Breastfeeding Awareness Month: What Pumping at Work Actually Looks Like for Healthcare Workers

Let’s talk about the irony of pumping when you work in healthcare.

We spend our days taking care of other people. We counsel new moms about breastfeeding. We talk about feeding schedules, latch, supply, hydration, rest. We encourage our patients to give themselves grace.

And then it’s our turn.

Suddenly, you’re trying to figure out when exactly you’re supposed to pump during a 12-hour shift when you haven’t peed in six hours and you’re pretty sure the coffee you poured at 7 a.m. is still sitting somewhere getting cold.

We know because we’ve been there.

Vervee was created by physician moms who understood firsthand that healthcare clothes were not designed for the actual lives of the women wearing them. Pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding and pumping all change what you need from your scrubs, yet somehow most scrubs expect your body and your day to stay exactly the same.

August is National Breastfeeding Month, beginning with World Breastfeeding Week from August 1–7. So, instead of another article telling women why breastfeeding matters, we wanted to talk about something a little more useful:

What does pumping at work actually look like when you work in healthcare?

The Quick Answer

Pumping at work in healthcare takes more than remembering to bring your pump.

You need time. You need a private place to pump. You need coworkers and managers who understand that pumping is not an optional break. And, ideally, you need clothes that don’t require you to practically undress every time you need to pump.

Under the federal PUMP Act, nearly all employees are entitled to reasonable break time and a private space, other than a bathroom, to express breast milk for up to one year after their child’s birth.

Knowing your rights matters.

But so does figuring out how those rights work when your patient needs you, your unit is short staffed and your pumping alarm went off 20 minutes ago.

Breastfeeding Awareness Month Feels a Little Different When You Work in Healthcare

Healthcare workers are often some of the biggest breastfeeding advocates.

We know the recommendations. We know the benefits. We know what we tell patients.

Actually doing it ourselves while working a healthcare schedule? Different story.

You might have planned to pump every three hours, but your patient certainly didn’t plan their emergency around your pumping schedule.

Your “private lactation space” might technically exist, but if it’s two floors away, you’ve already used a chunk of your break just getting there.

And if your scrubs require you to take off your entire top just to pump?

Now we’re adding an outfit change to a break that was already too short.

This is the part of breastfeeding and returning to work that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough.

CDC data shows that among children born in 2023, 86.1% started out by breastfeeding. By six months, that number drops to 62.8%, and by 12 months, it falls to 40.8%.

There are a lot of reasons feeding journeys change over that first year. Returning to work is a big one.

And healthcare workers are returning to jobs where breaks, schedules and even the length of the workday can be unpredictable.

First Things First: Know Your Pumping Rights at Work

We know. Nobody wants to read federal labor law while holding a breast pump.

But this part is worth knowing.

The PUMP Act, which stands for Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act, requires covered employers to provide:

• Reasonable break time whenever you need to express breast milk, for up to one year after your child’s birth

• A private place to pump that is shielded from view and free from intrusion

• A space that is not a bathroom

The law also expanded protections to millions of workers who previously did not have them, including nurses.

That matters because telling a nurse, doctor, RT, etc., who works at a desk to “take a pumping break” and telling a  responsible for multiple patients to do the same thing are two very different realities.

If you’re heading back to work and your department hasn’t clearly explained where you can pump or how pumping breaks will be handled, ask before your first shift back.

Not because you’re asking permission.

Because you’re making a plan.

Okay, But What Does Pumping During a Healthcare Shift Actually Look Like?

This is where the conversation gets more realistic.

Your Pumping Schedule Will Probably Get Interrupted

You can absolutely have a pumping schedule.

You should have a pumping schedule.

You should also assume healthcare will occasionally laugh at that schedule.

A patient codes. Someone calls out. Your relief is late. A procedure runs long.

The goal isn’t necessarily hitting the exact same minute every single shift. It’s having enough support around you that one delayed session doesn’t turn into repeatedly missing pumping breaks altogether.

The Lactation Room Can’t Be a 15-Minute Walk Away

Technically having a lactation room and having a lactation room you can realistically use are not always the same thing.

If you spend five minutes walking there, five minutes getting situated and another five minutes walking back, there goes most of your break.

Before you return from maternity leave, figure out exactly where you’ll pump, how you access the room and whether there are options closer to your unit.

These are much easier questions to ask before you’re standing in a hallway with a pump bag.

Your Clothes Should Not Be Part of the Problem

This one drove us a little crazy.

Why were we wearing clothes designed for healthcare workers that somehow didn’t account for the fact that healthcare workers also get pregnant, have babies, breastfeed and pump?

If you have 15 minutes to pump, you should not spend the first few minutes wrestling yourself out of your scrub top.

You already have enough going on.

Your clothes should make your day easier, not become another task.

And Then There’s the Guilt

This one is harder.

Your unit is busy. Your coworkers are busy. You know someone has to cover while you step away.

So even when you know you’re entitled to the break, you can still feel guilty taking it.

