The Most Useful Supplies for Pumping Moms

A common misperception amongst moms who pump is all you need is a pump and some grit and you’ll be good to go. A minimalist at heart, when I first started pumping I decided I would invest in as few things as possible. The way I saw it, this was a finite time in my life, I didn’t plan to pump more than a year per child, and I didn’t want to be stuck with a bunch of things I didn’t need when it was all over.

I was wrong.

I invested more than three years of my life pumping, and all the accessories and products I bought were worth more than their weight in gold. So without further ado, here were the products that I found to be the most helpful and most worth the investment.

Hands-Free Pumping Bra

By far, this was the pumping accessory I needed most. I used the Simple Wishes Hands-Free Bra. If I ever forgot it, not only were my pumping sessions not nearly as enjoyable, but I also pumped a lot less milk.

Milk Storage Bags

Every pumping mom needs a routine for how to freeze milk in an organized way. For me, it was coming home from work, putting my milk in the fridge and labeling it using painters tape with the date. Every day I’d take milk that was over three days old and put it into one of my trusty milk storage bags and move it to the freezer. I would write the date and number of ounces on the bag and freeze it flat.

Disposable Nursing Pads

I tried many different types of nursing pads and the Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads were by far my favorite. Not only did they catch all my leaks (and I am an extremely leaky nurser), but they were comfortable and very flat. This meant they didn’t bother me all day and you couldn’t see them through my clothes. I even wore them at night in my nursing nightgowns so I didn’t wake up to wet sheets.

Pumping Tote 

Every Monday-Friday I would go to work and drag all my pumping supplies with me. My Sarah Wells pumping tote became my very best friend. It was easy to carry, easy to pack, and saved my life many times.

Quick-Clean Microwave Bags

For when I was just too tired to wash more pumping parts, or needed them super fast, these Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags made everything better.

What would you add to the list?