How to Organize Pumping Supplies / I've Got Too Many Bags!

When I went to work and dropped my kids off at daycare, there were three bags total: their food bag (I'm a little anal about that), their diaper bag that I restocked every day, and then my pump bag. I had an Ameda Purely Yours that was much smaller than the Pump in Style, and I loved it. Inside my pump bag, I had all the necessary parts, Medela's cleaning cloths (so I cleaned all the parts right away and never had to schlep dirty parts home), my lunch, and my paperwork. I also had a very small wallet, so that fit in one of the end pockets.

Barring getting a new breast pump that takes less space, try putting all your stuff in a total of two bags: your pump bag and your "other" bag.

For one, you could try a manual or a more compact nursing pump. Secondly you could buy a bigger cooler that can fit both your lunch and the pumped milk. Put your food in smaller zip lock bags to separate. For the books/magazine etc, try a binder that you can insert the clear see thru tabs and put them in those, leave in the car or only take out when you need them. Hope that helps.

Get yourself some Medela steam clean bags. If you have access to a microwave at work you can clean the parts at work and you don't have to deal with them once you get home from a long day.

Not sure about the bags. I'm a bag lady too lol!

I also have the Medela Pump in Style, and mine came with a mini cooler that fits right inside of it and stores 4 6.0z bottles. I don't know if you need more storage than that, but that's one idea. You could have your cooler do double duty for both your lunch and the milk you'll be pumping.

Honestly, even if it makes you feel silly (who cares, right?), this is what I would do...get an upright suitcase on wheels with an extension pull handle (not too big, but big enough) and put everything inside. Then you only have one bag to haul, it's easier on your back and shoulders, and all your separate bags will fit into it.

The bag of supplies for daycare and the diaper bag could be condensed into one duffle bag.

And the hardest thing, but what I always make myself do...take inventory of everything you haul everywhere, and decide what doesn't really need to go! :)