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Home » Pumping Tips » A Guide to Pumping and Driving

A Guide to Pumping and Driving

By Amanda Glenn, CLC. Last Updated December 17, 2021. Originally Posted October 12, 2020.

Can You Pump and Drive?
How to Safely Pump and Drive
How to Become a Pro at Pumping and Driving
How Can I Make Pumping in the Car Easier?
How to Pump Breastmilk in the Car

Disclaimer: Before pumping and driving, you should evaluate your ability to drive and pump without getting distracted, your range of motion when you’re pumping, and any local laws and statutes. You should also consider risks related to your airbag deploying if you should have an accident. Safety is the most important thing. Do not pump and drive if you are not confident you can do it safely and legally.

Pumping and driving is one way to maximize your limited time as an exclusive pumper.

Having the ability to do this comes in handy in a lot of situations – it can save you time when you commute to work, and it can be a good way to get a pumping session in when running an errand with your baby or if you need to go for a drive to get your baby to nap. Here are the precautions you need to take when do pump and drive.

How to Pump and Drive

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, I’ll be compensated at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love! More info here.

If you’ve decided to give pumping and driving a try, the first step is to put your pump bag together.

What You Will Need for Pumping and Driving

Below is a list of what you’ll need to bring with you to pump and drive.

  • Your pump (this must be an electric pump rather than a manual pump for safety reasons)
  • A hands-free pumping bra (this is also essential for safety if you don’t have a hands-free pump),
  • A nursing cover if you want to cover your chest (here is the one I used, you can also use a big t-shirt or baby blanket to cover yourself),
  • A set of pump parts,
  • Two bottles (with caps), and
  • A gallon-sized plastic zip-top bag or wet bag (like this one).

If your pump doesn’t have a battery, you may also need a battery pack or car adapter (like this one).

As you’re getting your stuff together, assemble the pump parts and screw in the bottles, though you can leave the breast shields off. Then put the pump parts, attached bottles, breast shields, and caps for the bottles in the zip-top bag in your pump bag.

When you're done pumping, put your pump parts in a zip-top plastic bag

Pumping and Driving Steps

Here is how to pump and drive in six simple steps.

1. Get your pump set up

Get your pump set up in the car

Put the pump on the seat next to you, plug it in (if applicable) and, if you have cup holders, make sure they are empty.

This is for two reasons – one, so that you can put the pumped-in bottles in them when you’re done, and two, so you don’t knock over any drink that happens to be in there with your pump tubing. I learned this the hard way with an unfortunately placed bottle of Diet Coke.

2. Get yourself set up

If you’re using a nursing cover, put it on.

If you need to, put your hands-free pumping bra on under your shirt, and get yourself all hooked up to pump.

3. Put your seat belt on

How to fasten your seatbelt when pumping and driving

Put your seat beat on, with the lap belt under the bottles and the front belt across your chest between the bottles.

4. Start your pump

Start the pump, make sure it is set to the correct speed and that you’re comfortable.

5. Start driving

Drive! IGNORE YOUR PUMP. Do not check the bottles, do not change the speed, pretend you are not pumping.

(Try not to get pulled over.) (If you are feeling brave, go through a drive-thru and get a coffee.)

6. Stop driving, then turn off the pump and unhook yourself

When you are done pumping, turn off the pump. Be careful! This should only be done when you arrive at your destination or can pull over and turn it off.

Unhook yourself from the pump. Put the bottles in the cup holders as you detach them from the breast shields. Then put the caps on the bottles, and your used pump parts into the plastic zip-top bag.

That’s it, you’re done!

Pumping and Driving Safety

You should not attempt pumping and driving if:

  • You are distracted by the sensation of pumping.
  • You have decreased range of motion when wearing your pump.
  • You can’t resist the urge to check the bottles or change settings without first pulling over.
  • You don’t have a hands-free pumping set up.
  • It’s illegal in your area.

Even if none of this is true for you, keep in mind that there are still risks to pumping and driving that you need to weigh. For example, if you’re hit in a head-on collision, and your airbag deploys, there is a risk to having your pump parts sitting on your chest.

Have you tried pumping and driving? How did it go?

