In the throes of a time-bending newborn haze, among sinks full of bottles and tops and pump parts, during a remixed sleep schedule and learning all of the exciting features of your brand new family member… you decide to take up substitute teaching.
Is it doable to pump milk for your baby while subbing?
Research before jumping into pumping and substitute teaching
While the PUMP Act that went into effect last year entitles teachers to lactation break time and space, it’s unclear about provisions for substitute teachers.
One would think that subs should be included, and have a right to these things. But then again, subs miss out on a few key benefits of the profession, like health insurance or retirement, paid days off, etc. You might want to check up on this yourself.
If you have a specific school in mind, you could contact them. I never did this, though. Honestly, I knew I’d end up on the phone with the secretary. And that person would probably not have experience fielding questions about substitute teacher lactation provisions, so I just could envision getting the runaround.
What I did ensure was my familiarity with the school schedules. I knew, for instance, that schools in my district gave a 50-minute planning period free of students and a duty-free lunch around half an hour.
Granted, it is within our substitute expectations that we “cover” other classes if need be during these break times. But I have never been pulled to do this at the schools I work in.
When I returned to substitute teaching at six months postpartum and still full-fledged nursing, I was banking on these two breaks being included in my schedule.
It was a risk I was willing to take. And if anyone tried to take away these breaks, I was ready to walk out. Or rather, first explain myself/negotiate, and then if that failed, to peace out.
Fortunately, this didn’t happen, but a substitute teaching position is, say, of pint-sized importance next to feeding my baby.
Pumping while subbing: Provisions to get in order
To successfully pump at work, you’ll need at least two items: a portable pump and a cold-keeping container.
Plan for keeping the milk cold
Subbing holds a lot of mysteries.
One of those enigmas is the classroom environment you’re assigned. Some teachers keep mini fridges, but I wouldn’t assume. There is also usually refrigeration in staff lounges and break rooms, but I would probably cross a street blindfolded before leaving my milk in a shared appliance. (Like, a quiet neighborhood street, but still.)
It took some preparation, but coming up with a cold-keeping system for pumping and subbing soon became second nature. Like packing another lunch box, because in a way, it was another (albeit belated) lunch box for my wonderful tiny person.
There are some great insulated baby bottle bags on the market. I used a container I was gifted that went with my Medela breast pump. This pump plugs into the wall, so this particular device wouldn’t travel with me, but the case was cute, handy, and did the job.
Any insulated bag or lunchbox could probably work fine for this. Stuff it with ice packs. Practice filling your designated case with the ice packs and a few bottles to ensure it all fits. Then you could even cram this bag into your sub bag (mine is a pretty hefty tote bag) if wanted, or just carry around like the awesome nursing mama you are!
Get your portable nursing supplies in order
You’ll also need a portable pump in order to squirrel away milk on the job.
Wall-plug pumps certainly could work, but would be limiting in both the area you’ll need to pump in and with what you carry. I wouldn’t want to heave my cumbersome main pump into schools, along with all of the parts and cold pack and my lunch and sub bag– but that’s just me.
Do some research and select a portable or even wearable pump. I purchased the Bellababy portable pump from Amazon, and it did the job!
I would suggest trying the pump out, getting familiar with it, maybe even coming up with a fun name for it before relying on it for a work day. Get to know all of the corresponding parts and doodads that need to come with you to make the pumping successful.
It’s best to set out these things the evening before. Trust me, I encountered serious heartbreak and sore mammaries one day when I went out to sub and forget a tiny-but-crucial pumping part. Without it, the pump wouldn’t work. Save yourself the distress and line up every piece you need for the day ahead.
Finding time to pump as a substitute teacher
Teaching is a field in which break time is pretty rigid. Only at set times can you be free of the children.
You are probably not privy to this schedule as a sub. But, like I mentioned before, I knew the schools in my district took a planning period and a lunch. The question was when these would occur.
Right when getting into a new classroom, after carefully finding a spot for my supplies, I’d seek out the teacher’s lesson plans. Same as my non-pumping substitute days. Once the papers were located, I’d scan the page for when the break times were and mentally prepare myself to attach myself to a machine that extracts my breastmilk during that specific time. Fun!
Finding privacy to pump as a substitute teacher
One would think the classroom would serve as an oasis of privacy during break times.
One would think.
I would usually set up my pumping station at the teacher desk with my clothing arranged artfully over the device, concealing the milk making. Nine times out of ten, I was left completely alone. As one should be, on their break.
But there was the odd time when the class was at, say, art, and their parents were picking them up. A security guard with the key to the room just kind of entered the classroom randomly with the student in order to retrieve his backpack. Luckily, I had taken the precautions of covering myself with both the shirt and a sweater bunched awkwardly over all of that machinery. I don’t think these two dudes had a clue what was occuring or why I was so stiffly glued to one spot as I conversed with them and wished them a “wonderful day.”
But if they had suspected anything, I would’ve launched into a lesson on how this is a natural and beautiful form of meal preparation for my beloved child with precedence spanning millenia!
Tips for the nursing substitute
- Ready ALL of your pump, bottle, and cold-keeping supplies the evening before work
- Prepare a nursing-friendly outfit
- Mentally focus on getting those milk bottles transferred to a fridge once home. It would be so disappointing to leave your hard-earned bottles melting in a no-longer-cold pack. (I sing myself a little song on the drive home that goes like, “Bottles in the fridge! Bottles in the friiiiidge!”)
- Pack good nursing snacks 🙂
- Make a photo album on your phone featuring adorable baby photos, and stare at them while pumping to possibly increase production!
- Pat yourself on the back, and hug your baby when you reunite!
Teachers, substitutes, and pumping mamas: I know it’s not easy to do both these things at once. I totally get it. If you’re in these camps all at once, I am cheering you on so emphatically! Thanks for reading.
