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Home » Pumping at Work » When to Pump: How to Create a Pumping Schedule at Work

When to Pump: How to Create a Pumping Schedule at Work

By Amanda Glenn, CLC. Last Updated April 7, 2021. Originally Posted September 11, 2019.

Pumping Schedules for Work
When to Pump at Work
Pumping at Work Schedules
Pumping at Work Schedules
Pumping at Work Schedules
Pumping at Work Schedules for Maximum Milk Supply
How to Create a Pumping Schedule at Work

Are you headed back to work and planning to pump breast milk for your baby? Not sure how often or how long you need to pump? Here’s what you need to consider when putting together your pumping schedule at work!

When to Pump at Work // How to create a pumping at work schedule

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click a link and take action, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love! More info here.

What Are Your Legal Rights Regarding Pumping at Work?

This depends on where you on located.

In the United States, the Affordable Care Act included a provision called Break Time for Nursing Mothers.  This provision requires employers to provide two things for employees that are covered by the law – a place to pump that is not a bathroom, and break time to pump.

Who is covered by the law?

Employees that are non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards act. However, if you ARE exempt, you may be covered by additional protections at the state level.

Here is a lot more detail, including other exemptions to the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law, and how to find the breastfeeding laws in your state.

If you’re not covered by any laws protecting your right to pump, here are some ideas to make pumping work.

How Often Should You Pump at Work?

This depends on a few things:

  • How long you are at work. Obviously, you’d need to pump more during a 12 hour shift than an 8 hour shift.
  • How old your baby is. You will want to pump more frequently with a younger baby.
  • What you can realistically manage at work. Some jobs are harder to get pumping sessions in than others; it can be really difficult for a teacher or bus driver or nurse to take pumping breaks, especially if their employer isn’t legally required to provide them.

Generally speaking, I would suggest aiming for the below number of sessions based on how long you’ll be at work when you first go back:

  • 4 hour workday: 1 pumping session
  • 6 hour workday: 2 pumping sessions
  • 8 hour workday: 3 pumping sessions
  • 12 hour workday: 4 pumping sessions

However, just consider this a starting point to work from as you consider the other two factors (the age of your baby, and what you can manage).

For example, many moms in the United States go back to work when baby is 12 weeks old and start at 3 pumping sessions per day, then drop to two or even one as baby gets older and is eating more solid food. If you are going back to work when baby is 9 months old, 3 sessions at work may not be necessary.

Or, maybe you work an 8 hour day, but are only able to pump once, on your lunch break. (We’ll talk about strategies for how to work with this below.)

How Long Should Your Pumping Sessions at Work Be?

This depends on how many pumping sessions you have.

If you are pumping the number of sessions I recommended above (based on length of your workday), then each pumping session should be about 15-20 minutes. In most cases, 15 minutes will be enough, but some women might need a little more time to “empty” their breasts.

(Obviously, you may need to cut one short every now and then to make a meeting or other obligation, but that is what I would aim for.)

If you are pumping less frequently, either because your baby is older or you are not able to due to your work schedule, your pumping sessions should be a bit longer.

How long?

I would add an extra 5-10 minutes for each session under the number I suggested above. So, if you’re pumping twice during an 8 hour workday, make them 20-25 minutes long if possible. If you’re pumping once, make it 35-40 minutes long.

(I know sessions this long aren’t always possible, so do the best you can.)

If you’re back at work already and find that you’re not pumping enough, here are some ideas.

Sample Pumping at Work Schedules

I’ll put a few different types of schedules below that will work with different kinds of jobs.

One thing to note: if you can pump WHILE you work, this can help save time. I work in an office and brought my laptop to the lactation room, and would answer emails or do other quick tasks while I pumped.

I would definitely suggest getting a hands-free pumping bra (you can read reviews of different options here) or a hands-free breast pump. It will make pumping at work so much easier!

