Here are my top 5 recommendations of items for working moms to have to pump at the office, let me know what you think and which products are your favorites.
1) Breast Pump Bag
I love my Sarah Wells Abby Pump bag (pictured here the Larissa Pumping Dress) for toting my pump and all my pump accessories to and from work. I think it's the perfect sophisticated look while still fitting everythingggg I need inside! This bag has a traditional professional work bag look, which is what I prefer in a formal office setting.
Another option is the Sarah Wells Norah Pump Backpack which is beautiful and super practical since you can throw it on your back instead of carrying it on your arm. It's got a surprising amount of room for your pump and everything else you need!
2) Pump Part Storage
I used a Spectra pump so I had flanges and bottles I needed to store between pump sessions, which I did using the Sarah Wells Pumparoo Bag. The pumparoo is a wet/dry bag that is the exact right size to fit two flanges connected to two bottles and it comes with a mat attached that you can
take off to use as a clean set up space or clean place to let your pump parts air dry. I used the fridge hack with the pumparoo bag, meaning I kept my pump parts in the fridge in between my pumps during the day and only washed them at night when I went home. Whether you wash them in between each pump or use the fridge hack though the Pumparoo is fabulous.
If you are using a wearable pump Sarah Wells Milkwear Pump Case is a great option to keep your wearable pump safe and protected from damage between pumps and on the go. It's such a great design!
3) Milk Storage
After each pump session at work you have to have some way to store the milk to keep it cold. Hopefully you have a fridge available to you, but even if you don't there are some great options on the market to keep your milk cold even without a fridge!
One option is the Ceres Chill Breastmilk Chiller(pictured in rose gold) which is a large canister that looks like a giant insulated water bottle where you combine all your milk that you pump over the course of the day and you can add ice to one of the chambers to keep it cold. This is an especially great option if you don't have a fridge or need to pump on the go.
The other option is using a small cooler like the Sarah Wells Cold Gold cooler that has room for 4 bottles and a specially designed ice pack to hug the bottles to keep them cool. I thankfully had access to a fridge, so I would put my bottles of pumped milk in the cold gold cooler in the fridge and kept the ice pack in the freezer during the day, then I would put the ice pack in the cooler for my commute home to keep the milk cold that whole time. I loved this option and it was such an easy way to carry milk bottles into daycare too!
4) Pumping Bra
There are SO many pumping bras on the market, I know its overwhelming! It's best to think about what kind of bra you like wearing under your work clothes and trying to find something similar to that. For a combination nursing and pumping bra I like Momcozy's 4 in 1 bra that does it all.
Sisu Mum makes a bra that looks and feels very close to a normal t-shirt bra if that is what you are looking for under your work dresses and blouses.
And Sarah Wells makes a pumping bra that is amazing, especially great for busty mamas and fits like a sports bra but looks great.
5) Fabulous pumping friendly workwear
The Yvonne Pumping dress (left in burgundy) is business formal with an innovative magnet and zipper closure over the bust to make pumping easy and discreet in a fitted dress. It has a gorgeous gold zipper down the back and is incredibly flattering, plus it has POCKETS!
The Larissa Pumping dress (right in black) can be dressed up or down for business casual or business formal. It is so comfortable and makes pumping easy wherever work takes you while keeping you stylish and chic! Both the Larissa and Yvonne dresses are machine washable to boot!Those are the essentials, but of course there are tons of pumping accessories on the market, some of which may be great for you and others may be totally unnecessary. Here are a couple great nice to have items to check out.
LaVie Lactation Massager both warms and massages your breasts as you pump to help remove all milk during pump sessions. Some moms have trouble with pumping and these can help, but make sure your flange size and suction levels are right because that is the first thing to check!
Coboo Pumping Spray is great to help reduce irritation while pumping and is super easy to use. Another option is coconut oil, but you just have to figure out the best kind to have on hand and usually have to use your hand to apply it.
Alright those are all of my picks for what working moms need to pump at the office, but would love your feedback on your favorites and what works best for you! Always feel free to email me at molly@shopkatiejane.com with any questions. Happy Pumping!