Tips for Making the Most of Your Pumping Session

Tips for Making the Most of Your Pumping Session

There are as many different ways and reasons to pump breast milk as there are breastfeeding women. In truth, every woman uses a breast pump differently: for some, it’s a way to continue breastfeeding from the workplace, or a way to increase milk supply; for others, it enables travel, or helps to build up a stash of breastmilk. The list goes on.

Whatever your main reasons for pumping (woot!), there are a few tips that can really help you to make the most of every pumping session. We’ve broken down the top advice from moms who pump into three main categories:

Gear
Pumping
Storage and Usage

Let’s dive right in, shall we?

1. Gear Up for Pumping

Make sure you have a good, working pump — Medical insurance companies are required to provide you with a serviceable breast pump, so check your options. Depending on which devices are available to you, how often you anticipate pumping (i.e., multiple times every day vs. once in a while), and where you plan to pump (home, the office, on-the-go, etc.), you may choose to upgrade your pump through your insurance company or pay out of pocket for a premium device.

Get the right fit — This is so important! Flanges come in only a few sizes, and every woman is different. A breast pump cushion — we love these ones from BeauGen — can not only help make sure you get a great fit with your flange (*especially if you are in between sizes, as many women are), but also make the entire experience waaay more comfortable. The BeauGen cushions are super soft and stretchy and work by both cushioning your breast and reducing friction. Moms are calling them “a real nipple saver.”

2. Pump It Up

Build a relaxing environment (as best you can) — Whether you are pumping at home, at work, or on the run, try to find a quiet, private space to pump. Ideally, you want the environment to be calming and relaxing. If you’re able to, many women find that using calming techniques like meditation, visualization, aromatherapy, or even listening to tranquil music are a real help.

Bring your baby to you — If you’re pumping separately from your baby, bring along something that will remind you of your baby to help with letdown. This could be looking at pictures or videos, holding a blanket or stuffed animal that smells like your child, or even FaceTiming with your caregiver or partner to see your baby “live” while you pump. If you’re pumping at home with your baby present, invite them along!

Stay hydrated — Don’t forget: drink that water!

Use your hands to express more milk while pumping — So-called “hands-on pumping” uses simple breast massage techniques to maximize breast milk output… and it can seriously make a big difference in volume. (See this video from Stanford demonstrating the technique.)

Don’t look at the bottles — Although it can be surprisingly difficult to look away, lactation consultants advise against staring at the bottles while you pump. Watching your milk can be stress-inducing (I can attest 🙋🏻‍♀️), especially if you are pumping to increase your supply.

Keep pumping — Pumping for 1-3 minutes beyond when your milk stops can help stimulate additional milk production and increase your supply.

Talk to other moms — Connecting with other moms you know who have breastfed or pumped is a wonderful way to grow your community, find support where you need it, gain confidence, and build connections. And no one has better advice than fellow moms!

3. Store and Use Your Milk

Use plastic bags for easy storage — Breast milk storage bags are a compact, convenient way to store your breast milk. *Don’t forget to date your bags! Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), freshly pumped breast milk can be safely stored for up to 4 days in the fridge or 6-12 months in the freezer.

Use your oldest breast milk first — breast milk actually changes as your baby grows and develops to meet your baby’s needs (isn’t that awesome?!), so experts suggest using your oldest milk first. Plus, this way there’s less risk of your milk expiring, and there is *nothing worse than having to throw that liquid gold down the drain!

Think beyond the bottle — Did you know you can also incorporate your breast milk into your baby’s food? When you’re starting solids, this is such a great way to help make the transition and continue to incorporate breast milk into your baby’s diet. You can use breast milk in any homemade puree, but we love Amara’s organic baby food line for ease of use and nutrient density — every pouch is actually powdered baby food that you prep by simply mixing with a few tablespoons of your breast milk. The end result is as delicious and nutritious as a homemade meal without any of the fuss.

Last but not least…

Don’t sweat it! — Too many of us already put way too much pressure on ourselves… let’s not add any more. If you don’t pump as much as you thought you would, or you miss a session, or your schedule is thrown off whack, don’t beat yourself up about it. Instead, know that what you’re doing is already amazing, and parenting is one long misadventure anyway, hah!

Good luck out there — and let us know what strategies you use to make the most of your pumping sessions!

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I had ordered the Mighty Sweet Greens smoothie melts and changed my mind about it within an hour due to safety concerns about the presence of lead in this product. Contacted customer service through email (no telephone number was available) and requested to cancel the order and for them to process a full refund but did not receive a reply.

Sent another email a few hours later upon receiving an automated message that the order was being prepared for delivery. Still no reply, until the next day when someone named Ferl replied in a patronizing manner and insisted the company will not refund my order even though it has not been delivered.

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Hi MLT,

Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. We understand how important it is for our customers to feel confident in the products they purchase. While we strive to deliver exceptional service, I regret that your recent experience with us has left you dissatisfied.

To address your concerns directly:

1. Product Safety: Please rest assured that there are no safety risks or recalls associated with our Mighty Sweet Greens smoothie melts or any of our products. All Amara products meet rigorous safety and quality standards and are made with simple, organic ingredients. We understand food safety is a sensitive topic, and we are happy to provide any additional information about our quality control practices to put your mind at ease.

2 Order and Refund Policy: Your order was fulfilled in full and delivered as expected. We regret that we could not accommodate your cancellation request after the order was already being processed for shipment. Our policy is to ensure fair practices for all customers, and in this instance, we were unable to issue a refund as there was no issue with the product or its delivery.

3 Customer Support Response: We apologize if the tone of any communication you received felt unhelpful. This was certainly not our intent, and we value your feedback as an opportunity to improve how we engage with our customers.

We understand that this situation has been frustrating, and we would like to offer a gesture of goodwill a discount code for your next purchase or discuss alternative solutions that work for you.

Your trust means everything to us, and we are committed to ensuring all our customers have a positive experience with Amara. Please feel free to reach out to us directly at hello@amaraorganicfoods.com if you’d like to discuss this further.

Tips for Making the Most of Your Pumping Session