Your Rights Under the PUMP Act

The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act), signed into law in December 2022, extends workplace pumping protections to nearly all employees. Key provisions:

Employers must provide reasonable break time to express milk for up to one year after a child's birth.
A private space (not a bathroom) must be available, shielded from view and free from intrusion.
The space must be functional for pumping — with a flat surface, an electrical outlet, and proximity to a place to wash hands and store milk.
These protections now apply to salaried and exempt employees, not just hourly workers.

For more on your specific workplace rights, see our companion article: The PUMP Act: Know Your Workplace Rights.

Building a Freezer Stash

Start pumping 2 to 3 weeks before your return date. Here is a practical approach:

Pump once daily after a morning feeding (supply tends to be highest in the morning).
Collect 1 to 3 ounces per session — this is normal and adds up quickly.
Freeze in small portions (2 to 4 ounces per bag) to minimize waste.
Label every bag with the date and amount.

You do not need a massive stash. Having 3 to 5 days' worth of milk stored (roughly 36 to 60 ounces) provides a comfortable buffer. After that, you will pump at work what your baby needs the next day.

Pumping Schedule at Work

Try to pump at roughly the same times your baby would normally eat. For most full-time schedules, this means:

Morning session: Mid-morning (around 10:00 AM)
Midday session: Around lunch (12:30 to 1:00 PM)
Afternoon session: Mid-afternoon (around 3:00 PM)

Each session typically takes 15 to 20 minutes of pumping plus setup and cleanup time. As your baby gets older and starts solids, you may be able to drop a session.

Milk Storage Guidelines

Follow the "Rule of Fours" as an easy reference:

Storage Location	Temperature	Duration
Countertop (freshly expressed)	Up to 77 F (25 C)	Up to 4 hours
Insulated cooler bag with ice packs	59 F (15 C)	Up to 24 hours
Refrigerator	40 F (4 C)	Up to 4 days (ideally use within 3)
Freezer (standard)	0 F (-18 C)	6 to 12 months (best within 6)

Tips:

Store milk at the back of the fridge or freezer, not in the door.
Never refreeze thawed milk.
Thaw frozen milk in the refrigerator overnight or under warm running water. Never microwave breast milk.
Use the oldest milk first (first in, first out).