Office Worker with a 3 Month Old Baby

I started out with a schedule very similar to this with each of my babies when I went back to work.

  • 6AM-ish/Before work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)
  • 9AM: Pump for 15-20 minutes
  • 12PM: Pump for 15-20 minutes
  • 3PM: Pump for 15-20 minutes
  • 6PM-ish/After work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)

Office Worker with a 9 Month Old Baby

Later, I transitioned to two sessions that were a bit longer.

  • 6AM-ish/Before work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)
  • 10AM: Pump for 20-25 minutes
  • 2PM: Pump for 20-25 minutes
  • 6PM-ish/After work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)

Teacher

Often teachers are limited to pumping during prep periods and at lunch. You might want to make one session a bit longer to make sure you get enough pumping time in. Here’s an example of how that might look:

  • 7AM-ish/Before work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)
  • 11:30AM: Lunch. Pump for 30 minutes
  • 2:00PM: Prep Period. Pump for 15-20 minutes
  • 4:30PM-ish/After work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)

Sometimes, a prep period can be right before or right after lunch, which can make getting multiple pumping sessions in during the school day difficult.

What I usually recommend in situations like this is pumping right before and after school (possibly during your commute), with either one long session during the combined prep/lunch period or two shorter ones (one at the beginning of it and one at the end). You can experiment and see what works best for you.

  • 7AM-ish/Before work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)
  • 11AM: Prep Period. Pump for 20 minutes right at 11AM
  • 11:40AM: Lunch. Pump for 20 minutes at the end of the lunch period (say, 12PM-12:20PM)
  • 3:30PM-ish/After work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)

Or:

  • 7AM-ish/Before work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)
  • 11:30PM: Prep Period/Lunch. Pump for 35-40 minutes.
  • 3:30PM-ish/After work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)

Nurse

The below schedule is based on a 7AM to 7PM shift with two short breaks and a lunch break. If you have time where you sit down to do paperwork, that may also be time that you can pump with a hands-free setup to get a fourth session in.

  • 6AM-ish/Before work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)
  • 9AM: First Break. Pump for 15-20 minutes
  • 12PM: Lunch/Meal Break. Pump for 30 minutes
  • 4PM: Second Break. Pump for 15-20 minutes
  • 8PM-ish/After work: Pump (exclusive pumpers) or nurse (nursing moms)

Obviously, your breaks will often depend on patient needs. It’s okay to move times around if necessary. If you have to skip a session, that’s fine, just try to make up the time later if possible.

Strategies for Pumping at Work When You Don’t Get Breaks

It can really be challenging when you aren’t entitled to breaks to pump at work, or when it’s just not realistic or possible with your job. For example, many servers do not get more than a few 5-10 minute breaks over an 8 hour shift.

Here are a few strategies if you don’t get pumping breaks, or if it’s too difficult with the pace of your job to take them.

  • Use a hands-free pump while you work. A hands-free pump like the Willow, Elvie, or Freemie Liberty are good options. (Here’s a photo of a TSA agent pumping while working with a Freemie Liberty.)
  • Pump as much as you can before and after work, on your commute if possible.
  • Get a manual pump and use it to take the pressure off whenever you have 5 minutes or so.

What if Pumping Takes too Long?

One common struggle that moms have with pumping at work is that it takes too long.

It’s not uncommon to sit down to pump and find that it takes 5-10 minutes to get your breastmilk to letdown. This is especially common for nursing moms, because they are used to having their baby there to trigger the letdown reflex. (More on how letdowns work here.)

Some options for speeding things up if this is the case for you:

  • Try a warm compress (you can put Booby Tubes – use PUMPING15 for 15% off – in the microwave, which might help)
  • Try replacing your breast pump parts if it’s been a while
  • Try a lactation massager* – the combined heat and vibration helps speed things up for some women
  • If you are a nursing mom, try looking at a photo or video of your baby

(*Note: LaVie makes two lactation massagers – a smaller one with just vibration and a warming massager that has heat AND vibration. They are both super helpful – use the code EPUMP on their website for 10% off!)

