Whether you are a first time mom or you’re returning to new motherhood with a little experience under your maternity belt, you might be feeling a little anxious about pumping at work. Pumping has – and always will be – one of the harder parts of this journey. It’s nothing less than a part time job, requiring significant commitments of time, money, and energy. Add that onto an actual job, and things can get pretty challenging.
We’re not doing all that hard work for fun. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be fed only breast milk if able for the first six months of life and then with complementary foods for at least 2 years. On the other hand, the average length of maternity leave in the United States (including both paid and unpaid leave) is a measly 10 weeks. As the kids say – the math ain’t math-ing. That means most breastfeeding moms returning to the office have no choice but to pump at work.
The challenges of pumping at work
Pumping at work is anything but easy. Time limitations, unfamiliar surroundings and people, space restrictions, and work stress all combine to make it pretty challenging for many working moms. If you work in an office, here’s why pumping at work is so hard.
Time limitations
It takes time to pump – a lot of time. With each pumping session lasting between 20-30 minutes from start to finish (including set up and post-pump cleaning time), and the need to pump every 2-4 hours to maintain milk production, you can see how that time starts can start adding up. Unfortunately, not all jobs are generous with the time given to pump, and in some settings it just may not be practical to take breaks away from your work.
Unfamiliar surroundings and work stress
Your comfort level in your surroundings and your mental state can affect your stress levels, which in turn can have an effect on your milk output. If you are stressed out or uncomfortable at work, you may find it difficult to get a good letdown and milk volume.
Unsupportive coworkers
The experience of pumping and motherhood is intensely personal. Not all of your coworkers will understand why you need to take time to pump, why you are pumping for so long, why you can’t work while pumping, or why you need a whole room to yourself. Some might feel resentful that you’ve reserved the office at noon every day for a year when they’ve been used to using it for their break, or that you’re now taking up more space in the fridge with your milk storage bags. Unsupportive coworkers can be a big challenge for many working moms who are trying to navigate office relationships while prioritizing mom duties.
Milk storage issues
When it comes to storing and using breast milk, there are very specific rules for safety. There are variations of this rule out there, but on the advice of my lactation consultant I followed the 6-6-6 rule: fresh breast milk can stay out at room temperature for 6 hours, in the fridge at a temperature between 32-39 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 days, or in the freezer at a temperature below 0 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 months. Keeping your milk stored safely at work might be a problem if you don’t have access to a refrigerator at work, if the fridge gets opened a lot, or if there’s just not enough space in it.
How to prepare to pump at work
Pumping at work comes with its own unique set of challenges, but don’t let that dissuade you. You’ve got this. Read on for some tips for preparing to pump at work that’ll help make things easier.
1. Figure out your pumping schedule
It’s important to pump around the same time every day, as your body will adjust and start to produce more milk at those times. Before you return to work, try creating a few outlines of what your schedule might look like. This will be helpful to have when communicating your pumping needs to your managers and coworkers. A pump session every 2-3 hours is standard, but every 3-4 hours was more realistic for my work setting.
2. Figure out where you will be pumping
Before you go back to work, figure out where you will be setting up to pump so you can have a mental idea of the space. Studies show that the quality of the room matters when it comes to stress and feelings towards pumping at work – is there a desk or surface to put your pump and accessories? Is there a comfortable chair? Is the room spacious enough? Is there space to set up a laptop if you plan on working? Legally, most women should have access to a private room that is not a bathroom for up to one year to pump after your baby is born. It may not be the same room every time, but there should be a space available to you that meets those requirements.
3. Talk to HR and your coworkers
I highly recommend getting in touch with your office’s HR department to get familiar with their breastfeeding and pumping policies before going back to work. You want to make sure that you have accurate information when communicating to your managers and to advocate for yourself if needed. If you have a relationship with your coworkers, it can also be helpful to communicate with them regarding your pumping schedule and needs, especially if the space you plan on using is a common area.
4. Get a good pumping bra
Don’t underestimate the importance of a good pumping bra. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive, but it should be adjustable and comfortable, and able to hold your pump parts securely even if you move around a bit.
5. Take lots of videos and pictures of your baby
For me, pumping was very much a mental thing. If I was stressed out or distracted, I didn’t get a good letdown and my milk volume was low. No surprise there – holding and hearing your baby stimulates the production of oxytocin, which causes your milk to flow. I couldn’t exactly take my baby to work, so the next best option was to have a ton of videos or pictures to look at on my phone when pumping. Seeing and hearing my baby’s voice helped stimulate letdown on those days when my mind was out of focus.
