Working moms who pumped..

micaela421

How did you store your milk, clean your pump parts while at work? Any advice,tips and techniques to make our transistion easier is greatly appreciated? I'm going back in a week andtrying to organize my stuff so when monday comes I won't panic:-)TIA!

Mrs.Greeko

My pump came with a little cooler with ice packs that I put the milk in after I was done pumping.  It kept it cold all day.  You could use an insulated lunch bag with ice packs too.  I would pump and then go to the kitchen and rinse my pump parts and then put them on my desk to dry for next time (I also pump at my desk so it's all set up ready to go that way.  Make sure you have spares of the things that could break or wear out in your pump bag or desk because it sucks if they break and you don't have a spare.  Keep some milk bags just in case too.  Mark out your pumping times in your calendar and be very protective of that time!

andrealynn0707

My pump also had a cooler, so that is where I kept everything. 

If you don't have one, just a regular insulated lunch box will work  

BSweet823

I also had a little cooler bag, and I actually bought a bigger one (from BRU it was a double bottle bag) that i used with ice packs.  I always kept spares of everything in my office, just in case something broke or I forgot something.  I have my own office, so it was easy to have a dish towel out of site that I would put the pieces on to dry after I rinsed them.   

MTJunebride

I pumped into the Medela bottles that attached to my pump.  I stored the milk in the little insulated cooler that came with my pump.  I transferred the milk to Lansinoh bags when I got home for the day.  I had two sets of pump parts and after a while, when I was down to pumping only twice a day, I just used each one once so I didn't have to wash or rinse at work, which cut down on my time spent pumping.  Then DH was in charge of washing everything every night and packing it up for the next day.  My advice is to involve your DH in the clean up and packing up for each new day of work. 

Sunflower22

I also had an insulated cooler and brought ice packs with me. I was in my car all day so I didn't have access to a freezer or refrigerator. 

micaela421

MTJunebride:

I pumped into the Medela bottles that attached to my pump.  I stored the milk in the little insulated cooler that came with my pump.  I transferred the milk to Lansinoh bags when I got home for the day.  I had two sets of pump parts and after a while, when I was down to pumping only twice a day, I just used each one once so I didn't have to wash or rinse at work, which cut down on my time spent pumping.  Then DH was in charge of washing everything every night and packing it up for the next day.  My advice is to involve your DH in the clean up and packing up for each new day of work. 

I love your idea!!!

micaela421

MTJunebride:

I pumped into the Medela bottles that attached to my pump.  I stored the milk in the little insulated cooler that came with my pump.  I transferred the milk to Lansinoh bags when I got home for the day.  I had two sets of pump parts and after a while, when I was down to pumping only twice a day, I just used each one once so I didn't have to wash or rinse at work, which cut down on my time spent pumping.  Then DH was in charge of washing everything every night and packing it up for the next day.  My advice is to involve your DH in the clean up and packing up for each new day of work. 

I love your idea!!!

RoxBride

I was lucky enough to have access to a nursing mother room with a fridge that I could store milk in bags in. I used an insulated bad to transport the stuff home, just threw the ice packs in the freezer first thing when I got to the office.

I cleaned the pump parts as I would at home. Kept a lot of clean dishclothes in my bag for drying.

 

tsmomma42

Is there a sink you can wash your pump parts with soap and water? If so, I'd do that. If not, I used pump wipes in a bind but they'd be expensive to use on a daily basis. I'd bring them home periodically to really wash if I did that. I used milk storage bags since I had such a massive oversupply and they maximized my storage space in the freezer. If I could have gotten away with it I would have pumped directly into bottles.

micaela421

tsmomma42:

Is there a sink you can wash your pump parts with soap and water? If so, I'd do that. If not, I used pump wipes in a bind but they'd be expensive to use on a daily basis. I'd bring them home periodically to really wash if I did that. I used milk storage bags since I had such a massive oversupply and they maximized my storage space in the freezer. If I could have gotten away with it I would have pumped directly into bottles.