More information on how to pump faster here.

What is your pumping at work schedule like? What have you tried that’s worked for you, and what hasn’t?

Nervous about pumping at work? Want help building your freezer stash, creating a packing checklist, and putting together a pumping schedule? Check out my Ultimate Pumping at Work Workbook here! Use EPUMP30 for 30% off.

Ready to Pump at Work Like a Boss? | Women in white sweater holding The Ultimate Pumping at Work Workbook

 

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Comments

  1. Nurse Jane says

    February 4, 2020 at 3:11 pm

    Hey I work as a nurse. The schedule you posted for a nurse, for us to pump at 9 (AM or PM depending on your shift) is probably the worst time for us to pump because it is right in the middle of our med pass. I have been back to work for 2 months and my pumping schedule looks like this:

    4:45 AM- wake up and nurse
    5:05 AM- pump (pump the breast she didn’t nurse off of)
    5:20 AM- get ready
    5:55 AM- leave house, get baby to day care
    6:30 AM- arrive at work, look up my patients
    7:00-7:30 AM- shift change
    7:30-7:50 AM- pump
    10:30-10:50 AM- pump
    1:30-1:50 PM- pump/ lunch
    4:30-4:50 PM- pump
    Get home at 8 PM and nurse daughter.

    I try to be flexible with my times and give myself a 30 minute window. So I try to pump between 7:30-8 AM, 10:30-11 AM, 1:30-2 PM, and 4:30-5 PM. I bring meal replacement smoothies and healthy but high calorie snacks (think nuts, homemade energy balls and trail mix) so I don’t really take a lunch but still can get good nutrition. Even though I have a hands free bra I find it awkward to eat a meal with my flanges hanging out, and since I already take time to pump I don’t want to take a lunch too.

    Luckily I also work on a very supportive unit which can make or break your success with pumping at work!

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      February 4, 2020 at 5:54 pm

      Thank you so much for this! Super helpful!

    • Moriah says

      January 19, 2021 at 10:32 pm

      Thank you for posting! I am an RN wondering when and how I will have the time…this schedule should help
      ♡

  2. Oddie says

    January 31, 2020 at 1:06 pm

    Hi. My schedule is
    8:30 pump while driving to work for 20 min
    10:30/11 pump at work for 20 min
    1:30/2 pump at work for 20 min
    4 pump while driving home for 20 min
    5 and beyond boobie time with baby

    But I’m not getting enough to feed my DD (7months). I’m only getting about 9oz total and she has 3 total feeding with her sitter so I should be providing about 18oz. Solids help a bit but my baby needs and wants more milk. She won’t take formula – dislikes it’s

    Any suggestions on getting more from these tatas? I am taking a fenugreek supplement as well as eating an emergency brownie from MilkMamas.

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      January 31, 2020 at 2:43 pm

      Hi! So is your baby nursing well and everything, but you’re struggling to pump enough to feed her? It might just be that your body isn’t responding as well to the pump. Maybe try a manual pump one day and see if you have any more success with it? Some women seem to respond better to manual pumps. I would try that first. Let me know if it doesn’t work!

  3. Megan says

    November 23, 2019 at 10:55 am

    Ok thank you!!

    Reply
  4. Megan says

    November 22, 2019 at 4:44 am

    Thank you for the great article! I was wondering how you change your schedule before you go back to work? I go back in a month and my schedule right now is 7 times a day (12,6,9,12,3,6,9) and the schedule you have for a nurse looks like it would work for me during the day. Do I just change my times cold turkey or should I work on changing a time one by one? Some of the times don’t match up with the times I have currently.

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      November 23, 2019 at 9:59 am

      Hi Megan! If you would still be pumping 7 times a day then I would just do it cold turkey. (Unless you are prone to clogged ducts?) Hope that helps and congratulations!

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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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