You’ve had your baby and hopefully, the maternity leave that you desired, but now it’s time to go back to the classroom. If you are giving your baby breastmilk in any fashion – by nursing or pumping – going back to teaching and pumping at work will inevitably put a kink in your normal routine that you probably established while on maternity leave.
A lot of moms naturally worry about their supply when going back to work. I’m here to tell you, you CAN continue to have a successful breastfeeding or pumping journey even while going back to work! The catch? It’s going to require some planning and dedication – but remember you are doing this for the benefit of your baby and it is 100% worth it!
As a teacher, your day-to-day schedule is set, and something you cannot change. This is the challenge to pumping at work as a teacher that some women don’t have to deal with. While some women get to choose when their breaks will be, a teacher’s already set schedule pretty much dictates when you can pump – but there ARE ways around this!
I’ll share ways to prepare, products to use, and my personal schedule and products that have helped me successfully get back in the classroom as a pumping teacher, but first things first . . .
YOUR MINDSET MATTERS
Before moving forward, I cannot stress this enough – DON’T stress! I know this is easier said than done, but being on my third breastfeeding journey I can confidently say that your mindset matters so much to your success. There are two major things I would recommend when pumping at work:
- Don’t get obsessed with tracking how many ounces you are pumping at work
- Accept the fact that your work pumping schedule will look different than your feeding or pumping schedule while you are at home
Do you want to pay attention to how much you pump in general? Yes. Do you want to get down to eye level and track every single ounce, quarter ounce, and half ounce you are pumping? No! You will drive yourself crazy if anything dips below what you deem normal. Once you start to stress about that, the stress can wreak havoc on your supply. Did you know stress can even trigger some women to produce MORE milk?! There’s only so much to be said for having an oversupply (I’m speaking from experience here). And don’t worry that your pumping schedule looks different at work. Your body is smart! It might take a few days to adjust, but it will figure out that you still want to express milk – just at different times!
How to Prepare
When to Pump
As a teacher, we are responsible for children all day long. That means that getting back to work but finding time to pump will require some planning, and probably some help. Especially for elementary teachers, you can’t just leave a classroom full of kids to go pump! I’m a high school teacher, so my day looks very different.
Elementary teachers: Pockets of time that might work for a pumping session that wouldn’t require asking for help are your common prep (these can fall before or after school), during the daily special (music, art, gym, etc.), or during your lunch.
High school teachers: Pockets of time that might work for a pumping session that wouldn’t require asking for help are your common prep period (these can fall before or after school), during your personal prep period, or during your lunch.
Look at your schedule and figure out how many times you will be able to pump without having to ask somebody to cover you. You may be pleasantly surprised at how those times spread out and be comfortable with that. If you want to add any additional pumping sessions, this is where asking for help before maternity leave ever starts will benefit you. It may be something that you have to take to your principal first so that they can help find somebody to cover your class while you pump. Know how long you want your pumping session to last (they don’t have to be equal amounts of minutes every time – think about how your baby eats at home!), give yourself a couple of extra minutes for setting up and putting away your pumping supplies, and ask for that time to be covered.
Hopefully, this is a positive conversation with your principal, but unfortunately, not everyone will be as understanding as the next. If you find yourself getting any pushback, educate yourself on your rights as a pumping mother. The PUMP Act was passed in 2022 and gives nursing mothers certain rights to pump at work.
My Personal Experience
I pump as soon as I get to work during my morning prep, no matter how long ago I fed my baby. I then pump during my prep period, which is about three hours later. My last pump is during the last half of my 5th period class, which is about two hours later. I know if I were home I would probably feed my baby three times within my school day time frame, so I planned for three pumping sessions but didn’t worry too much about the timing of them. My pumping sessions last anywhere from 15 – 20 minutes. This doesn’t include set up and tear down.
Where to Pump
After planning when you want to pump, you need to think about where you will pump. If you have a standalone classroom and time alone to pump, you might be comfortable locking your door and pumping in your room. If this is not the case and you don’t have much privacy in your room, you might prefer to go to a different area.
This is where the PUMP Act comes in again. Your employer has to provide you with an area to pump that is private. You shouldn’t be getting walked in on! If you are able to lock a door behind you, even better. If you can’t lock a door you might want to make some kind of sign to hang on the door so that people don’t walk in on you. You also should NEVER be asked to pump in the bathroom – they have to provide a place other than the restroom. The topic of where you can pump should also be included in the conversation with your building principal.
My Personal Experience
Thanks to my wearable pump, I pump in my classroom. Depending on the timing, I might have to go to a storage room a couple of doors down to put it in or take it out, but sometimes I can do the full pumping session in my room. My room is connected to another lab that has a long skinny window in between us and a door that is unable to lock. Study hall is held in that lab all day long. The teacher next door knows that I need to pump, so we put black construction paper up on the window so nobody can see through, a sign on her side of the door that nobody is to use that door to come through to my room, and she always makes sure nobody tries to go through. With my main classroom door locked, I have all the privacy I need to put my pumps in and take them out. For my last pump of the day I am able to put my pumps in before my students come back from lunch, then I go to the storage room a couple of doors down to take them out during the passing period.
What Do You Need
Pumping at work is different than pumping at home. When you pump at home you don’t have to worry about all the extras and you can bag up your milk or give it to your baby as soon as you’re done. While at work you have to worry about your pump parts in between pump sessions, where and how you’ll store your milk, wearing the right clothing, and anything else you think might affect you.
Breast Pump
To state the obvious, you’ll need a breast pump. This is a big decision and different factors can play into what kind of pump you end up with. It is so important to know that you can qualify for a free (or partially covered) pump through your insurance, and in my personal experience, I qualify for this with each pregnancy. During the last trimester of my first pregnancy, I learned about this because it was in my third-trimester packet.
