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Home › Articles › Pumps and Pumping › The Pumping Mom

The Pumping Mom

A Day in the Life

By Teri Brown

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If you don't know a working mother who breastfeeds, you might think this lifestyle is a complicated one. Visions of toting around a breast pump and figuring out what to do with the milk once it's pumped probably dance in and out of your head. You may also worry about a dwindling milk supply and your infant's possible preference for the bottle.

Fortunately, with the advent of lactation specialists and better information, many more working mothers are breastfeeding successfully. Carolyn Hawley is one of them. As an account executive for a small San Diego public relations company, Hawley knew she would face some challenges working full time and breastfeeding, but she also knew it would be worth it.

"I knew that breastfeeding was the best for my baby because of the antibodies I pass on," says Hawley. "Both my husband and I have asthma, so in an effort to keep from passing that on to my son, I do as much as I can to decrease the chance that I will pass it along. That essentially means exclusively breastfeeding until he's at least 6 months old. Also, I enjoy the time that my son and I spend when he's feeding. The thought never occurred to me not to breastfeed!"

When and Where
In the beginning, Hawley pumped about three times a day, but as the months passed she began to pump only when she was engorged, about once a day. "I usually pumped around 9 a.m., noon and then 3 p.m.," says Hawley. "I use a Medela In Style pump. Usually, I just shut the door and pump both breasts at once."

Hawley felt that privacy might be a problem, but after her maternity leave her boss surprised her with her own office. "It's not the nicest office (no windows), but it is very private, and I can lock the door," she says. After pumping her breast milk, Hawley uses an insulated bag that came with her pump for milk storage. This provided a sterile alternative to having milk bottles sitting in the company fridge.


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