6 Pumping Hacks for Working Moms

Maternity leave often passes in haze of sleepless nights, chapped nipples, and baby snuggles. When it’s time to get back to work, reality sets in that you have to figure out the most effective way to provide breast milk while not being near your baby for 8+ hours a day.

When I went back to work, I thought, how hard can pumping at work be? Turns out, it’s plenty hard so here are a few of my favorite hacks that will make pumping at work a little bit easier.

Hack #1: Milk bags and rubber bands can save the day

Always keep milk bags and rubber bands in your pumping bag in case you forget bottles. You can attach the milk bags to your breast shields using the rubber bands, or if you don’t have those you can even use tape or binder clips.

Hack #2: Stop Spills by Using a Flange as a Funnel

When I got home from work, I’d usually transfer some milk into a milk bag to put in the freezer. Let’s not count how many times I spilt the milk. And how many times I cried over spilt milk. But now I know better! I take one of my detached flanges and use it as a funnel. Brilliant!

Hack #3: Keep Pumping Parts in the Fridge

Let’s not talk about how much I HATED washing all my pumping parts. Actually, let’s talk about it. I hated it. So I started keeping my pumping parts in a gallon zip lock bag at work in between pumping sessions (you can also use a waterproof wet bag that is meant for cloth diapering). That way I could use them again and again. I’d usually take them home to wash them once a day, but you could also use the same ones all week as long as they are always kept in the fridge.

Hack #4: Record Your Baby Crying

The last thing you want to do while pumping at work is sit there for 10-15 minutes while waiting for your letdown. Try recording your baby in a good old-fashioned crying fit and watch it when you start pumping. It should help encourage let down and get you back to the grind faster.

Hack #5: Use Painters Tape and a Sharpie

When pumping at work you have so many bottles sitting in your fridge, it can get very disorganized. And the last thing you want is to throw away a bottle of milk because it went bad. Or even worse, throw away perfectly good milk because you can’t remember when you pumped. Start putting painters tape with the date you pumped on the top of every bottle. That way it’s easy to remove and you’ll never wonder how old that bottle of milk is.

Hack #6: Should You Forget Nursing Pads, Use a Period Pad

Nothing is going to make you feel like less of a lady boss than walking around with milk stains on your shirt. If you forgot nursing pads, find a sanitary napkin, cut it in half, and use that instead. Problem solved.

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