In my previous post, Why I Don’t Breastfeed, I explained why I chose to exclusively pump. For whatever reason you choose to pump, here are some of my must-haves.

First, and most importantly, I recommend a double electric breast Pump. I own the Spectra Double Electric Breast Pump. Check with your insurance company, like I did, and it could be free! You don't have to use an electric pump. Some people are better at manually expressing milk, or using a manual pump. But for ease, speed and effectiveness, the electric pump was the way to go for me. If your insurance does not cover the cost for an electric pump, manual pumps are usually not very expensive. I also received this Medela Manual Breast Pump from the hospital where I delivered.

Next, is a hands-free pumping bra. I purchased the Simple Wishes Signature Hands Free Pumping Bra in Pink about a week after trying to pump without one. Let me tell you, this was worth every penny. I hated sitting there for 15-20 minutes just holding the suction cups up to my chest and not being able to do anything else. Needless to say, your hands are free with this bra. 

Another useful purchase was additional pump parts. I bought an extra set of flanges, tubing, and back flow protectors. Because the pump I received came with two flange sizes, I wanted to try the smallest available to make sure I had the right size and fit for me. I use the 24mm size, but you can reference the Medela website for your personal fit.

At first, I was pumping into only the bottles provided with my electric pump and that was a hassle to always make sure they were washed and available. So I purchased more bottles to easily store what I pumped in the fridge.

I suggest having a "pumping station" setup in your house. It doesn't necessarily have to be in your nursery, just somewhere you can relax for the next 10-20 minutes and pump. To setup my pumping station I like this 3-tier metal rolling cart. That way I have room for everything that I need. I personally like to have it in the nursery in case my son is taking a nap and wakes up, I can tend to him. I started with it in my bedroom on my nightstand, but I felt like I was disturbing everyone in the room when I had to pump every couple of hours.

No joke, this is my life every few hours

Since I pump frequently, I setup a washing station in the bathroom next to the nursery where I pump.drying rack and accessories so that I don't have to go downstairs to the kitchen for anything. And when I'm ready to sit down to pump again, I can go in there and grab what I need. Same goes for when Ryan needs a bottle of formula or breast milk. His bottles and accessories are all found there. I didn't like all the counter top clutter in the kitchen, so it made the decision to move everything upstairs easier. We have a sanitation cycle on our dishwasher, but it takes so long to run a complete cycle that I just prefer to wash everything by hand.
There, I have a specific tub for washing all the bottle and pump parts after every use.