Your “Pumping At Work” Checklist

Returning to work as a new mother who is breastfeeding, may cause some anxiety. However, with appropriate planning, your transition can be as smooth as possible. We’ve prepared this guide to help you feel confident during the transition and to give you a checklist to make sure you are fully prepared.

First, it’s important to understand that as an employee in the United States, you have protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act for pumping at work:

• You should be given break time to express breast milk until the child is 1 year old
• You should be provided a place to pump that is shielded from view and intrusion (other than a bathroom)

Make sure before returning to work, you talk to your human resources department to learn more about how these policies are implemented in your workplace

What supplies do I need?

Pumping will be much easier with the use of an electric breast pump. Although it is possible to use a hand pump, an electric breast pump will make your time spent pumping more efficient. Some insurance companies may even cover a breast pump. Check with your healthcare insurer to learn more. 

Each machine has specific types of accessories required to pump, such as tubing, bottles or bags that collect the milk, and the cup that fits over the nipple. It is important that you have materials that are just used for you and your baby as you do not want to risk contamination or infection. You will also need to follow the instructions for your particular pump as to how to assemble, clean, and use the pump. 

How will I store the milk before coming home?

After you pump, you will need to store the milk and then transport it to your baby. If you won’t be returning home quickly and feeding your baby with the pumped milk immediately, it is important to cool the milk. Some women can store the milk in a refrigerator while others may have a cooler with ice packs that help to keep the temperature low enough to prevent bacterial growth. There are special cooling bags designed just for milk transport. 

When should I pump?

Ideally you would pump when you would normally nurse your child if you were together. This way you can stay on the same schedule and produce as much milk as needed to feed to your child while you are away. Sometimes it is not possible to use this same schedule, and if this is the case, try to pump as close as you can to your typical feeding frequency and schedule. 

I still have questions.

If you still have questions or are unsure as to how to make pumping work for you while you’re at work, reach out to a lactation consultant. If you aren’t already connected with a lactation consultant, let us know at Diana Health and we are happy to connect you with a member of our team who can assist you. While returning to work while breastfeeding can certainly cause anxiety, you should feel confident in your ability to succeed! We are here to support you.