Ever since beginning my pumping journey with donating my breastmilk, I have learned a lot! I’m here to share about all the things I’ve tried, liked, and what I’ve learned as I go through this journey.

I started out with an electric breast pump that worked great, but kept me stuck near an outlet or attached to a battery pack and wasn’t hands free. I’d be stuck on the couch holding the pump to my chest and hoping my kids weren’t getting into any trouble while I pumped 😂

I thought I solved the hands-free problem by buying a pumping bra accessory that would hold the pump flanges in place, but that didn’t work too well because it ended up leaking. After that experience, I immediately ordered a hands-free pump and haven’t looked back!

Below is a list of all the things I find useful for pumping and storing breastmilk.

Wearable Pump | Milk Storage Bags | Sharpies | Hand Soap | Dish Soap | Steam Bags | Wire Basket | Water Bottle

1. Wearable Breast Pump. When wearable breast pumps made their debut after my first pregnancy in 2018, they were in the $300-$600 range, which was way out of my budget. Over the years, they’ve become a lot more affordable (and sometimes fully covered by insurance–check this website to see if you’re eligible!). I found this hands-free pump for under $65 and it works really well. There are a lot of settings to control the speed, suction, and time as well as different flange sizes available and the best part is that they don’t need batteries! They charge via a USB cord. Swoon. Each pump (it comes as a set of two) holds six ounces of milk and I’ve done plenty of things while using them–laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc.–and have had no issues with milk leaking.

2. Milk Storage Bags. Since I freeze my milk and donate it in bulk, milk storage bags are a must-have for containing my milk in a sterile environment. I pump and then immediately label each bag with the date, time, and my donor number. Then I pour the milk in, seal it, and freeze it until I’m ready to bring it to the milk bank.

3. Sharpie. Yes, a Sharpie is an essential for pumping! I use this permanent marker to label my milk storage bags and it ensures that the ink doesn’t wear or rub off while in the freezer.

4. Hand Soap. Before and after every pumping session, I make sure to wash my hands thoroughly. Any anti-bacterial soap will do, but I’ve been loving Mrs. Meyers hand soap in the acorn spice scent since it’s currently fall.

5. Dish Soap. After I pump, I disassemble the pump and wash each individual part in dish soap. Again, any dish soap will do but I’ve been loving this one!

6. Sanitizer bags. After washing all the pump parts, I then use these super convenient sanitizing bags. I put the clean pump parts in the bag with a few ounces of water and then pop them in the microwave for three minutes. The hot water creates steam and it sanitizes the pump parts. I then let them fully dry on a clean dishtowel afterwards.

7. Basket. I use a wire basket to corral my pump, milk storage bags, sharpie, and sanitizer bags. Keeping everything in one basket that I can move around is helpful and keeps me organized! I don’t have to wonder why my sharpie is or what happened to the milk storage bags because they’re all in my pumping basket on the kitchen counter.

8. Water bottle. Pumping and nursing make me super thirsty. I’ve also found that I produce more milk when I’ve adequately hydrated. A good water bottle, preferably a big one, comes in handy.

Bonus Products: I have found these items to be useful, but not necessary for pumping.

-Fenugreek. Fenugreek is a galactagogue, which is a food thought to increase breastmilk production. I’ve found this fenugreek to work well.
-Lactation Cookie Mix. Do you absolutely need lactation cookies if you’re breastfeeding or pumping? No. But who would say no to cookies, especially if they have galactagogue ingredients?!

Note: I don’t have any bottles, bottle sterilizers, or bottle drying racks listed in this post because I haven’t personally used them and can’t vouch for any certain brands. My babies haven’t taken bottles, and I donate my milk so that kind of eliminates those products from my personal wheelhouse. If you have any recommendations for other moms who may find this post, feel free to leave them in the comments section!

Things you don’t need for pumping:

When I’m only pumping, I’ve found that I don’t need a nursing pillow (boppy), special nursing clothes, or a nursing bra. I do find those useful for nursing my baby at the breast, though!

Pumping moms, do you have any products you find to be essential?