Pumping on the way to work?

Scooke924

Do you pump on the way to work? How do you manage this? I've pumped in the car before but not while driving. Do you have any tips?

caitie2002

I do it fairly often.  When I do it, it's because he only ate off of one side, so then I pump the other on the way to work.  I have it figured out that I always offer the right side first (it doesn't respond well to the pump), and then if he gets full and doesn't  want the left I pump it on the way to work.  I can usually get 4 or 5 oz!  This works out pretty good since I'm mainly driving with my right hand.  It's really not as hard as I thought it would be.  I can't think of any tips really, but you will figure it out! 

drcolleen

Every day for 1 year w/ DD1 and every day now, and I go through a check point to get on post-- never been asked what I was going.  I use a Freestyle, set up before walking out the door and break down sitting in the parking lot.  Only once did the bottle overflow, that was a bummer.

GlinkaGirl

I've done it 5x per week for the past 3 months. My only real tip is to get all hooked up (and pump turned on/ check flanges are fitting right) before I start driving ....

 

I use my nursing cover and I doubt anyone knows or sees what's going on.

 

Not my favorite way to drive, but it's doable.  

Jenny952

You'll definitely want to get a hands-free bra to do it.  Get a car adapter if your pump isn't batter-operated. 

dfoley1111

SandAndsSea:

No way.  First, I'm pretty sure it's illegal in my state under the "distracted driving" laws.  Second, I'm in traffic almost the whole way and would be embarassed with everyone being able to see me and staring. Third, I often have to switch bottles in the middle of my morning pump and I wouldn't want to overflow and couldn't switch while driving. Fourth, I don't trust all of the other drivers on the road to not cause an accident during my communte and I'm pretty sure an airbag into pump parts wouldn't feel too great.  Honestly, I pump for 20 minutes and would rather do it in the safety, and privacy, of my own home.  I know some people do it and love it, but it's just not worth it to me.

 I pumped during my drive to work and home from work for three months until I stopped because of this fear. While breastmilk is best, having a mother is far more important! Now I pump twice at work and get the same daily amount as I did pumping twice at work and twice while driving so it wasn't worth it anyways.

 

huskymomma94

SandAndsSea:

No way.  First, I'm pretty sure it's illegal in my state under the "distracted driving" laws.  Second, I'm in traffic almost the whole way and would be embarassed with everyone being able to see me and staring. Third, I often have to switch bottles in the middle of my morning pump and I wouldn't want to overflow and couldn't switch while driving. Fourth, I don't trust all of the other drivers on the road to not cause an accident during my communte and I'm pretty sure an airbag into pump parts wouldn't feel too great.  Honestly, I pump for 20 minutes and would rather do it in the safety, and privacy, of my own home.  I know some people do it and love it, but it's just not worth it to me.

This. I pumped while driving for my first week back to work until I realized how dangerous it really was.

blu-eyedwife

DUDE - what are you people doing with your pumps while you're driving that's making it dangerous and distracting?  Methinks you're doing it wrong. 

GlinkaGirl:

I've done it 5x per week for the past 3 months. My only real tip is to get all hooked up (and pump turned on/ check flanges are fitting right) before I start driving ....

 

I use my nursing cover and I doubt anyone knows or sees what's going on.

This is me.  I pump every day on my way to work and have for months.  Sometimes I pump on my way home from work. Or on my way to court.  Or depositions. I put on my nursing cover and handsfree bra and hook everything up before starting the car.  No one can see anything. 

Then I start the pump, buckle my seatbelt over the nursing cover, and turn on the car.  That's it.  I don't touch the pump or think about it until I get to the office.  My hands only leave the wheel to change the radio station or shift gears.  Drinking a soda or a coffee in the car would be more distracting than pumping.

I live 10 minutes from my office.  When I pump on long car trips, after about 20-30 minutes I'll reach down and pull the tubes from the flanges, but I still don't mess with the pump or flanges themselves until I'm parked.  And that movement is about as "dangerous" as reaching down to scratch an itch.