My Breastfeeding Gear

As I've mentioned in my last breastfeeding post, I'm going to share to you my breastfeeding gear. These are actually not naman essentials but nice to have lang. There are many practical ways to have a successful breastfeeding career which I will also share here.

When I breastfed R for over a year, here was my pumping gear for work and travel:

Clockwise: Shawl, Lock n Lock container, AVENT Isis single electronic pump and manual parts, AVENT Via cups, Ice bag, Fridge-to-Go, battery pack and adapter, liquid cleanser and brush, handwipes, tissues

Here are my breastfeeding gear/paraphernalia or "breastfriends":
1) Breastpump - With R, I used the AVENT ISIS single electronic pump (plug-in and/or battery pack, w/ manual pump parts) and it served me well. But now, having two kids, a stressful and fast paced job, I need a dual pump to cut expression time in half. Good thing I learned about Babymama.ph which sells affordable but hospital grade double breastpumps ranging from Php5K to Php9K. Even cheaper than my AVENT single electronic pump! I got myself the Spectra Cimilre M1 which is handy (size of a big Fuji apple), has a strong suction, silent (like a cellphone on vibra mode) and has a rechargeable battery.

Although buying a pump seems costly, weigh it against the benefits of having breastmilk for your baby (health wise and the cost of formula). But should you really have no budget for it, hand expression is also effective. I also think it is quite essential that all breastfeeding moms know this, as with what I experienced before, I left a valve of my pump at home and wasn't able to express milk at work =( say hello to boobs of steel. Here's a site on the marmet technique: http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/130/how-to-manually-express-breastmilk---the-marmet-technique

2) Storage (cups, bottles, breastmilk bags) - My AVENT VIA storage cups also served me well, they can be used for baby food storage too. For breastmilk bags, I use Lansinoh or Ainon (which is cheaper).

3) Cooler/insulated bag and ice/gel packs - I use my trusty Fridge-to-Go bag. It keeps cool for 6-8 hours. I use an ice bag to tide in, just in case I can't go home on time and when traffic is bad. However, any insulated bag is ok to use, just put a ziploc bag with ice in it. For milk storage guidelines, you may check this out: http://www.llli.org/faq/milkstorage.html

4) Shawl/nursing cover - I use my Milksense breastfeeding bib. I like the "baby viewing" feature. But for practicality, any shawl or big scarf would do.

 
5) Microwave sterilizer or microwaveable container (e.g. Lock n Lock), teat brush, liquid cleanser - I use these for for cleaning and storing my pump parts. You may ask, do I have to wash the pump parts after every use? What I do is just store it in the ref too, and after 2 or 3 uses, wash and sterilize it at home. Or you could just rinse them in hot water. For my cleanser, I use Human Nature's Tough Love dishwashing liquid.

Make sure you have in your bag as well some tissue paper (for drying and spills) as well as alcohol/handwipes (to disinfect your hands and the pumping area/table). Also have a water bottle to keep you hydrated.

6) Nursing bras, hands-free pumping bra - Nursing bras don't have to be expensive, those from SOEN served me well. Actually any type of bra will do, nursing bras are just more convenient. For my hands-free pumping bra, I got my Simple Wishes from Babymama as well.

7) Nipple cream, breast pads - I use Pigeon's lanolin cream since it's half the price of AVENT, but actually you can also use your own breastmilk to heal those cracks and sores. For breastpads, I also use Pigeon (disposable) and those reusable pads from SM.

So there you have it, my breastfriends. It's not expensive to breastfeed and express breastmilk, there are practical ways too. Formula is more expensive.