Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump, Compact Swiss Design with PersonalFit Flex Shields and Medela's 2-Phase Expression Technology

So I’m definitely no expert I’m literally about to be 15 weeks postpartum. And what worked for some might not work for others. I like the things I bought and the journey to get here but others may think it’s overkill. Either ways..The learning: I took a breastfeeding preparation class online. Yes it was free.https://yourbabyacademy.com/free-class/breastfeeding-preparation-class/I also met with a lactation specialist twice at the hospital after I had baby. And most hospitals have a breastfeeding class in person but I thought to sign up too late.The Pump: I used a website that does all the work for you. They contact your insurance and your doctor. I recommend the Spectra S1 yes it’s not a hands free one BUT they work so much better than the hands free one. You get more milk. If you ever wanted to get a secondary pump for work purposes that is hands free etc I do like the eufy s1 pro. Other things I got.. were a hand pump for expressing its quick and easy to use and a haakaa for let down. Baby breastfeeds from one side and you collect the milk from the other while it’s leaking. I’ll attach every link. https://www.1naturalway.com https://a.co/d/0dN3qMAe https://a.co/d/0acknOs0 https://a.co/d/0ciIuzF4 https://a.co/d/061pnwH2 The gear: as for gear..I got a few nursing bras, pads, a pillow, and lotion/spray for cracking bleeding etc.the bras..you don’t need anything fancy. I liked the $20 target Auden ones. I’ve seen people rave about even cheaper ones on Amazon. Everyone likes and has different needs bra wise. Pads..there needed but I personally didn’t need as many as I thought. I mainly leaked for the first few weeks while my milk was regulating. But I suppose that’s also different for everyone. My pillow I loved. I got the Momcozy Innovative Safety Guard Nursing Pillow but some people love the boppy or my Brest friend. But for me..I loved it in the newborn phase and it was a lifesaver but he no longer cares for it (he’s 3 months) and it’s really not needed anymore. And for the creams and stuff I used it in the beginning but thankfully don’t really need it anymore. I also bought one of those ice/heat packs and that was amazing because when my milk first came in wow did they hurt like hell. And lastly if you plan to give bottles as well look up the triangle test for bottle nipples it’s suppose to help not confuse baby and keep it as similar as the breast. For some there very anti bottle but I wanted to do both because I wanted my husband to also feed baby so I pump besides breastfeed but also I wanted to prepare him for when I go back to work..which will be in September. Thankfully he doesn’t mind going back and forth. Oh and lastly I recommend getting a pack of instant formula the liquid ones they give at the hospital. Not because you’ll need it necessarily but it’s good to have a back up. I bought some and haven’t used them but it was nice knowing I had them just in case coming from the hospital. Sometimes it takes a little for milk supply to come in. And usually colostrum is good enough but everyone’s journey is different I didn’t know what I was doing if it was going to be to hard if I would give up if I would even be able to produce and it was nice knowing I had just a few bottles and a small can just in case. But as for breastfeeding..consistency is key. If your exclusively pumping pump every 2-3 hours even if your not getting anything in the beginning your telling your body that’s how much milk you need before it regulates and thinks you don’t need any. Pretty much you should either be feeding baby straight from the source or pumping every 2-3 hours. I didn’t take my pump to the hospital but some people do so that the lactation consultant can teach them how to use it and also so they can measure you and you can figure out what flange size you are. It’s important to have the right size because that helps prevent pain and also allows you to get more milk.Good luck on your journey. And congratulations on the pregnancy. https://a.co/d/05kAzIzR