If you want a pump, usually you would ask your OB to write a script, and a third party (my office went through Mommy Xpress) would get that script and discuss what options are available to you through your insurance over the phone. With my first pregnancy, I got the Spectra S1 Plus. It worked great and was completely covered by insurance. During my second pregnancy, I opted for the Elvie (then used it again for my third pregnancy) because my son was in the CVICU and I knew I would be driving back and forth a lot. I was also able to use the hospital’s Medela pump while I was there so I didn’t have to use my own pump all the time.
As a teacher and using both pumps at work now, I can say hands down I would opt for a wearable pump every time. I am able to grade papers or do any other work I need while I pump. I’m not stuck in one spot. I can do things without cords or bottles hanging off my chest and being in my way. The convenience factor compared to my first pumping journey with my Spectra won me over.
I do believe that non-wearable pumps are more powerful and probably perform better overall than wearable pumps, but I have not had an issue at all with my supply since pumping at work with my Elvie.
A wearable pump will give you more options as to where and when you can pump, which can really lower the stress involved with all the decision-making that would usually need to be done. Instead of asking for help for a 20-30 minute time frame, you could potentially just need to ask for help for a couple of minutes at the start and end of your session. Even with teaching high school students, I just give a simple explanation (because they will inevitably notice that my chest area looks bigger with the pump in) that I am a nursing mother and need to pump at work in order to maintain my supply and sustain my baby’s life. It has never caused an issue, and I don’t foresee it causing any in the future.
Extra Parts
It’s important to keep all the working parts of your pump in tip-top shape. This will ensure that your pump is working as efficiently as possible. When things start to get old and wear out, it can cause your pump to have a weaker suction. You might notice that your pumping sessions are starting to dip and go into a spiral that your supply is dropping when in reality you just need to replace some parts. Always have spare parts on hand so that when you notice this, you can immediately switch out to new parts and see if that solves any issues you’re having, instead of having to order parts and wait a few days for them to come in.
Other reasons you’ll want extra parts:
- Some people also like to have extra parts so that they’re not washing pump parts every single night.
- You can use a clean set every time you pump
I just wipe my pump down with these wipes and stick my pumps in my cooler bag until my next session, but I understand if you do not want to reuse parts.
Milk Storage
You will need a way to store your milk after you are done pumping. This is where I share my absolute favorite item I’ve ever used while pumping – The Ceres Chill. A breastmilk chiller reusable storage container. It looks like a big thermos, but holds my breastmilk and keeps it at an appropriate temperature all day long.
After each pump session, I pour the contents into my Ceres Chill. The myth that you can’t mix cold and room temperature breastmilk together has been debunked, so you can collect all your pumping sessions into one container! Then I easily bag up my milk once I get home. Check it out here and see if it’s something that would work for you. The convenience is undeniable!
If this is not something that interests you, you may choose to immediately bag up each pumping session, or pack extra bottles with lids so that when you’re done you can just put a lid on the bottle and stick it in a cooler or fridge.
Pumping Bra
Depending on what kind of pump you choose, you will need a proper bra that works with it. For me, a standard nursing bra works because I use a wearable pump. If you are using a non-wearable pump you will need a pumping bra. I would highly suggest investing in a few good hands-free pumping bras if you need to go this route. Then you at least have your hands free to do something during your pumping session.
Along the same lines, you have to be extra conscious of your outfit choices now. You’re probably going to want to opt for more loose-fitting tops now that can easily be pulled up to attach your pump. Don’t feel like you have to break the bank on new nursing/pumping-friendly clothes. As long as they give easy access you’ll be fine.
Side note: It might be a good idea to leave an extra shirt at work. If you leak for any reason or God forbid, spill some pumped milk, you will want a change of clothes. I haven’t had this happen, but trust me I’ve run this scenario through in my head. To prevent visible leaks you could also wear nursing pads in your bra. I always preferred the cloth pads over the disposable pads. The disposable pads tended to irritate my nipples.
Pumping Bag
A simple Amazon search of “pump bag for [insert the name of your pump here]” will show you that there are plenty of options for pumping bags. Searching for a pump bag for your specific pump will ensure that all the basics you need will fit. It might not fit all your extra pieces, but it will be convenient for what you need. I actually didn’t do this for my Elvie, but am considering getting one on Black Friday! My Ceres Chill can’t spill, so that could easily be moved to my regular bag I carry every day. I just use a small backpack-like cooler bag that I got at one of my OB appointments during my third pregnancy because it was free and does the job.
Nursing/Pumping Cover
In case you are uncomfortable with any exposure during pumping you might want to use a nursing or pumping cover during your session. I never cover during my pump sessions since I use a wearable pump, but during a pumping session with my Spectra after my first maternity leave, I wasn’t covered and got walked in on. More awkward for them than me, but coverage would have obviously saved some embarrassment! The nursing cover that I do have would be very convenient because you can see down the top of it. You can look at that option here.
Don’t be afraid to put this kind of stuff on your baby registry! Yes, you are showering your new baby, but a lot of times the new mom becomes an afterthought and you end up in postpartum or back at work realizing there are things you want that you don’t have.
Having a game plan is your best weapon to having a successful pumping journey when returning to the classroom – or any line of work! If all of this feels like too much to handle on your own you can always meet with a lactation consultant as well. They help with more than just getting your baby to latch properly! They can help you figure out a good pumping schedule, how long to pump, when or if you should add another pump session at home, and so much more. My second and third babies really taught me the power of using a lactation consultant.
Start planning now, and happy pumping!