Nursing Mama, Pumping Teacher

Becoming a mother is the greatest! Before I had my babies I did tons of research and decided that I wanted to give breastfeeding a try. I was super fortunate to have off 14 weeks with my daughter and 17 weeks with my son. This gave me plenty of time to establish breastfeeding, learn how to pump, and have a decent freezer stash.

I’m not going to say it was easy. There were days at the beginning that I felt like giving up but I knew if I pushed through, I could do it! I also had a ton of encouragement and support! My husband realized early on that my sole purpose was to feed the baby. He did everything else! Cooking, cleaning, etc! My sister has nursed 5 babies so I also have my own personal “on call” mama. She’s my go-to for any question. She has never made me feel dumb and is so patient with me. A support system is essential for becoming a nursing mama!

Getting Started at School

I was super fortunate to have a long maternity leave! This gave me plenty of time to establish a freezer stash. I’ll share more about that another time.

One thing that I did was contact my building administrator (both men-2 different kiddos) and let them know that I would be needing to take my lunch period for “baby business.” I let them know that I would need to have a space available if we had indoor recess and I couldn’t use my classroom. Both responded very quickly and assured me that a space would be available. Once I was closer to my return, I determined what the actual space would be and made sure I had a plan.

The Pumping Plan

As a teacher I know that the only time I have available is my lunch time. I wake up early to pump, nurse my baby before leaving for work, and then pump at lunch. At the end of the day I pick up my kiddos and we nurse right when we get home. The baby sitter knows not to feed my little guy after a certain time so that he is hungry and ready for me!

The Pumping Space

In a school there is very little extra space. Lucky for me I have a classroom that works for pumping. Most of the time. Except for snowy days, rainy days, cold days, etc. On those days I get to pump in the server room. Which is also the office of our lit coach (who is a pumping mama as well). On those days I have to kick her out of her office to take care of business. I feel bad but a mama has to do what a mama has to do!

What Is In My Pumping Bag

My pumping bag is stuffed full! Take a peek at everything I have crammed into this thing! Lucky for me I have a mini fridge in my room so I don’t need to take up space in my bag for a cooler. Here are all of the goodies I have…

 

      

Tips for Pumping at Work

  • Leave the tubes plugged in (you can be quicker setting up)
  • Keep your pump parts in a container with a towel, scrubber and dish soap so that you can wash them quickly. I just stick the container right down into the bag!
  • Bring all of your pumping bottles to work on Monday so you don’t have to bring new bottles every day (buy, steal, beg for extras so that you don’t have to wash every day!)
  • Get your hands on a second pump- one for home and one for school that way you don’t have to worry about forgetting it at home!
    • With my daughter I used my cousins pump at school and my own at home
    • With my son, I got a second pump through insurance so I took the one with a bag to school

Pumping Resources

I am in no way an expert at breastfeeding. I just know what has worked for me! If you know someone who has breastfed, talk to them! Most mamas are more than willing to offer support and advice. Here are a few of the resources that I have used regularly. I hope they might help you as well!

Website- kellymom

Book-So That’s What They are For!

Last Thoughts on Being a Pumping Teacher

Being a pumping mama is lonely! My goal was for my babies to have breastmilk until they turned one. That means that I ate countless meals alone while at work. It is difficult but you can do it! I took the time to read, relax, and enjoy the quiet. I had to save my socializing for before and after school which isn’t ideal. I was also totally out of the loop a lot of the time because I miss many lunch time discussions. I just remember that I have given my children a gift!! It is really amazing what the human body can do and if you choose to be a pumping teacher/nursing mama, it is totally worth it! And if it isn’t for you, that is okay too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stephanie- Buckeye Teacher Mama