Pumping Breastmilk: Don't Spill that Liquid Gold!

When my oldest daughter was born, I stayed home with her for the first six months. Then I decided to go back to school and finish my degree. So, I went to WalMart and bought the cheapest pump I could find....after all, a pump is a pump, right?

Now that I look back, I thank heavens that I am a good pumper and was able to pump well, even with a inferior pump.

When my second daughter was born, I went to work part time at nights when she was six months old. This time, I was wiser and I bought the Medela Pump in Style. This pump was a dream come true: in ten minutes I could pump twice the amount it took me twenty minutes to pump with the cheaper pump.

All in all, my experiences pumping were positive. However, there were a couple of mini disasters thrown in there:

Like the time I forgot my pumped milk out in the car overnight during the summer weather...

Or the time our freezer died and I had to toss out over 80 oz of pumped milk (that one made me cry)...

Or the time I decided unwisely to be a little lazy about pumping. The next thing I knew, my daughter hit a growth spurt and went through my entire stash in the freezer in one day. I had to miss a day of classes so I can pump enough to leave for her the next day....

The worst, though, happened at my part time job. I was the only supervisor on that night because the other supervisor was ill. I went back to pump, and right after my let-down reflex happened, they paged me to the front. I had to go. Now, I have a very powerful let-down (I can literally hit the ceiling), so I literally had to stuff my bra with toilet paper to catch the leaking as I ran up to help the customer. Not pretty.

Pumping is definitely an adventure. And not the easiest one. But it is worth it. Here are some pumping tips:

Stay hydrated.

Try to pump at the same time during the day that your baby would normally nurse

To encourage the let-down reflex, try looking at a picture of your baby, or keeping close a blanket that smells like your baby, or even recording your baby's hungry cry to play back when you need to pump.

Make sure you get a good quality pump. Medela Pump in Style is the one I like to recommend for moms who have to pump often. Some insurance companies will even cover the cost of the pump.

Make sure you know how to store breastmilk properly. You can find great information on storing breastmilk at KellyMom and at La Leche League International.

Remember that with pumping, as with a lot of things, practice makes perfect. If you and your baby have a healthy breastfeeding relationship established, you can start to pump two weeks before you return to work. Don't be alarmed if your first attempt doesn't yield much milk: your body needs time to adjust to the pump. You can practice by pumping before the baby wakes up in the morning, after the baby feeds, and after the baby goes to sleep. Store your milk from these practice sessions in the freezer to use as a backup stash - you are probably going to need it!

Not matter how your experience with pumping goes, give yourself a pat on the back. You are working hard to give your child a great start on life - congratulations.