We have a sink that we can wash my supply 

schoolsoutbride

I didn't have to pump often since I was just subbing, fortunately, but one trick I loved was bringing a ziplock bag to store all the pump parts for the day and then just throwing the bag in the fridge (or cooler).  I didn't even rinse them off, since I figured the milk was refrigerated.

shanbrite2

schoolsoutbride:

I didn't have to pump often since I was just subbing, fortunately, but one trick I loved was bringing a ziplock bag to store all the pump parts for the day and then just throwing the bag in the fridge (or cooler).  I didn't even rinse them off, since I figured the milk was refrigerated.

THIS. I do this and it makes it SO much easier. I hate, hate, hate washing out the pump parts, so I would totally enlist DH in helping with that.

Depending on your work situation/schedule, you may want to look at getting a little manual pump for times when you don't have a lot of time. It would take me so long to set up my pump, attach all the parts, etc that sometimes I didn't have enough time left to actually pump. I love my Medela Harmony for those times because I can have it all pretty much assembled, twist on a bottle and get pumping without tubes, power cords, etc. It is only one side at a time and I'm not handsfree, but it's great for those in-between times. 

kt1025

schoolsoutbride:

I didn't have to pump often since I was just subbing, fortunately, but one trick I loved was bringing a ziplock bag to store all the pump parts for the day and then just throwing the bag in the fridge (or cooler).  I didn't even rinse them off, since I figured the milk was refrigerated.

This is what I did, too.  I had a six-pack sized cooler bag that easily held the parts and bottles (albeit un-assembled) and I would just throw that in the fridge between pumps.  I had several sets of parts so I could throw the used set in the dishwasher at night.  

smilelari

At my old job my pumping room didn't have a fridge, so I brought enough pump parts to use new each session and washed them all at home.

This time I have a fridge so I bring 1 set and put them in the fridge after I pump.  I wash at home.

howleyshell

Another who pumped in the car, threw the pump parts into the cooler and washed once at home.

I LOOOVE the idea of making the washing DH's responsibility.

Seriously.... you're providing the milk - he can wash the parts!

 

skidunks

I would pump, pour the milk in bags, rinse the parts and throw them in a big Ziploc bag. I would wash them at home and then stick the bags in the freezer. Once you get a system down it'll be easy.

yakigna

howleyshell:

Another who pumped in the car, threw the pump parts into the cooler and washed once at home.

I LOOOVE the idea of making the washing DH's responsibility.

Seriously.... you're providing the milk - he can wash the parts!

 

I also pumped in the car and kept my parts cold. My DH cleaned for me as well. I did end up buying reusable ziploc style bags from Etsy, and I had enough parts and bags for 5 days of pumping. 

ruby soho

Everyone else pretty much covered it! I don't wash during the day, I refrigerate my parts in a ziplock. 

uteandbuff

smilelari:

At my old job my pumping room didn't have a fridge, so I brought enough pump parts to use new each session and washed them all at home.

This time I have a fridge so I bring 1 set and put them in the fridge after I pump.  I wash at home.

I'm at different places all the time - so I bring 3 sets of pump stuff (the valves and bottles) and then 1 pair of shields.  I can easily wipe those out with a wipe for the next time.   I have a little cooler that has an ice pack to store the milk.  

And I'm totally on the DH washing them in the evening bandwagon.   DH washes those and bottles most evenings in our house.

ckolak

There are really 3 ways to clean things. You can use those Medela wipes, you can wash with soap and water, or you could wash with soap and water and then use a microwave sterilizer bag. I usually just wash with soap and water, then put the parts in a gallon-sized ziploc bag with some paper towels and put that in my pump bag. If you are pumping 3 times a day, I recommend bringing some milk storage bags so you will have 2 bottles for your pump for your last session of the day. (This also applies if you pump more than 10 ounces per go or more than 20 ounces total during the day). Generally when I pump the milk stays in the little bottles that I pump into and they go into the little black cooler, which goes into a fridge here. FWIW I also keep a book in my pump bag to read while I pump. GL!