Then there’s the guilt on the other side.

You missed a pumping session.

Your supply changed.

You supplemented.

You didn’t breastfeed as long as you thought you would.

There is an enormous amount of pressure wrapped up in feeding a baby, and returning to work can amplify all of it.

We can know something intellectually and still have a hard time applying it to ourselves.

Healthcare workers might understand that better than anyone.

This Is Exactly Why We Designed a Nursing and Pumping Scrub Top

When we started designing Vervee, we weren’t sitting around asking ourselves how we could make another cute scrub top.

There are plenty of scrub tops.

We were thinking about the things that had actually annoyed us while working in healthcare.

Pumping was one of them.

Our nursing and pumping scrub tops have a patent-pending invisible side zipper that gives you discreet access without requiring you to remove your entire top.

That means you can get into the lactation room, unzip, pump zip back up, and get back to your day without turning the whole thing into a production.

We also updated the fabric to absorb and dry faster because, again, postpartum bodies are real bodies and healthcare shifts are real shifts.

Is a zipper going to solve the bigger issues around staffing, pumping breaks and lactation access?

Of course not.

But we also don’t think your clothes should make an already complicated situation harder.

Sometimes good design is simply removing one unnecessary obstacle from your day.

 

A Few Things We’d Do Before Your First Shift Back

If you’re preparing to return to work and plan to pump, make your life as easy as possible before that first shift.

Talk to your manager or charge nurse ahead of time. Don’t wait until you’re already on the floor to figure out coverage. Even a general plan makes the first few shifts easier.

Find the lactation room before you need it. Know where it is, how you get inside and whether you need a key, badge or code.

Keep your pump bag packed. Extra storage bags, pump parts, flanges, a cooler and whatever else you regularly use. The less you have to remember at 5:30 in the morning, the better.

If you can, build a small stash before returning. Not everyone can or wants to do this, but having a little flexibility can take some of the pressure off those first weeks.

Wear something that makes pumping easier. You have enough logistical hurdles. Your scrub top does not need to be another one.

And maybe most importantly:

Expect the plan to change.

Some shifts will go beautifully.

Some absolutely will not.

Welcome back to healthcare.

Things We Wish More Working Moms Knew Before Returning

A lot of the stress around pumping at work comes from little logistical things nobody thinks to tell you.

Don’t assume the lactation room will be obvious. Go find it.

Don’t assume your manager knows you plan to pump. Have the conversation and send that email.

Don’t pack your pump bag from scratch every morning. Keep it ready.

Don’t wait until you’re already uncomfortable to figure out who can cover your patients.

And please don’t make pumping harder by wearing scrubs that require you to completely undress every few hours.

We say that as women who have lived it and as women who eventually decided to design something better.

And If Breastfeeding Doesn’t Go According to Plan?

Then it doesn’t.

Really.

You might exclusively breastfeed. You might exclusively pump. You might combo feed. You might switch to formula earlier than you expected. You might change your mind three different times.

Your feeding plan is allowed to evolve with your actual life.

Breastfeeding Awareness Month should be about making sure women have the information, resources, workplace protections and support they need to make their own decisions.

It should not be another reason for mothers to feel like they’re failing at something.

And if pumping became unsustainable because your job made it nearly impossible?

That’s not a conversation about willpower.

That’s a conversation about how we can make healthcare workplaces work better for the women inside them.

We think that conversation is long overdue.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Breastfeeding Awareness Month?

National Breastfeeding Month takes place every August and begins with World Breastfeeding Week from August 1–7. In the United States, National Breastfeeding Month is coordinated by the United States Breastfeeding Committee and focuses on increasing education, access and support for breastfeeding families.

Am I legally allowed to pump at work?

For most employees, yes. Under the federal PUMP Act, covered workers are entitled to reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space to express breast milk for up to one year after their child’s birth.

Does the PUMP Act cover nurses?

Yes. The PUMP Act expanded federal pumping protections to millions of additional workers, including nurses who were excluded from earlier protections.

What should I wear when pumping at work in healthcare?

Look for scrubs that give you easy nursing or pumping access without requiring you to remove your entire top. Details like discreet side zippers, stretch and fast-drying fabric can make a surprisingly big difference when you’re pumping during a short break.

What if my hospital or clinic doesn’t have a good pumping space?

Talk with your manager or HR department. Under the PUMP Act, covered employees must be provided a private space that is shielded from view, free from intrusion and is not a bathroom.

How should I prepare for pumping when I return to work?

Before your first shift back, talk with your manager about pumping breaks, find out exactly where your lactation space is and how to access it, and keep your pump bag stocked and ready. Removing those little logistical headaches ahead of time can make the transition much easier.

What if I can’t keep up with pumping during my shifts?

Adjust.

Healthcare schedules can be incredibly unpredictable, and feeding plans sometimes have to change along with them. Talk with a lactation consultant or healthcare professional if you want help maintaining your supply, but give yourself room to decide what actually works for you and your family.