6. Practice putting together your pump parts before you get to work
If you’re a first time mom or you’ve never used a breast pump before, it’s probably a good idea to get familiar with your pump before you get to work. There are usually manufacturer-specific videos on how to assemble and clean your pump online, which can be helpful to look at in advance. Breast pumps can be intimidating with all their tubes and little pieces, and you don’t want to waste any precious seconds at work trying to figure out where they all go.
7. Do as much as you can the night before
Prepping the night before saved me so much time when pumping at work. I’d go so far as to say that it was the key to a smooth pumping experience at work the next day. I would assemble as much of my breast pump as I could, pack them into Ziploc bags, label all my milk bottles according to my anticipated pump schedule, and pack everything away so it was ready to go the next day.
8. Buy multiples of pump parts
Buying multiple sets of pump accessories is optional, but it’s a huge timesaver if you will be pumping multiple times a day at work. Here’s why – after every pump session, you should wash each part carefully with soap and water and let it dry completely on a paper towel. This might be okay to do at home, but at work you may not have the time or the space for that. You might feel uncomfortable laying your parts out to dry in the open in an office, and there’s also the possibility that the parts may not even dry fully between pumping sessions. The solution to all that? Buy multiples of your pump parts. It’s costly, but you won’t have to worry about cleaning and drying everything while you’re at work.
9. Consider investing in a wearable pump
You don’t need to have a wearable pump at work, but it does make things easier overall. They’re less bulky, easier to carry, have less parts to worry about, and you can move around freely while wearing them. Overall, they make for a much more hassle-free experience, which is particularly handy for work. You can check out my review of the Elvie wearable breast pump that I used at work here.
10. Organize your pumping supplies
There’s a lot stuff that you’ll need to carry when you’re going to pump at work. Here’s everything I took with me:
- Milk storage cooler bag and ice packs: Once you’re done pumping, you’ll need somewhere to store that liquid gold. You won’t need a very large storage bag since it’ll only be used to store the milk you pump at work, so opt for something small that is easy to carry and stash in the fridge – remember, you’ll have a lot of other stuff to take too. A small cooler bag with enough space to hold four 5 ounce milk bottles was perfect for me.
- Ice packs for the cooler bag: Don’t forget the ice packs! Breast milk has to be carefully stored at specific temperatures to keep it fresh and safe for babies to drink. Even if you store it in a fridge that’s being opened and closed all the time, the ice packs will keep everything cold if the internal temperature of the fridge is a bit high.
- Pumping bag: You’ll need something to carry your pump, accessories, and all your extras. There are tons of chic options that don’t scream “this bag is holding my breast pump,” and some even have handy features like a separate cooler compartment to store your milk.
- Ziploc gallon bags: I found it useful to have gallon-sized Ziploc bags to keep my pre-assembled pump parts in. They were also useful for placing the used pump parts into when I finished pumping.
- Disinfecting wipes: Before and after pumping, it’s a good idea to wipe down the surfaces you’ll be in contact with to keep things as clean as possible for your baby’s food. This is especially true if your pumping space is a community room that others at work have access to.
- Sharpie and labels: Whether you are storing your pumped breast milk in the fridge or the freezer, labeling it is important as it does have an expiration date. For milk stored in the fridge, it needs to be used within 6 hours, while frozen milk can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Milk storage bottles or bags: When you purchase a pump, it usually comes with a set of storage bottles. It might help to take a few extras in case you need additional storage or if you need to transfer your milk. I used an Elvie pump at work, but the bottles were oddly shaped and didn’t fit well into my cooler bag, so the extra empty bottles came in handy for transferring and storing my milk.
- Breast pump wipes: These are optional but useful to have in your bag. After pumping, these wipes can help clean your pump parts if you can’t immediately wash with soap and water due to time limitations or other restrictions.
- Nursing pads: You may want to stick these into your pump bag if you will be pumping at work. Firstly, they prevent your clothing from becoming embarrassingly wet if you accidentally leak in between pump sessions. Second, they will keep you looking *decent*. What do I mean by that? After pumping, your nipples will look like you just came out of an ice water bath. The headlights will be on in high-beam mode. If your clothes are more on the fitted side and you’re not wearing a padded bra, you might end up with an undesirable presentation.
Pumping at work is hard, but being prepared helps you to anticipate potential challenges and makes the whole experience a bit easier. As you continue planning the transition back to the office, I hope this helps make things go a little smoother. Yes, it’s tough – but so are you.