Pumping and Driving

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Filed Under: Pumping Tips

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Comments

  1. Britt says

    May 20, 2018 at 9:49 am

    I am currently still on maternity leave and my first pump of the day, which i am interested in doing on my commute, always require me to change collection bottles (I produce somewhere between 13 to 18 oz). Obviously i would pull over to change bottles but would it be bad if i didnt use a cover so i could keep an eye on how full the bottles get? Or maybe use a bigger bottle? Thoughts

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      May 20, 2018 at 12:27 pm

      Medela makes 8oz bottles! I would use those.

  2. Alison says

    May 8, 2018 at 9:48 pm

    I exclusively pumped for 18 months and did most of it in the car. It saved my pumping journey and made my 45 minute commute to and from work more “productive”. Loved ur tips!

    Reply
  3. Lindsay Warren says

    September 1, 2017 at 5:15 pm

    What would you recommend for long car rides? I’m going on a road trip that is 10 hours so I’ll need to pump multiple times. How should I handle cleaning the parts?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      September 2, 2017 at 1:14 pm

      Can you bring multiple sets of pump parts for the trip? You could put each one in a separate ziploc bag and then wash them all when you get to your destination.

    • AP says

      September 14, 2017 at 12:11 pm

      I would get the cleaning wipes for adapter and just several bottles. Also a little cooler for milk.

    • Hannah says

      December 5, 2018 at 11:54 pm

      I know this is old but, I buy wipes for cleaning breast pump parts. Pull over or when you are at a rest area take apart and clean. Then you can pump again when needed.

  4. Emily says

    June 4, 2017 at 9:58 am

    Hand expression is so important to my completely emptying. Any tricks for doing this while driving?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      June 4, 2017 at 7:12 pm

      I think the only way to safely do this is to pull over and put the car in park. I would not recommend doing this while driving a car.

  5. Becca says

    April 18, 2017 at 9:06 pm

    I spill milk all over myself when I’m removing the pump parts/bottles. I think I’m going to bring a towel to set in my lap

    Reply
  6. Caroline says

    October 27, 2016 at 12:16 am

    Some pumps need to be grounded and stable (car not in motion) for motor to run. Also some cars can run AC adapter just fine while car is off– I do it all the time.

    Reply
  7. Sally says

    October 3, 2016 at 1:16 pm

    Question: do pumps work if your car is not running? Thinking of plugging into the cigarette lighter jack and pumping on a break during a day trip?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      October 3, 2016 at 3:50 pm

      My understanding is that the cigarette lighter does not work if the car isn’t running, because it would drain the battery of the car. Maybe just pull over and leave it running?

  8. Lynn says

    August 12, 2016 at 3:27 pm

    I pumped for over a year on my commute to/from work. I would put my hands free bra on before leaving home or work and plugged my pump into either a standard plug (in the backseat) or a standard 2 prong adapter that went into a cigarette lighter. It worked great and the amount was similar to what I collected pumping at home. Good luck!

    Reply
  9. Ashly says

    June 13, 2016 at 4:43 pm

    how do you manage to put your bra on?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      June 15, 2016 at 9:21 am

      Hi Ashly – do you mean the hands-free bra? You put it on under your shirt after you put your nursing cover on. Let me know if this doesn’t answer your question!

  10. Vanessa says

    May 6, 2016 at 3:44 pm

    When i pumped in the car today, i got substantially less milk than when i pump at home. Is anyone else in the same boat, or am i losing my supply? The suction and speed on the PISA definitely seem decreased when using the car adapter, and i obviously can’t squeeze my boobs while driving, so maybe that explains the smaller output??

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      May 6, 2016 at 4:30 pm

      Hi Vanessa! Was it just a one time thing, or have you seen this happen multiple times? It could definitely be an issue with the car adapter. I would see how your total for the day looks – maybe you’ll pump a bit more in your later sessions today?

    • Kat says

      July 2, 2018 at 9:14 pm

      Same for me I feel like it doesn’t empty me. I’m a nurse on a busy post op floor. some days my first pump isn’t til after 10 so I try to pump on the way since I live 45 mins away. But some times I only get 2 oz on one side.

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Amanda

Hi! I’m Amanda. I'm a Certified Lactation Counselor® and an experienced exclusive pumper. My goal is to help make exclusively pumping as easy as possible for you, so that you can enjoy your baby! This website is for educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice. Read More

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