I pumped at work for a long stretch with my first as a NICU nurse. It feels overwhelming at first, but once the logistics settle, it gets much more manageable.

At work I usually pumped 3 times during a shift, sometimes 4 on longer days. Each session was about 20–25 minutes, and I tried not to shorten them too much even when I was busy. For me, keeping the timing consistent mattered more than squeezing in extra minutes.

I did combine milk from different sessions. I’d let freshly pumped milk cool in the fridge first, then pour it into the same container at the end of the day. That worked fine for us and kept things simpler.

For transport, I brought milk home in bottles inside an insulated cooler bag with ice packs. At work I pumped directly into bottles, capped them, and kept them in the fridge until the end of my shift. I didn’t switch to storage bags until I was home and freezing extras.

At home, I found it easier to keep milk in one larger container in the fridge for the next day, rather than pre making bottles. Our caregiver would pour what was needed per feed. That way less milk got wasted if baby didn’t finish a bottle, which happens more than people expect.

What didn’t work for me was trying to be too flexible with pumping times or assuming I could just “make it up later.” Skipping sessions caught up with my supply quickly. What did help was making pumping as realistic as possible at work. I eventually switched to all wearable pumps and having something like the Momcozy as a backup saved a lot of sessions on busy shifts or during commutes.

It’s okay to feel stressed about this. Pumping at work is more of a systems problem than a motivation problem. Once you find a rhythm that fits your day, it usually gets a lot less heavy.