I have learned a few lessons so far...
(1) If you have to poop and you have to pump, poop first. It's very uncomfortable to pump when you need to poop. Locate the nearest restrooms to your lactation space. Not only is it good for handwashing, but it may be vital in an emergency poop situation.
(2) It's nice to pack your pumping bag with something just for you, like a sweet treat. I picked up a mother lode of energy bars at Aldi. Yes, I spent a bunch of cash, but also I have a little reward for myself for keeping up with my pumping schedule.
(3) There's only so much crap you can fit in your pumping bag. It's good to pare down as much as possible. I've weeded out most of what I don't need. But what is also VERY NICE to have is something to drink. I've been obsessed with peach tea. It's lightly sweet, slightly flavored, herbal and warm.
@hamerk02 Scald High Lipase Milk at Work with @cereschillofficial #workingmom #cereschill #mothersinscience ♬ original sound - Kayla A. Kaiser
I tried lots of experiments with my breastmilk, but what seems to help the most is scalding it. I tried scalding in a double boiler at home on my kitchen stove but it was a pain in the butt and didn't work. Researching Ceres Chill, I found that you can use them to scald as well as store and transport and pump your milk. This has been an absolute game-changer.
@hamerk02 Minimalist pumping setup with @cereschillofficial and @medela_official #medelapump #breastfeedingmom #workingmom #momsoftiktok ♬ original sound - Kayla A. Kaiser
I have amassed a collection of 3 Ceres Chillers. I bought the "Zero dark" black one in the middle first. It came with the holder (handle) which is actually green and sparkly. Then I found the other two on Facebook Marketplace. The limited edition Rose Gold and the Don't Call Me Hon Plum. The newer one is nice because it has a mark on the inside that is a max fill line. The other two don't have that. Also the newer one has a little plug in the connector, I'm guessing this is to break the vacuum in the event that it's sealed too tightly to get it open.
I bought an electric kettle which has made scalding a breeze. And the leftover water I use to make tea which I put in my thinksport insulated bottle so I have something warm and comforting do drink while doing my pumping. I'm very lucky to work in a science building with easy access to ice and thermometers. I fill my outer chamber with ice and a splash of water on my way to the lactation space. I've learned to add the water first then the ice, otherwise the ice can form a chunk that prevents me from putting the inner chamber in correctly.
Here you can see an early iteration. I'm using the pumparoo bag to create a clean surface in the lactation space. The pumpin pals super shields small set came with Adapters for Spectra bottles. It also came with collar ring adapters for the silicone flanges (not pictured here). It turns out I don't like any of the pumpin pals flanges. No hate, they just don't feel comfortable to me.
Here is a later iteration I used with the spectra pump. What I've added is a bottle thread changer so that the adapters for spectra bottles can pump directly into the Ceres Chill. You can see that the medium super shields do not need the collar ring adapter. That is only necessary for the silicone flanges in size XS and S. This is great since my baby doesn't drink out of bottles.
What I do now is leave my other bra on and just pull the layers of shirt up to put on the pumping bra. It's faster than taking the other bra off. You can see here how the Sarah Wells "Marie" bag is on my left with the pump and photo of my cutie on display. The pumparoo bag is on my right. It's machine washable, but I think I am preferring to transport pump parts in a Medela steam bag. Then the bag is cleaned and sterilized when I get back to my office.
The pumparoo I usually take home and wash with laundry on the weekend. But I imagine it gets pretty gross, or it would if I used it every day. What I do love about the pumparoo is the outer pocket, which is not waterproof but instead breathable. I put the tubing and backflow protectors in there. What I've learned is that you have to disassemble the 3-parts of the backflow protectors and let them air dry if condensation forms in there. Makes sense but totally an extra step I didn't know about until I noticed the moisture.
My tried and true Medela pump is actually my favorite. I feel like I get more milk. I replaced the medela valves and membranes with duckbills. Here you can see the yellow valves and white disc membranes. They're so tiny and a pain to wash because I'm always paranoid I'm going to lose them. The duckbills fit on there just the same and seem to provide ample suction.
The other thing I realized is my preference are the Medela PersonalFit Flex Breast Shields. They're so much more comfortable (for me) than all the other ones I tried. Good news is that I can use them with the Spectra pump no problem. They fit right into the Adapters for Spectra bottles that came with the pumpin pals supershields.
Another thing I've learned that I like is that when you pump directly into the Ceres Chill, you can't see how much milk you've pumped. That way I'm not judging myself for how much I do or don't get. I like pumping in the dark. I would add a battery-powered light to your pumping bag. The spectra pump has its own light, which is cute and very handy. I also like how the spectra pump has a timer. I try to pump for 15 minutes and then stop, regardless of how many let-downs I have had.
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