So middle of the night pumping was always a hassle for me… but I knew it was something that I had to do especially at the beginning when you’re trying still ‘new’ to pumping and trying to get the most of your supply for when you regulate. I have a couple of hacks that I found useful to help make the MOTN a little easier and somewhat enjoying minus the sleep disruption. So without further adieu here we go! (These are in no particular order by the way)

1. Use a cooler bag or refrigerator (if you have one in your room)

This is perfect to store the milk and your pump parts once you’re done pumping. I found this pretty helpful in that I didn’t have to worry about getting out of the bed to take the milk to the main fridge. Ideally freshly pumped milk stays fresh for approximately 4 to 6 hours, so if you’re in the early months and you’re pumping every couple hours then you can leave it out! But if you’re further along and have longer breaks between pumps I’d say this hack is perfect… just to be on the safe side!

2. Substitutable pump parts

There’s no better time to have back up parts because after all, who is trying to get up in the middle of the night to wash pump parts. I can’t imagine any mama (sleep deprived, caffeine fueled) willingly choosing to get up at night to do this one. We could all do with a few extra zzzzz’s so this is a great way to get that done!

3. Assemble your pump parts

Personally I’ve been using the Medela Pump-In-Style for my EP journey. It has various parts to assemble (tubing, flanges, etc) so I like to put everything together before I lay down for a snooze. That way I just have to get up and grease the flanges before I put them on to pump. This is just another case of every little bit counts. Anything that you can do to minimize the length of Rome you have to get yourself set up to pump makes it easier!

4. Have a snack handy

I’ve found that most of the time when I’m pumping or shortly thereafter I am super hungry and super thirsty. So I like to have something on hand that I can easily grab; whether it’s a granola, nuts or fruit! Something super simple that I don’t have to do any major work to enjoy!

5. Good reads or games

There’s nothing like a good book or a game (I think sudoku, crosswords, word search or whatever you enjoy) to help the time pass by! When I can keep my mind busy during pumping I tend to focus less on the time that I’m sitting there! As an exclusive pumper you spend so much of your time at the pump that it can feel never ending… so yep; definitely do something to pass the time. You’ll be glad you did when it’s all done!

So that’s it! My five faves for middle of the night pumps! I hope you find it super helpful! Also, let me know if any other tips you have down in the comments! We all have tips and experiences worth sharing with one another!