The story of a teacher that went back to school as a pumping mom. (And her list of must have items!)
I adore my job as a special education teacher in a DC public school. I teach students with disabilities in a self-contained classroom setting at a Title 1 school. As if the annual Back to School rush wasn’t enough to make this teacher crazy, this year I’m juggling teaching AND pumping for my son.
Establishing breastfeeding with my first child was a difficult journey for me, including a few months of exclusively pumping while meeting with a variety of support people to work out some challenges. The persistence finally paid off as my maternity leave was winding down (go figure!), and my son and I began enjoying parts of breastfeeding. Sweet bonding moments replaced excruciating pain, and convenient nursing on-the-go erased bad memories of long “triple feeding” sessions and pumping around the clock.
When it was time to head back to my classroom, pumping felt like a way I could still care for my baby while continuing work that I am passionate about. Unfortunately, I was unprepared for how complicated the whole routine was as a teacher! I joked that I had become “The Bag Lady”: a bag for school stuff, a bag for baby’s daycare stuff, a lunch bag, a pumping bag, a bag for the things that don’t fit in the other bags…… phew!
Over time I’ve developed some hacks and a packing routine that make it a little easier. My Sarah Wells Kelly bag helps me keep ALL these things together in one place. Yes, ONE bag! 
Teachers carry backpacks too! In my case, my Sarah Wells “Kelly” breast pump bag, pump and supplies.
Here’s what goes inside:
- Spectra S1 – I purchased this out of pocket to replace my insurance issued pump because the rechargeable battery is AMAZING. I can’t tell you how many random places I’ve needed to pump without access to an outlet. Covered while sitting in the back of a faculty meeting? Check!
- Bobble Bottle – These filtered bottles are cheap enough to lose a few times and not be that sad, and they help me stay hydrated during the teaching day even when water fountain water is all that’s available.
- Pumpin' Pals Flanges, connectors, and valves. Buying enough to have 1 set being washed, 1 in use, and 1 spare in my desk at school has saved a ton of time.
- Kiinde Breast Milk Storage Pouches – These are great for many reasons. I can pump directly into them so I’m not combining milk and dripping all over my desk, and they reduce the amount of space that bottles take up in my bag. Best of all, they’re easy to tuck into the insulated side pocket of my bag with an ice pack, so pumped milk stays cold during my commute or during unexpected after school meetings.
- Hands Free Breast Pump Bra - Because crossing paperwork and lesson material prep off my to-do list while pumping buys me 20 more precious minutes with my kid before bedtime.
- Hand Pump – As my fellow teachers will attest, in a school setting you have to expect the unexpected. Sometimes a set pumping schedule just goes out the window because the music teacher is absent, the students’ bus is late for dismissal, or you’re chaperoning a field trip. If I have to skip a pumping session, I can usually sneak in a few minutes of hand pumping to relieve discomfort and keep my supply up.
- Oversized, flowy cardigan –Even with a classroom that locks, folks like custodians have master keys and jobs to do. I put this on backwards to cover up while pumping which I’ve found much more discreet than a typical nursing cover.
- Headphones & Portable Phone Charger – There’s no such thing as quiet in a school building and stress affects my letdown reflex! I can plug in and turn up my music when I need to decompress (or watch videos of my baby’s infectious laugh).
- Pacifier Wipes – These are so much cheaper than the name brand pumping specific wipes. Sometimes I can’t make it to the communal fridge or staff bathroom sink right away with my pump parts, so I wipe everything down with these which have only food grade ingredients.
- The Non-Pumping Essentials: wallet, phone, laptop and planner.
- Sarah Wells Kelly Bag - All this stuff weighs quite a bit, so it’s a bonus that the Kelly bag converts into a backpack when I need to haul it around! I love the convenience of having everything I need to pump AND work in one place.
Teachers leave for work early (my commute starts before 7 am). Fewer bags means fewer things to forget when I am rushing out the door after stealing a few extra minutes to nurse or play with my son!
Colleagues and friends thought maybe I’d find an “easier” profession or work setting more conducive to motherhood. Transitioning back to work is tough for any new mom, and teaching while breastfeeding adds an extra layer of logistics to manage – there’s little flexibility or private time in a teacher’s day. 
