BREAST PUMP
If you are working, I strongly suggest buying yourself a double-electric breast pump. This will save you a lot of time and you will find that it is easy to maintain working and pumping at the same time because you only need to be out for around 15 to 30 minutes. Skip on the manual pump or the single-electric pump as this will either be very tiring or will be very time consuming. In the end, you will only choose to stop pumping at all because you’re having a hard-time on it already. If you are conscious about the cost of the double-electric pump, just make a cost-analysis versus the amount of money you will spend on formula. I hope I can write a sample analysis in the future.
Additionally, you should be careful on picking on the brand of the pump since this pump will be your life-line on your working days. You need a pump that is durable and very reliable. And consider the price as well.
There are many types of breast pump out in the market. They are pretty high-priced if you buy at the malls (read: up to 32,000pesos for a pump! OMG!!) Lots of it you can buy or order online to save up some money. When I researched about pumps early 2009, I was choosing between Lansinoh and Medela. Medela was the number 1 brand when it comes to breast pumps but being a cheapskate that I am, I was too skimp on spending almost Php 20,000 for a breast pump. Then I found about Lansinoh. Lansinoh has great reviews locally and abroad so it was my final choice. Later on, I will write, and brag about my Lansinoh.
COOLER BAG
The Cooler Bag a.k.a. Insulated bag is needed to keep your pumped breastmilk cold while at work so it will not spoil immediately. Cooler bags prices range from around Php 300 up to as much Php 3,000 or even more.
There are two things to consider before getting your self a cooler bag:
1. Do you have access to a nearby refrigerator while at work?
- If you answered yes, then you just need your cooler bag while you transport your breastmilk from the workplace to your home refrigerator. Proceed to Item No. 2.
- If you answered no, then I suggest you buy those special cooler bags that can keep your breastmilk cold for up to 12 hours. One trusted brand is Fridge To Go which starts at around Php 1,500 and up.
2. How long is your travel time from work to home?
- If your travel time is more than an 90 minutes, then it is good to invest on a Fridge To Go as well. It is a good investment anyway especially if you plan to breastfeed for 6 months or more. Another plus is that even after breastfeeding you can still use the cooler bag as a lunch box.
In my case, I have an easy access to a fridge at work, and our house is not that far away. Being the cheapskate that I am, I just improvised my own cooler bag and accessories.
I just bought a Lock & Lock cooler bag from SM priced at around Php 499.95. This is perfect for my Lansinoh since it has two compartments. On the top compartment, I put my nursing cover, extra breastmilk bags, the pump itself and the tubing.
On the lower compartment, this is cooler part. Here, I put my flange assembly and my storage bottles together with my ice packs.
ICE PACK/BLUE ICE
So what is the use of the Ice Pack? This is to serve as cooling element inside you cooler bag again in order to keep your breastmilk cold. There are many options available in the market. You can buy some blue ice from the department store (around Php 200). But personally, I find these blue ice packs very heavy. So I settled for an ice pack as substitute. And they are cheaper too! Hot and cold packs are available from Php99 and up depending on the brand. I have 2 ice packs inside my bag. One is at the bottom while the other one beside the bottles with pumped milk.
STORAGE BOTTLES
I use the Breastflow Bottles from The First Years for my baby. The starter kit includes a bottle cover which makes the bottle a perfect storage bottle as well.
BREASTMILK BAGS
For my frozen breastmilk, I use Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags which are available online. They are affordable and durable. I was also able to use Nanny BM Storage bags as well which is around Php 250 for 25 bags at SM. Although I still find lansinoh BM bag easier to use.
ZIPPER BAGS (Gallon Size and Quart Size)
The zipper bag comes very handy when you are breastfeeding and working. Th is where I put my flange assembly when not in use while at work. Since pumped breastmilk can be kept inside the refrigerator for a few days. Why not for the pump parts? Others are cleaning their pump parts every after use. But as for me, this is not very possible since i am working so we just do the cleaning at night time time when I am at home. Others might not agree to this but I am okay with it and my little AJ is fine with my milk.
Going back, I just put the ziploc bag inside my "ref tote" together with my pumped milk and put them inside the fridge.
As for the brand, I use Reynolds for the quart size and Glad for the gallon size. The Ziploc brand is okay, it was the first one that I used but it’s pricier than the other two – around Php 150 for the gallon wherein Glad brand is only Php 120. I find the quality of Glad better than Ziploc and Reynolds.
BREASTFEEDING COVER
This is one is not really necessary depending on your circumstances. I have the Nursing Mom Nursing Cover and it was the best. What I like most about it is that it has a sturdy neckline where I can peep on my “inside” and the side pockets where I can put my breast pads. But I really haven’t used it for direct breastfeeding in public. I used it as my cover while pumping at work. There are times when I do not have a room reserved for me, I would just look for an empty cubicle and pump there while using my cover. Even on those lazy days when I just want to pump right on my table while surfing the net – I am only able to do this when the big boss is out.
So, for my next entry I will share my pumping gears in action.
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