Breastfeeding is such a personal experience. It differs for every mom. From ease to enjoyment to how long a mother decides, or is able to nurse her little one. I know my journey has been filled with highs and lows but this 3rd time around, seems to be the charm. Breastpumps + Beyond  has been a massive part of my breastfeeding success and I wish I had stumbled upon Michelle Pitt and her team, 6 years ago. They have a passion for supporting moms in achieving their breastfeeding goals with the help of the best in the biz; Medela. Now I’m sharing what I’ve learnt in the hope that other mothers will have a great experience from the get-go.

Part of building an impressive milk stash is pumping regularly therefor expressing needs to be as easy and convenient as possible. Medela knows this and have some amazing accessories aimed at effective pumping in less time. These are the TOP 5 products I love and use and I’m sure you’ll love them too.

1. Easy Expression Bustier

This has to be my favourite Medela accessory! The Easy Expression bustier makes it possible for me to have my hands-free while pumping. That means I can do whatever I please whilst building our stash. I’d say it’s a definite must, especially if you are using a double pump.

Made from a soft cotton / spandex blend, the bustier stretches and holds the breast pump shield and bottles securely in place. The front zip on this strapless “bra” makes for easy dressing and undressing.

It’s also super comfortable and you can pop it into the washing machine when it gets dirty.

Available in four different sizes, you are sure to find your perfect fit!

2. Milk Collection Shells

What little life-savers, no wait; more like milk savers and blouse savers too.

Does your breast milk leak excessively, meaning breast pads are not enough? I’m sure I’m not the only breastfeeding mama that experiences “milk downpour” as soon as my babies latch.

I hate “loosing” precious breast milk to an over-soaked breast pad. It feels like such a waste! Thanks to the great fit of these collection shells I don’t have any spillage and can collect up to 50 ml extra during every feed / pump session. I pop one into my expression bustier while pumping and my bra when feeding. In fact, I have 2 sets. One for use and the other clean, sterilised and waiting for the next feed.

The built-in spout makes for easy poring and emptying of the shells and of course the materials used in making these, are safe for you and your baby.

3. Contact Nipple Shields

Thank goodness I did not need to use these this time around BUT when I was a newbie mama, with delicate, never-been-sucked-on-before, virgin nipples; Nipple Shields were my best friend! It was the only way I could survive breastfeeding Eliana with sore, bleeding nipples.

The shields protected my nipples and made latching easier for Eli too. She could drink and get full in the least amount of time, giving my breasts the recovery time they desperately needed. Medela Contact Nipple Shields are durable, comfortable and easy to use.

A perfect solution for moms with flat or inverted nipples or any other latch-on difficulties.

Attach the bag to your pump with the self-adhesive straps and pump directly into the Medela Pump & Save storage bags, label it and pop it in your fridge or freezer. Not a single drop of  breast milk lost.

These bags were also designed with special air and moisture barriers making it possible for your breast milk to keep all it’s beneficial properties,vitamins and nutrients. The double-walled bags have a leak-proof zip closure and can be used for long-term storage. If you have a small freezer these will come in very handy seeing as the Pump and Save Storage Bags take up a lot less space than conventional bottles. I freeze ours flat, stacked on top of one another.

There is also a specific area for labelling and dating so that you can keep track of your milk stock.

5. Quick clean Microwave Bags

Keeping all your nursing and baby feeding accessories clean is a must but I don’t always have our electrical steam steriliser close by especially when we are traveling or if I’m out for the day and needing to express on more than one occasion.

With the Medela Quick Clean Microwave Bags I can quickly and easily clean what’s needed (as long as I have a microwave and small amount of water available). The bag makes use of steam cleaning to kills 99.9 % of the most harmful bacteria and germs, so bottles, teats, dummies and breast pump bits are clean and safe to use again in just 3 minutes. Afterward I conveniently fold up my bag and place it in my handbag or diaper bag, ready to use again. One bag can be used up to 20 times.

Medela has an entire range of other wonderful breastfeeding product but these are definitely my top 5, excluding the Symphony Double Electric Breast Pump – That’s my #1, hands-down, time after time. If you haven’t read my review of this amazing breast pump yet, be sure to click HERE.