After a difficult start to our breastfeeding relationship, I wasn’t willing to give up the benefits of that hard work. I’ve found that nursing my baby when I get home each evening has helped me find the balance between my mission driven “helping” profession and parenthood.
It’s worth the extra effort to still have the option of nursing when my son and I are together. It allows us to reconnect after a long day apart and forces me to slow down and enjoy him. My goal is to keep things going for at least a year despite the challenges of pumping in a school building. Being organized has helped me make it to month ten and counting!
Teach on, moms!
~ Claire B.
24 comments
https://datajournalism.com/people/gabave
https://datajournalism.com/people/if-i-go-will-they-miss-me-2026
https://datajournalism.com/people/practical-magic-2-2026
https://datajournalism.com/people/dark-hollow-2026
https://datajournalism.com/people/Teenage-Sex-and-Death-at-Camp-Miasma-2026
https://datajournalism.com/people/toxic-a-fairy-tale-for-grown-ups-2026
https://datajournalism.com/people/speed-and-battle-2026-full-version
https://datajournalism.com/people/the-room-below-2026-full-version
https://datajournalism.com/people/the-ferry-man-dream-of-the-celestial-maiden-2026
https://datajournalism.com/people/tombe-du-ciel-2026-film-francais
https://datajournalism.com/people/voir-insidious-l-invasion-du-lointain-2026
https://datajournalism.com/people/voir-spider-man-brand-new-day-2026
https://about.me/lescontrebandiers2026
https://about.me/girlslikegirls2026vf
https://about.me/voir-thebrinkofwar2026vf
https://about.me/theearlyspring2026thsound
https://gravatar.com/theearlyspring2026thaidrama
https://datajournalism.com/people/la-ventana-abierta-2026-pelicula-completa
https://datajournalism.com/people/tradare-la-nivel-inalt-2026-subtitrare-romana
https://datajournalism.com/people/soulm8te-2026-subtitrat-in-romana
https://datajournalism.com/people/sa-nu-mi-urezi-noroc-2026-in-romana
https://www.pearltrees.com/cekenay/item816759082
https://daily.dev/posts/hgjgyu-ixfgfel1u
https://ivpaste.com/v/V2EnFWQfpu
https://longbets.org/user/murderclubliarstable2026/
https://gettr.com/post/p43d2phe7e4
https://justpaste.it/gtn66
https://penzu.com/p/d674e03d70874ba5
https://note.com/rakutenku/n/ne8eb5f195ea7
https://biolinky.co/kurapkadas
https://solo.to/colokkanancolikiri
https://youtu.be/wjAv-VTGgys?si=-fqJfS9Ap8L5z5KG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuG7jtAd2y4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdJjSnt21e8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzn6bXbwnFE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aVjsi4Ui7s&pp=0gcJCRsMAYcqIYzv
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdK3ye_No_g&pp=0gcJCRsMAYcqIYzv
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnphQk0lcmM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nuljQ4ASk4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap7CJeXhwn4
https://www.ganjingworld.com/@healthsupplements
https://www.ganjingworld.com/s/nm7l9ggZOV
https://www.grepmed.com/prodentimsupplements
https://tooter.in/healthsupplements
https://tooter.in/healthsupplements/posts/117204056930066938
https://faithlife.com/posts/6410931
https://www.notebook.ai/documents/2767776/
https://www.findit.com/prqonddzcefgfld/RightNow/prodentim-the-biggest-monster-in-the-dental-niche/cd115cf9-a884-4a5a-b0a9-ab9820a0cc7e
https://jasa-seo.mn.co/posts/106829592?utm_source=manual
https://jasa-seo.mn.co/members/41445674
https://www.dibiz.com/jenebi6071
https://www.ganjingworld.com/s/nm7WOy6o87
https://www.grepmed.com/AudifortTopBrain
https://tooter.in/audifort1/posts/117204310332347775
https://www.notebook.ai/documents/2767813
https://jasa-seo.mn.co/posts/106829997?utm_source=manual
