Expressing breastmilk at work

Is it worth the effort of expressing breastmilk at work?

Yes, many mums find that it's worth the effort to express milk. It will help to keep your milk supply up, and your baby will continue to get the benefits of breastmilk, even when you're apart.

Expressing milk can also help you to feel close to your baby while you're away from her. So even though you're probably going to be busy at work, and it will take some planning, it will be worth it.

There's another benefit for both you and your employer. Women who give their babies breastmilk take less time off work than mums of formula-fed babies (Click 2006, NHS 2010). Breastfed babies are ill less often, and are less likely to have ear infections that need hospital treatment (Quigley et al 2007, Unicef 2013).

You'll also be coming home to a baby who still wants to breastfeed. You can cuddle up with her straight away and re-establish your bond, as well as nourish her. If you like, ask whoever is looking after your baby to feed her as little as possible in the hour before you get home. Then you and your baby can have a lovely reunion at the end of your working day.

How should I prepare for expressing breastmilk at work?

Start expressing before you return to work. Then you'll know what to expect, and can start to set up a routine. Express after as many daytime feeds as you can, and start to build a supply in the freezer. Your baby will then have milk for your first day back at work.

You'll get less milk if you express after a feed than if you express a full feed. However, expressing between feeds and breastfeeding as well may lead to you over-produce milk, which may make you feel uncomfortable.

You will probably collect very little milk at first, but with practise, you'll soon have a useful amount after each expressing session (MA 2010).

Tell your manager as soon as you can before going back to work that you are still breastfeeding. Explain that you will need somewhere to express during the day (HSE nd). Even if you have a good informal relationship with your employer, you should do this in writing, so they have a formal period of time to prepare for your return (HSE nd).

Where should I express milk at work?

There should be a clean, warm and private room available to you for expressing (NHS 2010). It could be an unused office or conference room, or even a large, clean storeroom with a chair, table and a power socket for your pump, if you need one. It should be a space where you won't be overlooked, with a lockable door.

Ask the HR manager or office manager for suggestions, and try to get the support of a colleague or manager. A toilet cubicle isn't an acceptable place for you to express your milk (HSE nd, MA 2010, NHS 2010). Though it is useful to have somewhere nearby to wash your hands before and after you express.

Legally, your employer is obliged to provide a suitable place for you to rest, and should conduct a risk assessment for your return to work (HSE nd, MA 2010, NHS 2010).

Some employers offer a mum-and-baby room, and may have a policy in place specifically for breastfeeding employees. If you are feeling unsupported in your decision, and have a health and safety representative, ask them to put a written policy in place. Formalising the arrangements will help you, other women and your employer (Welford 2012).

How should I express milk at work?

While you're expressing at work, relax and think about your baby. Look at a photo of him, or take some of his clothing to work with you (MA 2010). Thinking about your baby can help you to produce more milk.

You will need to bring some equipment to work with you:
  • A breast pump. Double electric pumps are most efficient, but can be expensive. Many mums find that hand pumps work just as well for them.
  • If you are hand expressing, you'll need a sterile or well-cleaned and scalded container, such as a jug.
  • A cool bag or cool box lined with frozen ice packs.
  • Breast pads.
  • Bottles or breastmilk bags.

You'll need access to a fridge to store your milk during work hours.

It's up to you how often you express, but try to do it at the same time every day. Pumping once or twice a day is probably realistic, and it will be enough to keep up your milk supply.

Should I tell my colleagues that I'm expressing?

You don't have to tell your colleagues what you're doing during your breaks if you don't want to. But you should tell your line manager, to make it clear that expressing milk won't interfere with your work.

Some mums find it helps to tell colleagues so that they can benefit from their support and encouragement. It's likely to be a very personal decision.

How should I store the expressed milk?

This takes a bit of organisation, but once you're into the routine, it should become easier:
  • Pump and store milk either in sturdy plastic bottles or plastic bags made for the purpose. Don't use glass bottles, as they can break, and the white cells in milk tend to cling to glass. The downside of plastic bags is that they can tear and fall over, so you'll need to take care when using them.
  • Label and date the bottles and bags, and use up the oldest ones first. Leave room at the top of each bottle or bag for expansion during freezing. You can add more breastmilk to a bottle or bag, if you express later on the same day.
  • Store freshly expressed milk, with a clear label, in the back of the office fridge or a cooler while at work. Bring it home in a cooler with an ice pack if your journey is longer than 30 minutes. Freshly expressed milk is fine at room temperature (no warmer than 25 degrees C) for six hours.
  • If you refrigerate or chill freshly pumped milk, you can add it to a bottle of already frozen milk.
  • If you refrigerate the milk you pump on Monday, whoever is looking after your baby can give it to her on Tuesday, and so on for the rest of the week. After your first day back at work, you may not need to use frozen milk again.

Heating breastmilk up in the microwave or on the hob will destroy some of the nutrients. So thaw milk in the fridge, or if you need it quickly, hold the bottle or bag under cool then warm running water. Or place it in a bowl of warm water.

Dry the container with kitchen towels before you open it. The milk will have separated, so you will need to shake it gently before giving it to your baby (BFN 2009).

Where can I find out more?

See our article breastfeeding and working. The following publications offer lots of advice about your rights, and what to expect, when breastfeeding at work:

Last reviewed: December 2013




HSE. nd. FAQs: breastfeeding. [pdf file, accessed November 2013]

MA. 2013. Continuing to breastfeed when you return to work. Maternity Action. [pdf file, accessed November 2013]

NHS. 2008. Breastfeeding and work: information for employees and employers. [pdf file, accessed November 2013]"

Quigley MA, Kelly YJ, Sacker AS. 2007. Breastfeeding and hospitalization for diarrheal and respiratory infection in the United Kingdom Millennium Cohort Study Pediatrics 119(4):e83742

Unicef. 2013. New data shows correlation between higher breastfeeding rates and fewer hospital admissions. [pdf file, accessed November 2013]

Welford H. 2012. Expressing and storing your milk. London: NCT [pdf file, accessed November 2013]

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I am a mum of a 7-month-old and am still breastfeeding / expressing at work during the day. My boss and colleagues are really supportive, they even sort-of admire me for my dedication. I just shut the door of my office with a note on the outside "please do not enter". No one ever disturbed me. I do it every day at the same time, so it's predictable and easy to work around. At the end of the day, when my little one comes home from the creche, she is really excited to see me and wants being fed immediately. It's a lovely feeling to see her being so content while breastfeeding. I plan to keep this up as long as possible and would encourage other new mums to do so as well.
Great article. I am a mother to twin boys who are 8mnths and 1 week old, am still breastfeeding. I have a lot of support from my manager and colleagues work and still planning to breast feed for as long as possible. It makes it much easier if you have support it motivates you a lot.
Great advice

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