I’ve officially made it through the first few days of pumping at work! Hooray!! This mom stuff is not for the faint of heart.

I do want to take a minute and say that we are also supplementing with formula and have been for a while. If you are a formula mom, I see you and I feel you. Feeding your kid is hard and however works for you needs to be validated. Fed is best! And don’t even try to come at me and say “fed is necessary.” So many moms are struggling with producing enough and are being told “just keep latching” or “just keep pumping.” THey are working their ASSES off only for their babies to get marked FTT because they’ve been scared away from formula (I see you moms, too). I also believe being your best self is best for your baby and that can look however you need it to as well.

I was latching my preemie 12-14 times a day and still had a screaming baby who wasn’t gaining. There is no shame in however you feed your baby. That sh*t is hard enough!

Anyway, back to pumping at work. I wanted to share the 5 things that got me through this week. I encourage you to check out what your state laws are regarding pumping at work.

I am very fortunate to have a supportive employer. At work, we have two rooms for pumping fully equipped with a recliner, a table, reading materials, pump wipes, Clorox wipes, a sink, and a fridge to store breast milk. Oh, also snacks and a bowl of chocolates! Not all employers will be like this and my blessings are not lost on me.

Here are the 5 things that got me through the week:

• Momcozy Disposable Nursing Pads – I wasn’t sure when I would be able to book the nursing room and was so worried about leaks. These provided the sanity I needed.

• A change of clothes. I did leak on my beautiful pink shirt that I had chosen for my first day back. I didn’t have a change of clothes with me, but I am lucky enough to live close to home. Still, it would have saved me a trip to have it with me.
• Dapple Pump Wipes – these are amazing! I’ve had them for a long time, but just started using them now. I was impressed with how clean these got my pump. I am one of those crazy moms that not only cleans pump parts between uses, but sterilizes them as well. Yes, every single time. These wipes cleaned my pump so well that I felt comfortable using my pump for the rest of the work day without sterilizing.

• My Ceres Demigoddess Mini Chiller – this is a splurge, but it is amazing. I’ve already ordered myself an OG chiller because of how much I love this! It is so versatile, too. It will keep your breast milk (or formula!) cold or you can use it as a bottle warmer. You can pump directly into a couple of the chambers of this cup or put a bottle nipple on it to feed your baby. Plus, you can buy lids to convert it into a reusable cup when you are done. I LOVE THIS CUP!

• Pictures of your baby! The most important part of a good pump. Or just the most important part of your day in general. Although there is no substitute for a good baby snuggle, having a few pictures (or 2,053 and counting, like me) will help your milk flow.

Those are what helped me get through the week. What are your mom products you currently can’t live without?