Pumping on the Go: Tips & Tricks to Pump in the Car
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Whether you’re returning to work or just out running errands without baby, you may at some point need to pump in the car. I work from my car so I am often pumping & storing milk throughout the work week.
Pumping in the car is a little tricky since you’re exposed by the windows in parking lots or on the road. Plus, it can be hard and frustrating to get set up and handle your milk without spilling or contaminating your bottles or pump parts.
After 2+ years of pumping in the car I have learned some tricks of the trade I’ll share with you today!
Best Pump Options for Pumping in the Car
There are a few pump options you could use to pump in the car:
- Hand pump: if you’re going to be gone quick or just want something to have “just in case,” a hand pump may be a good option for you. They are quick, easy to pack or store in your car and never have to be charged. I like keeping a hand pump in a clean gallon bag in my glove compartment if I happen to forget a pump part or forget to charge my pump. It’s not my primary means of pumping but I love to have it in case of emergency. This is the one I have here!
- Wearable Pump- like Willow, Elvie: I personally have not tried a wearable but I completely get the appeal of a more subtle looking pump with all the features of a regular pump. These are supposed to have a similar output to a regular pump but they fit into your bra and can be worn under a shirt and even while working, being out and about etc.
- Portable Pump- like Imani: With my first, I never used a portable pump but with my second I really wanted something that would be easier to wear while also chasing a toddler or being outside, etc. It comes with cups or flanges and small motors, instead of having your big pump motor and tubing. I got the Imani I2. So far, I like it and love the functionality of it and I like it much more than using a traditional pump with the pump motor and flanges, especially for pumping in the car when space is already tight.
- Battery powered: My main, “regular” pump is the Motif Luna battery version. I know there are other brands that are battery powered also. It’s nice to not have to be plugged in so you have more flexibility with placement and less wires and tubes to deal with.
- Regular electric with car adapter: this would be my least favorite option, just because it’s less flexible and car friendly. One positive would be you don’t have to worry about charging it. Plus, these pumps are probably cheaper and more available to most people. To make this work in the car, you’ll need to get a car adapter from Amazon for $10-15.
Things You’ll Need to Pump in the Car
- Pump of your choice
- Milk storage choice- cooler with ice packs or Ceres Chill (see below)
- Hands free pumping bra: a must-have!
Accessories and Optionals for Pumping in the Car
- Legendary Milk Cups: I like using these in the car with my regular battery powered pump. They replace the big, bulky flanges and are a little more disguisable at red lights or in parking lots. They connect right into your pump with the normal tubing and don’t change the suction or effectiveness, in my experience.
- Ceres Chill: I just got this for my second pumping journey and it saves a bunch of time and bottle washing. With a separate section to hold ice and the other part to hold the milk, I use this instead of a cooler/ice packs.
- Sanitizing wipes: you can use these to quickly wipe your pump parts (or use the fridge hack below)
- Cooler and ice packs: A good, traditional option This worked great and I never had any issues with temperature control or spills.
- Car window shade: occasionally if I’m somewhere that I can’t find decent privacy I’ll put up my car window shade, which at least blocks out the big windshield. You could even add one to the driver side window too and then you’d have much more privacy.
- Breastfeeding cover: if you are concerned about people looking into your windows while your pumping or parked you could throw on a breastfeeding cover over your flanges.
- Wet Dry Bags: these are great to store your pump parts in for the “fridge hack” to keep them clean and separate. You can wash them in the dishwasher or washing machine as needed to keep everything fresh and clean
How to Store Milk while Pumping in the Car
In my experience there are 2 main options to store milk on the go. Option 1 is storing milk in the bottles that fit your pump with ice packs in a cooler. Pros: quick, easy, don’t mix milk (if you’re concerned about that), cheap (only need small cooler and ice packs.) Option 2 is using something like Ceres Chill or other thermos type container to store all the days milk together. Pros: quick, less bottle washing, milk is already pooled and ready to be poured into drinking bottles when you get home.
How to Clean Parts while Pumping in the Car
To clean your parts on the go you can use quick clean pump wipes to wipe down all of the parts before re using them. You can also do the “fridge hack” using a cooler with ice packs. The classic “fridge hack” is to put all of your pump parts in the fridge between uses and wash them each night. You can do this same thing with a cooler for the car and it works great! Then when you get home, wash all parts, wipe your cooler and you’re ready for another day.
I hope this helps get you started on your pumping on the go experience. It does get easier with practice. My only question now is when are vehicles going to have built in changing pads?
