Pumping moms!

[meiteoh]

Calling all pumping moms...

I need your suggestion/advice/recommendation/etc.

I bought an Avent Thinsulate to store the milk I pump out at the office plus my Avent pump comes with a bag BUT here's the problem - both are not big enough for the pump, 3-4 four oz bottles plus my wallet, handphone and other stuff I might want to take with me (lunch, a book to read on the MRT, keys, etc).

Should I get a dedicated bag for all those things like this - Taime Pte Ltd - 631881-BK JUZZ Travel Diaper Bags - BUMBO Travel Bag + Lining & Mat Printed Logo - Black or Official Philips Online Shop UK - Black BackPack ?

What are you ladies using (in terms of bags) to keep all your stuff AND your pump/milk/bottles?

 

[sharonyi66]

Mabel,

This is what I did:
- my usual bag to put my stuffs (hp, wallet, keys etc)
- *depend on which pump I wanna use* if avent manual, I'll keep the pump into ziplock bag and dump into my usual bag OR if Medela Swing, I'll keep if in it's own drawstring bag and dump into my usual bag.
- Im using medela cooler bag so will put 4 empty 5oz btls inside. Aft tat then hand carry the cooler bag. Once rch office, will transfer e ice pack into the freezer and as well as my EBM. When go Hme time then transfer back again into my cooler bag.

I will Also buy extra btl brush and btl cleanser to put in office to wash my pump coz I used to pump 2/3 times in office.

HTH

 

[catherlyn]

For me I'm using avent manual pump which I put inside a container. Then I got a pigeon cooler bag which allow me to put up to 6 btls or 3 btls with pump inside with my usual bag. Reach office the ice pack n ebm inside fridge n remove when gg hm. I put steralization tabs, cleaning solution etc at my office too

 

[adelynn]

For me, i have my usual bag that has the following:
- Laptop
- Wallet
- Office Pass
- Keys
- Phone
- Avent Electric Pump Motor & parts

And i carry my fridge-to-go cooler bag in my hand.

I have a set of the following in the office for convenience:
- Bottle Detergent & Bottle Brush
- Cold Water Sterilization tablets & containers

 

[camom]

I only carry my fridge-to-go cooler bag (6 can size) to the ofc every day. I leave my pump in the ofc and use another set at home. In the ofc, I have the folllowing:

1) Ameda lactaline pump set
2) Extra accessories like valves, bellows, tubings, etc - in case something break or tear
3) 1 bottle of Bottle wash
4) 1 Bottle brush
5) Extra ziploc bags
6) Milk bags
7) Lock & lock box for the sterilised parts

I use the ofc freezer to store my cooler bag till I am ready to take it out. I also use the ofc microwave to sterilise my pump parts.

For me, I bring 2 bags to the ofc - 1) my handbag with all my personal stuff; and 2) a reuseable bag for my lunch + cooler bag + other stuff I need to bring.

 

[allycat]

Adelynn -u must be driving to be able to carry all those stuff!!

Camom - what pump are u using at home?

I've actually planned to put my pump in office when I returned to work. Dont think I will be pumping during the weekends.

 

[camom]

Allycat mommy, I use an Avent Isis manual pump at home cos I don't pump that often after office hours and don't pump at all on weekends.

 

[meiteoh]

Thanks ladies for the ideas!

I can't really leave my pump at the office coz have only one pump and I pump out one of the night feeds since she has stopped latching on for that feed. :/

I am planning to leave the sterilization stuff at the office together with some spare parts (have a few sets so I can leave some at the office and at home), bottle brush and detergent (although I just use normal dishwashing liquid at home - LOL).

I think I might just get one of those totes from Isetan or BHG - saw some really nice ones - and use the Thinsulate for the bottles (I just need three bottles max) and the drawstring pouch that comes with my Avent pump.

But hai, saw so many bags that are soooo nice!

 

[allycat]

Yeah, I can understand. One bag is never enough

 

[camom]

:001_302: I used to use a nice tote bag to carry the stuff in.later on, I stopped and switched to a reuseable bag cos very lecehh to clean the bag. Also, my gal gifted me with a reuseable bag she painted herself in art class.

 

[allycat]

:001_302: I used to use a nice tote bag to carry the stuff in.later on, I stopped and switched to a reuseable bag cos very lecehh to clean the bag. Also, my gal gifted me with a reuseable bag she painted herself in art class.

Lucky u and I'm sure u're very proud to show off as well. lolzzz

 

[cmeilim]

hey meiteoh

i carry my ameda lactaline pump to and fro work every weekday, together with one set of part and bottle sterilised in the morn before work and put into a ziplock bag, and a basic Daiso insulation bag with two Daiso blocks of reuseable ice blocks and a few glass storage bottles. i dun use sterilisation tablets. just my own style of boiling hot (from the pantry) and cold water treatment and then pop everything into my little bar fridge in my office, until the next pumping session. then when i reach home, i sterilise everything by boiling them. i guess i am a very practical mom, into cheap and good things. not so much into aesthetics. =)

 

[allycat]

cmeilin, do u leave e stuff on the rack to dry after they have been sterilised?

 

[cmeilim]

cmeilin, do you leave e stuff on the rack to dry after they have been sterilised?

Nope I just flick them dry then quickly put into my ziplock bag and leave them in the fridge.

 

[jean1986]

hey mummies, anyone using avent manual pump? i tried pumping outside today (have been using electric at home), and it was so difficult. it take me abt 10minutes before it starts to pump. feel the suction not there.

 

[camom]

Me, but i use it only at home. I find it easier to let a letdown with this pump when I first dtarted bf, but with practice, it's equally easy to get a letdown with the electric pump.

 

[cmeilim]

i've never tried manual pump before. i have a medela swing (electric) as back-up in office in case ameda lactaline fails me. but the medela swing, despite being an electric pump, is just too weak for me. i take twice the time to express half the usual amt with ameda. ameda lactaline is still tops for me!

 

[jean1986]

I'm using the medela mini electric plus when I'm at home n now it seems it can't pump as much as my manual pump. even though pumping by hand is really tiring but I have more milk by manual pump. is that usually the case?

 

[allycat]

i've noticed that if i'm pumping milk from my left breast only, it takes very long to get a let down and the output is very little like 40-50 ml. i'm able to expressed 80-90 ml from my right. any idea why is that so?

 

[cmeilim]

i've noticed that if i'm pumping milk from my left breast only, it takes very long to get a let down and the output is very little like 40-50 ml. i'm able to expressed 80-90 ml from my right. any idea why is that so?

i typically get less milk from my left than right too. there was a recent thread abt this issue and from what many mummies replied, it seems quite common for one breast to produce more than the other. not sure why though.