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I’ve been pumping since Franky was three weeks old and while 99% of what he eats is from breastfeeding, I do pump for those special occassions when I may need to feed him milk in a bottle — on the go, when I’m out running errands and dad needs to feed him, date nights so we don’t have to rush home every 2-3 hours… you get it. I’ve got a small stash ready for short outings when we need them and since I never pumped with Ava, this is all new to me!

So here’s what I’ve learned so far — my 4 tips for breast pumping:

1. Pump in the Morning

…or whenever your supply is at its peak. Since I breastfeed more frequently throughout the day than I do at night time, of course my supply is fuller in the mornings. So that’s when I pump! Around 6:00am is when Franky eats and then around 7 or 8am, I do my one pump a day and usually get around 5-6oz in just 5 minutes. Any other time of the day, there’s no way I’d get that much.

2. Pump While Nursing

So in all honesty, I pump both breasts at once since I don’t actually need a ton of supply (and don’t want to spend much time on it each day) but this totally makes sense. When your baby is nursing, the let down is strong! So put that pump on one side and nurse on the other and I’ve heard that this is a great way to get the most out of your pumping session. Anyone want to try it out and let me know how it goes?

4 Tips for Breast Pumping - Luna Breast Pump - The Overwhelmed Mommy Blogger

3. Schedule A Pumping Routine

Our boobs are kind of crazy, if you think about it. When babies cry, they fill up. When it’s been 2-3 hours and they know a baby will be eating soon, they fill up. The more you nurse your baby, the more they will “refill” and so just like with nursing, our boobs are on a schedule. That first week I was just sort of pumping whenever and I didn’t get nearly as much milk as I do now that I’ve got my day scheduled out.

My boobs just know when it’s time!

So whether you’re exclusively pumping, pumping only while at work and nursing while at home, or pumping once a day like I do, schedule out those pumping sessions so your boobs can prep for a great session full of lots of liquid gold.

4. Make sure you have a great pump.

Pumps make a difference. I pumped maybe three times once Ava was born and I had a HUGE oversupply of milk with her for months. But yet, I pumped and little came out. This time around, my milk quickly figured the whole supply thing out and yet, I can pump at least 5oz in 5 minutes. And that’s because I have a great pump!

So I’ve had a Spectra S1 (which so many of you recommended) since before Franky was born and have loved it. And I also had the opportunity recently to try out the Luna from Motif Medical and I truly love it. Let me tell you, the design and size is AMAZING — small and compact, lightweight and just perfect for working moms, or really any mom!

The Luna Breast Pump is insurance eligible and it’s one of Motif Medical’s amazing breast pumps. It’s sleek (I mean, see for yourself) and was named a JPMA Innovation Awards Finalist. It’s got single or double pumping options, it’s super easy to use, you can adjust that vacuum level and cycle to fit what’s best and most comfortable for you, it’s extremely quiet (hello night time pumpers!), has backflow prevention, a backlit LCD screen, a built-in LED light with three different brightness settings and best of all, it’s only 2lbs and extremely compact!

Need I say more?