https://www.dibiz.com/ferowe5238
https://www.dibiz.com/tafodil972
https://www.dibiz.com/wevoxo6006
https://www.grepmed.com/TheThriftyAngel2026
https://www.dibiz.com/mivicom721
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/9b8d7f18eeba81
https://www.grepmed.com/TheThriftyAngel2026
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/03ae642718caa7
https://www.grepmed.com/theroombelowfullversion
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/4f3baccf8d12f5
https://www.dibiz.com/xewenow264
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/6dd75855b3b655
https://www.walkscore.com/people/259190560313/%E5%BF%97%E6%84%BF%E5%86%9B-%E6%B5%B4%E8%A1%80%E5%92%8C%E5%B9%B3-2025%E5%9C%A8%E7%BA%BF%E8%A7%82%E7%9C%8B-1080p
https://seedandspark.com/user/jamehkya-pilongswan-01m1k2ppshbakw8bfnadsy1fpr
https://portfolium.com/entry/2026-1080p-1
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/27525b73820291
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/bec3228104e53a
https://multy.me/MiuOT
https://mewe.com/post/show/6a992f627eb5d47f158cba57
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/a51fecc277827d
https://tealfeed.com/jamehkya_426974
https://www.grepmed.com/TheCorpse2FullVersion
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/1c3615d05c6adc
https://www.dibiz.com/cepep81704
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/e012cf8e178e15
https://www.grepmed.com/mutinyfilmeonlinesubtitrate
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/3ad7dfd91991ea
https://www.dibiz.com/telej24685
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/ad3dd27b98fca0
https://www.grepmed.com/Soulm8teFilmSubtitratinromana
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/a80404e73a63d1
https://www.dibiz.com/gabave2639
https://zenn.dev/scraps/new
https://daily.dev/posts/gfhfthytfytfy-wtveijzsf
https://ivpaste.com/v/Z7Lg4W4RxN
https://longbets.org/user/galatama/
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/fe0b7b903001ec
https://gettr.com/post/p43cj6fca76
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/1c56f36e04eff1
https://zenn.dev/soundclouds/scraps/e115df6a7d1654
https://zenn.dev/soundclouds/scraps/8757ed45908863
https://zenn.dev/soundclouds/scraps/ab273b35a82a1f
https://note.com/the_odyssey2026/n/n3d3c53506d35
https://note.com/the_odyssey2026/n/n92734c344263
https://note.com/kocowaplus/n/ncdda9fe2dde9
https://note.com/kocowaplus/n/nab8fa19743b8
https://ticketme.io/zhCN/account/theroombelow
https://ticketme.io/zhCN/account/TheThriftyAngel
https://ticketme.io/zhCN/account/perfectworld
https://ticketme.io/zhCN/account/speedandbattle
https://bestdori.com/community/posts/242430/coceve-Download-Toxic-A-Fairy-Tale-For-Grown-ups-2026-Full-Movie-In-En
https://bestdori.com/community/posts/242435/coceve-The-Dog-Stars-2026-Full-Movie-Watch-Online-Stream-HD
https://bestdori.com/community/posts/242436/coceve-Teenage-Sex-and-Death-at-Camp-Miasma-2026-Watch-Online-HD
https://s.id/Mutiny2026FullMovie
https://s.id/OKMadamBonVoyage
https://note.com/netflix2026/n/n2f20f9d12264
https://note.com/netflix2026/n/n2246fd88c902
https://note.com/netflix2026/n/nddf0089bb57c
https://note.com/netflix2026/n/ndacb997f7345
https://note.com/netflix2026
https://note.com/netflix2026/n/nadca180a2efc
https://bestdori.com/community/posts/242717/coceve-Practical-Magic-2-2026-Watch-Full-Movie-Online-Download-HD
https://bestdori.com/community/posts/242718/coceve-The-Uprising-2026-Watch-Full-Movie-Online-Download-HD
https://bestdori.com/community/posts/242719/coceve-If-I-Go-Will-They-Miss-Me-2026-Full-Movie-Streaming-Online
https://bestdori.com/community/posts/242720/coceve-Fall-2-Deadpoint-2026-Full-Movie-Streaming-Online
https://note.com/nintendoku/n/nda1f9bdbb859
https://note.com/nintendoku/n/n716980d653f6
