Ahhh, the ?fun? of pumping at work: Lugging the not-light-as-a-feather breast pump to and from the office, juggling your calendar to make time to get to the lactation room, dealing with full, leaky breasts when you forget.
For me, my plan always involved pumping at work. It felt like something I could do for my baby when I was away, earning money to support our family (another very important element of parenting, for sure) ? and it let me keep breastfeeding when I came home. My favorite time of the day, for sure.
I breastfed and breast pumped for a year with both babies, at the office and on the road, even as I moved up in my career at different employers. I had good days and stressful ones and more than a few why-do-I-even-bother-with-this moments. But even on my least favorite days, I stuck to it ? and now have more than my share of mama-milk stories to share as well as some very real-life tips to make your pumping easier. Here?s what I wish I knew when I was pumping at work:
First, know that it is your choice whether to breast pump or not.

Somehow, between baby no. 1 and no. 2, I found that breastfeeding had gone from being nice-to-do to a full-on imperative for new moms. The change was so significant that political scientist (and fellow breast-pumper) Courtney Jung tracked the societal change in her fascinating book Lactivism. But just remember this: The choice to breastfeed is personal one, not a medical or political one. Choose what is right for you and your baby.
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