Finding Time to Pump When You Go Back to Work

When you return to work following maternity leave, you're not returning to the same life that you had before. You have an entirely new set of pieces that you have to try and fit together. And not just new pieces, but more pieces.

With so much to do, and a finite amount of time in which to do it, it's a challenge to choose and prioritize the most important things.

In a recent conversation with Allison Tolman on her podcast, New Little Life, we talked about prioritizing and making time for the important things as a busy, working mom. You can check out the episode here:

I was working a corporate 8-5 job when I had all three of my kids. And with each return to work, I also chose to pump until my kids were close to 12 months old. So I know what it's like to have to fit in and prioritize time for pumping when you have meetings, clients, deadlines, and deliverables due. I learned very quickly how to pump in the car on my commute to and from work, how to make my setup and clean-up time as efficient as possible, and how to protect that pumping time on my calendar.

It wasn't easy, and by prioritizing my choice to pump, I also had to let go of other things like going out for lunch with colleagues, running errands on my lunch break, and just having more space in my days.

But just because you prioritize something in this season, doesn't mean it has to be your priority forever. Maybe you start by pumping three times a day while you're away at work, and then you reduce to two, and eventually just once before you're done and you have that time back to choose your next priority.

It is a choice, though, and one you should make intentionally. Because if you don't, the daily responsibilities and "fires" of your work will rush in to fill that time.

When trying to fit a pile of rocks, pebbles, and sand into a jar, if you don't put the big rocks in first, they won't all fit. But if you put the big rocks in first, then the pebbles, and then the sand, there's space for it all.

But what if you have lots of big rocks that you want to fit in your jar? How many can you realistically fit into your life as a working mom?

That depends on how much of your time and energy those big rocks take. Do they require your active involvement because they're new and you're establishing them as a priority in your life? Or are they things that you do automatically without much thought or energy?

For example, if you want one of your big rocks to be regular exercise and that's not something you've already established as a part of your weekly routine, it's going to take a considerable amount of energy to rearrange your schedule, make sure your husband can be with the kids while you go to the gym, and to get there consistently. And that's ok! There's nothing wrong with it being work. That's expected and something that we can work on together in coaching.

But in a couple of months, getting to the gym will start to feel easier. Your husband will expect you to go work out on the established days. You'll easily walk out the door knowing exactly what's waiting for you once you start working out. It will have become just something that you do.

So yes, it's still a priority, because you're spending time at the gym each week, but the effort required to make it happen will decrease. And so you may find yourself with the capacity to turn your energy and attention to a new "big rock" that you want to establish. Maybe reading or regular date nights.

And so while you can only fit so many "big rocks" into your jar, the size of your big rocks will shift and change depending on how much effort they require to maintain. And you may find that you can increase the number of big rocks the longer you're on this journey of incorporating priorities into your life in a realistic and sustainable way.

What are your big rocks right now? And where are you putting your time and attention to establish a priority that can serve you for as long as you want?

If you're ready to decide intentionally, how you'll spend your time and you want to establish a new priority in a realistic and sustainable way, you're ready for 1:1 coaching. Schedule a consult call to map out a plan for prioritizing your biggest rocks.