https://note.com/nintendoku/n/n9d2b79b596aa
https://note.com/nintendoku/n/n7f74aa480553
https://note.com/nintendoku/n/nc8bf037b43c6
https://note.com/nintendoku/n/n1d65baa1b2e8
https://note.com/nintendoku
https://paste2.org/CLMsf0F8
https://notes.io/e7D9F
https://paste.kodi.tv/toguruzafe
https://daily.dev/posts/fgtr-imeuxuubq
https://gettr.com/post/p43byq567a8
https://ivpaste.com/v/8COlMNLaYu
https://yingshitv.blogspot.com/2026/09/2026-hd-1080p_077036994.html
https://yingshitv.blogspot.com/2026/09/2026-hd-1080p_02041342696.html
https://yingshitv.blogspot.com/2026/09/2026-hd-1080p.html
https://yingshitv.blogspot.com/2026/09/2026-1080p_01762319816.html
https://kocowaplus.blogspot.com/2026/09/2026.html
https://kocowaplus.blogspot.com/2026/09/2026_01660862978.html
https://kocowaplus.blogspot.com/2026/09/2026_0770529115.html
https://kocowaplus.blogspot.com/2026/09/2026_0174217756.html
https://dreamserieshd.blogspot.com/2026/09/fall-2-deadpoint-2026-full-movie.html
https://dreamserieshd.blogspot.com/2026/09/if-i-go-will-they-miss-me-2026-full.html
https://dreamserieshd.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-uprising-2026-watch-full-movie.html
https://dreamserieshd.blogspot.com/2026/09/practical-magic-2-2026-watch-full-movie.html
https://dreamserieshd.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-fix-2026-watch-full-movie-online.html
https://dreamserieshd.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-girl-in-river-2026-full-movie.html
https://dreamserieshd.blogspot.com/2026/09/dark-hollow-2026-watch-full-movie.html
https://dreamserieshd.blogspot.com/2026/09/tom-and-jerry-forbidden-compass-2026.html
https://dreamserieshd.blogspot.com/2026/09/onslaught-2026-watch-full-movie-online.html
https://longbets.org/user/xipecek/
https://xfdev.yesterdaystractors.com/index.php?threads/1816751/
https://xfdev.yesterdaystractors.com/index.php?threads/1816752/
https://xfdev.yesterdaystractors.com/index.php?threads/1816753/
https://xfdev.yesterdaystractors.com/index.php?threads/1816754/
https://s.id/Blossoms_of_Power2026_Thai_Dubbed
https://s.id/Remnants_of_Gold_2026_ThSound
https://s.id/The_Trembling_of_Cicada2026_ThSound
https://s.id/Mystic_Nine2026_ThSound
https://s.id/Cang_Feng2026_ThSound
https://s.id/Flex_X_Cop_2_ThSound
https://s.id/Our_Sticky_Love2026_ThSound
https://s.id/My_Bias_My_Boss2026_ThSound
https://s.id/A_Bona_Fide_Killer2026_ThSound
https://s.id/Love_on_The_Menu_2026_ThSound
https://s.id/Agent_Kim_Reactivated_2026_Thsound
https://s.id/A_Shop_for_Killers2026
https://s.id/Doctor_on_the_Edge2026_Thsound
https://gettr.com/post/p433xtw5912
https://daily.dev/posts/perfect-crown-2026-ep-1-12—zq8ci8yxu
https://daily.dev/posts/teach-you-a-lesson-2026-10—hevzqmzlg
https://daily.dev/posts/ashes-to-crown-2026-ep-1-24—yf5ymmoj2
https://daily.dev/posts/the-scarecrow-2026-ep-1-12—xwhqhffu8
https://daily.dev/posts/pull-strings-2026-ep-1-30—bywgrf0zd
https://daily.dev/posts/reacher-season-4-2026-4-ep-1-8—ili47fql9
https://daily.dev/posts/4k-2026-wonderful-times-1-40—nouqvjyr9
https://daily.dev/posts/4k-2026-a-bona-fide-killer-1-14—blogffgil
https://daily.dev/posts/4k—gf7rnvab4
https://daily.dev/posts/4k—lskdtp9os
https://daily.dev/posts/voir-spider-man-brand-new-day-2026-regarder-le-film-complet-en-ligne-x3fkzq2sx
https://daily.dev/posts/les-contrebandiers-2026-regarder-et-t-l-charger-le-film-complet-en-ligne-khfroma8a
https://daily.dev/posts/le-diable-s-habille-en-prada-2-2026-regarder-et-t-l-charger-le-film-complet-en-ligne-hnsgmdmel
https://daily.dev/posts/tomb-du-ciel-2026-regarder-et-t-l-charger-le-film-complet-en-ligne-1rk6y6fgs
https://bookmeter.com/events/30092
https://bookmeter.com/events/30093
https://bookmeter.com/events/30094
https://bookmeter.com/events/30095
https://bookmeter.com/events/30096
