feel like they have a better suction because you are controlling them with a little more attention. In that respect, they are great to pass a clog, help with managing engorgement, or even could your be a primary pump especially if you are time restricted (they work 10x quicker than an electric pump!)
The great thing about hand pumps is they are also SO cheap, especially in comparison to wearables. It is easy to replace parts when they require it, but truthfully it is just as easy on you and your wallet to buy a new one in a pinch. The cool thing about hand pumps compared to your electric pumps are that they also can be a bit more flexible when it comes to customizing. For example, I wanted all glass/silicone and no plastic touching my milk and it was very easy to make my Medela pump into that: I swapped the bottle portion for a Muchkin glass bottle (Dr. Brown’s also would work), and I also traded out the white suction disc (if you know you know) for a silicone duckbill from my Eufy wearables. Side note, both of those I just happened to have — no additional purchase necessary!
Quick aside: sometimes hand pump or manuals (a.k.a those without electricity) are in disguise. When applying something to your breast be mindful that anything that creates suction is considered a breast pump. Haaka, for example, has a very popular “catch cup” that is not really a catch cup at all: you use suction to apply to your breast…which makes it actually a passive pump device that can do more harm than good.
PRO TIP: your boobs are smart and they output what you input to make ~just enough~ to feed your baby appropriately. So every time you pump or “request” milk that your baby doesn’t need you are potentially creating an oversupply by inadvertently increasing the demand (@Haaka). So how do you create a stash without feeding the freezer?
CATCH CUPS
Catch cups (true ones, not the infamous passive Haaka pumps) are a fantastic way to build your stash overtime without increasing demand. You can use them in multiple ways. When your milk comes in you are leaking practically 24/7 — use them in place of disposable breast pads (better for the environment and for your stash!). Then, as your milk supply stabilizes and you aren’t leaking quite as much, you can use them to catch milk on the opposite side that you are feeding on during let downs. It seems like overkill, but if you are doing it right and you are a just-enougher, this is the easiest way to build your stash WITHOUT pumping. Think: you get maybe an ounce every time you feed your baby by catching on the other side, you are feeding your baby every 2 hours. Boom, the math is mathing and you have 6+ ounces just in daytime feeds without pumping AT ALL!
Now I do have some more specific recs when it comes to catch cups. I personally like the Haaka Petal catch cups as they are FULLY silicone (no plastics here, baby!) and they are superslim so they A) don’t put as much pressure on your skin/boobs especially when you are engorged (I caused multiple clogs this way when using a different harder catch cup) and B) are just honestly more comfortable then hard plastic being pressed against you all day. However, while catch cups are nice, they aren’t the most discrete and you do have to wash/sterilize them. Sometimes, your days will just be daying, and it is just more convenient to use…
BREAST PADS
Don’t like looking like you spilled a drink down your shirt conveniently from both nipples? Don’t like smelling like sour milk? Breast pads are your friends. If you are like me and are trying to limit microplastics that make it to your baby (it is a losing battle), check into reusable cotton pads (Kindred Bravely has some good ones!).
PRO TIP: reusable cotton pads hold some appeal (lack of microplastics, reusable) but they also are a hot bed for bacteria and fungus. Use with caution and wash/dry with HOT water or be prepared to get mastitis and thrush (trust me, I know).
While I like the reusable pads in theory, they don’t hold nearly as much and disposables, so I do think that they may be a good down the line purchase when your supply has evened out a little bit more. While not as environmentally friendly, disposable pads may help with your sanity during the newborn trenches. Look for clean ingredients, and change often, because your nipples are going to be going through it no matter how dry you keep them. So, invest in a good…
NIPPLE BUTTER
Here’s a quick little aside about nipple butter since I mentioned thrush/mastitis. Aside from your general comfort, infection can enter your boobs through sore, cracked nipples so it is super important to take care of them! Nipple butters can keep your nipples moist, help to soothe them when they are irritated, and provide lubrication when using pumps. Just be sure to know whether or not baby can latch with it on — some are not safe for consumption. I personally like Earth Mama’s (natural ingredients and safe for ingestion) but just be sure to look at ingredients and find one that is right for you!
PRO TIP: yeast loves sugar! Be careful with nipple butter and the ingredients in your chosen one.
REUSABLE HEAT/ICE BREAST PACKS
On the topic of taking care of the yitties to prevent mastitis: trust me, this is necessary! I’ll definitely get into this later about when to use heat and/or ice in a post about mastitis (I am traumatized, but you don’t have to be), but in general you will be using both.
The short and sweet is as follows: if you want to collect colostrum or are just starting to pump, heat before hand expression will do wonders for outputs. Heat = milk. If you have clogged ducts or mastitis, ice is your friend for after breastfeeding or pumping. Cold = reducing inflammation, decreasing supply.
CHEAP NURSING BRA
Temperature is not the only thing that can affect supply. Pressure can also reduce your supply. Having comfortable, well-fitting nursing bras is essential, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, I highly suggest you do not get expensive bras that you are going to be soaking through every other hour and are going to have to wash a million times. Order packs on Amazon, just be picky with reviews. Wear them supportive but not overly tight, and don’t be afraid to adjust your shoulder straps often (even throughout the day depending on how engorged you are). I also HIGHLY recommend buying a couple different types, both for different situations (i.e. sleeping, to wear with different clothes, etc.) and also just to find what you like, but also to change where the bra and hardware is pressing on your boobs. If you are wondering: yes, this is how I ended up with mastitis a second time. 😦
A SMALL ASIDE: WEARABLES
I know what you are thinking: “But, Gill, you didn’t talk about any type of electric pump!” Precisely. When people think postpartum & boobs, our heads automatically go to wearable pumps (myself included). And, to be fair, there is a time and a place. But, if you are a mom that is expecting, reading this post, I beg you to not jump into the pumping craze. There are so many ads for different pumps and sneaky influencers boosting products in your feeds, but the truth of the matter is that wearables are NOT the bread and butter of good boob care. I HEAVILY suggest that you examine what your needs are going to be postpartum and work backwards from there. You only get one pump through your insurance, and a good ole’ wall pump may be better for you unless you absolutely need wearables (i.e. you are running around in an OR at 3am like a crazy person like me and you physically don’t have time to sit down and pump).
But…that’s for another post. 🙂 Thanks for tuning in; I would love to hear your feedback! Let me know anything you are dying to read about and I’ll make sure to blog about it soon.
xoxo, Gill
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