Hands-free Pumping Bras

Someone suggested to me a simple and cheap alternative to a specially designed bra. I have used it ever since. I took an old sports bra and cut out holes in the middle of the cup part and then I can have my hands free. I put the bra on and then insert the pump "cup" on the inside of the bra, and then the bottle part and tubing is all on the outside. Don't know if this will help you, but if you have an old bra laying arround or a sports bra especially it works great and was free.

If you have an old bra just cut a little slit in the front and you've got your own "hands free" device. Cut just enough for the shield to stick out a bit. Then attach the rest of the pump parts to it. That is what I have been doing at it works great. I am totally hands free. :)

I too just used my regular nursing bra without cutting or doing anything. I think pumping takes long enough without having to change clothes too. Just keep your nursing bra latched and place the cup inside. As soon as it starts the suction, they stay on. I think you will have a stronger supply if you pump both sides at once.

I found a nursing bra in a size bigger than my usual size, on clearance for $4, cut holes in the fron of the cups,and I would wear it over my regular nursing bra ( still on, but with cups unhooked and down), under my unbuttoned shirt, in the office at work where i pumped. That way my hands were free to eat my lunch at the same time, since I didn't get more than one break, since I only worked a 5 hour shift. Buying a "real" pumping bra was way too expensive for my taste, but having this workaround was GREAT!!! I did get more milk when pumping both sides at the same time, rather than one at a time....usually filled both bottles completely.

Good Luck!

Jessie

The double Medela electric pump is your best option. It will get more out and in less time than a manual single pump. As for the pumping bra- I think they are great. I didn't make my own from a sports bra, it would be cheaper, however you would have to go through the routine of changing your bra every time you wanted to pump. The bra I got wasn't really a bra, just a long piece of stretchy fabric with elastic on the bottom and two holes for the pump and it zippered up the middle. I could leave my regular bra on, wrap this around my breasts on the inside of my clothing to pump and take it off when I was finished. I pumped at work for 12 months with my daughter- BF for 21 months and pumped at work for almost 12 months for my son- we are still BF now.

JUST MAKE YOUR OWN. Super easy just cut holes in a sports bra. poke the end of the cone thru...hook it up and PUMP :)
cheaper that way

I have a medeal pump. I love it. I bought a bra from la leche league on Amazon.com. It was around $30. It is a nursing and pumping bra that you can wear all day. It is really easy to use and comfortable. The reviews stated that the bra ran a little big so I bought one size smaller. Some people did say it was not comfy to wear all day but I found it to be very comfortable.
I always pumped both sides at a time.
To me, this bra saved my life

I had the same experience you did and went out a limb and bought the Easy Expression Bustier Hands-free Pumping Bra. Absolutely LOVED it. I felt so FREE. :-) You can get it at Amazon, or do a search online and you'll find it. Simple, and it works great!

I was lazy and bought a pumping bra - it is strapless and just wrapped around my chest. I just put it over my nursing bra. Worked great unless the bottles were getting full - then it was just time to prop the bottles on my desk and keep working :) Go for a double pump - done twice as fast! I have the medela pump in style. Loved it and they sent me a new one when it turned out my pump wasn't up to snuff - no cost to me. Great customer service.

I use a double medela electric pump & style. It's very efficient and quick. I've never used the bra's. It's seems that it would be too cumbersome to me. I have very large breast and I have to hold the pump on just right to make sure it's pumping well.

I am no expert, but I have been breast feeding for almost 6 months and working full time...so I pump regularly. I work at my desk while pumping all the time and all I do is use the nursing bra and place the phlange inside the bra so that it doesn't fall out. I am absolutely hands free without using one of those specialty bras for pumping. Now, I don't walk around or anything, but I do return email, make phone calls, etc. all while pumping.

As for the milk supply question, I was told it does not matter if you do both at the same time or not, as long as you pump both regularly. So weather you do it sequentially or simultaniously is all just a time issue. I do both at the same time and this helps with letdown at the same time, etc.

I've used both the bra and the medela hands free pumping strap. I preferred the strap...more so because it is made of heavy elastic and doesn't stretch, is easily adjustable, and doesn't dig into the shoulders as the bottles fill. I pumped every 2-3 hours and got approx. 32 oz. on each side, so I was particular about how comfortable it was. The bra was ok in the beginning, but as production went up, the straps dug in, and it began to stretch out. I plan on using the strap again this time, though I am hoping I don't produce as much as I did last time! lol
Good luck to you!

I used a medela pump and double pumped from day one. Since my twin girls were in the NICU, I had to start right away. I didn't discover the pumping bra until about 6 months later and wished I'd have had it right away! It was a miracle. Since I pumped for almost 1 1/2 years and when working 3 times a day, it was well worth it! I don't remember the brand, but go for it. You won't regret it!

Oh and as far as double pumping. It will increase your milk supply. It's a good idea.

I pumped full time for a year for my first, and I never got one of those bras (although I looked here because I too was curious!). I pumped one side at a time while I drove in the morning, pumped at lunch, pumped during an afternoon break, and pumped on my way home, and sometimes again at night. Most of the time I was grading papers while I pumped, or eating lunch, and since I was a high school teacher with a whole huge bank of windows, privacy was a must. I think I just kinda propped the cup into my bra and then pulled my shirt down over the top and that kept it pretty well in place. (And the worst things that happened were a very conservative boy who wouldn't stop pestering me about "what those things were" when I went to wash them daily and my principal walking in on me pumping--despite a locked door. He thought I was napping; apparently the tell-tale sound of the pump didn't clue him in! I informed him what was up and he made a very quick 180!)

You can make a handy-dandy contraption with two pairs of hairbands and not need a pumping bra. I didn't want to spend the money on a pumping bra so I looked online for an alternative and found this recommendation. Take two hairbands (I used the small black ones) and have the circles overlap. With one hand, take one of the hairbands and bend it in half over the other hairband and then through itself.. This will create a loop. Now take the two hairbands that are not attached to themselves and wrap them around your brastrap and then through itself. Now the hairbands should be attached to your bra now. With the other end of the hairloop put the plastic horn of the pump through it. Adjust the loop attached to your bra up or down so that the pump fits comfortably over your boob. Do the same thing on the other side and pump away!