https://bookmeter.com/events/30097
https://bookmeter.com/events/30098
https://bookmeter.com/events/30099
https://bookmeter.com/events/30100
https://bookmeter.com/events/30101
https://paste2.org/JaOJ2MVn
https://notes.io/e7z2W
https://paste.kodi.tv/apucacewet
https://ideone.com/0dHoKr
https://pastelink.net/kr1jw8hd
https://daily.dev/posts/dynasty-warriors-3-remastered-release-date-gdnhcoknc
https://ivpaste.com/v/01cwgdGY5B
https://gettr.com/post/p43402g663a
https://longbets.org/user/jawirkowex/
https://s.id/Voir_All_That_We_Never_Were2026
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/662bab0edddc9f
https://s.id/Voir_Tombe_du_ciel2026
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/9004d7d90006ff
https://s.id/Voir_Girls_Like_Girls2026
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/cf55c54418c4b9
https://s.id/Soumsoum_la_nuit_des_astres2026
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/e4142962b7833b
https://s.id/Voir_The_Brink_Of_War2026
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/849f4c7e4cf56b
https://s.id/Voir_Les_Contrebandiers2026
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/107cb4bab5f92c
https://s.id/Spider_Man_Brand_New_Day
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/d617d2eb2fb741
https://www.molecularcloud.org/p/buy-now-visiflora-new-vision-gut-health-hybrid-offer-blue-ocean
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/62aa4036958245
https://www.molecularcloud.org/p/buy-now-prodentim-the-biggest-monster-in-the-dental-niche
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/37da1b528708b4
https://www.molecularcloud.org/p/buy-now-erecprime-top-male-performance-and-ed
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/cd638b1c8e98d2
https://www.molecularcloud.org/p/buy-now-alpha-surge-top-male-performance-and-ed
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/0c8f5f6a88ab1a
https://www.molecularcloud.org/p/buy-now-critical-t-top-testosterone-boosting-supplement
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/8619eb81083218
https://www.molecularcloud.org/p/buy-now-endopeak-male-health-ed-testosterone
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/4f0dab621c8021
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/359c3731d3faee
https://follow.it/buy-now-and-get-your-discount-on-gluco6-supplements?pub
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/13e1815f7e21db
https://follow.it/neuro-serge-advanced-brain-and-cognitive-support-supplement-daily-mental-wellness?pub
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/3f769facedd111
https://follow.it/all-wishes-come-truee-2026?pub
https://zenn.dev/imaxversion/scraps/73bb623743bcff
https://follow.it/toy-story-5-2026-5?pub
https://follow.it/vanishing-point-2026?pub
https://follow.it/pegasus-3-2026-3?pub
https://follow.it/scare-out-2026-hd?pub
https://follow.it/the-decisive-moment-2026-hd?pub
https://sites.google.com/view/getgluco6supplements/gluco6-supplements-support-your-daily-wellness-routine
https://sites.google.com/view/getgluco6supplements/visiflora-new-vision-supplements-support-your-daily-wellness-routine
https://sites.google.com/view/prodentim-supplements-a-fresh/prodentim-supplements-a-fresh-addition-to-your-daily-oral-wellness-rou
https://s.id/nonton_bokep_bocil
https://s.id/nonton_bokep_stw
https://s.id/Nonton_Bokep_Jilbab
https://notes.io/e7urX
https://paste2.org/a3KUa9tA
https://paste.kodi.tv/ojidikabev
https://ideone.com/JJRvuW
https://justpaste.it/gn9ji
https://pastelink.net/vzv55i08
https://daily.dev/posts/erling-haaland-f05csugmi
https://solo.to/coolcampus
https://biolinky.co/wildbandito-123
https://ivpaste.com/v/MbAzuWqatQ
https://longbets.org/user/ototkawattulangentot/
https://gettr.com/post/p4315bt5266
https://on.contra.com/zzD7hC