Teacher who pumped breast milk while teaching explains why it's a valuable lesson for her students

Working as a new mother is a challenge many women face in their everyday lives. Whether they're corporate employees or blue-collar workers, a woman who is breastfeeding her child often finds it difficult to take time out of her busy schedule to pump breast milk for her infant. When a teacher from Arizona (@kaylaaa_az00) decided to pump milk while teaching, she was met with backlash from some online users. Defending her decision, she spoke out about the challenges that led her to make this choice on November 9, and some online users have shown her much-deserved support.

Kayla Kipley has been working as a high school teacher for nine years, but she faced a new challenge when she returned to her classroom after maternity leave. Earlier this April, she gave birth to her second child, but that didn't stop the 32-year-old teacher from continuing to breastfeed her son. It wasn't an easy decision, since she needed to pump breast milk every few hours, including during her teaching periods. "While taking a 30-minute 'break' in the middle of my busy teaching day sounded wonderful, I knew it wouldn't be fair to my students," she explained to People. Kipley was unwilling to compromise her students' learning, so she decided to pump while actively teaching. "I knew if I was gone for 30 minutes during my freshman English class, their overall academic experience would suffer, which gave me a lot of anxiety," she emphasized.

Once she made her decision, she began researching wearable pumps and found one that was compact, discreet, and easy to clean. Explaining her routine, Kipley said, "I go into a separate room to put the pumps in my bra, and I go into that same room to remove the pumps. I only pour my milk during a passing period and clean my pumps during this time as well." Kipley pumps before leaving for work at 7 a.m., again during her second-period class at 10 a.m., and once more during fourth period around 1 p.m. This arrangement helps avoid leakage and prevents clogs from forming. After school hours, she nurses her baby, avoiding the need to pump for the rest of the day.

Despite the arrangement, her students have been very understanding. "I told them it would only be for 30 minutes of the class period, and they might hear light buzzing coming from me, which is why I wear a very large poncho nursing cover," she revealed. She also added that her students have grown accustomed to her pumping during class, with some even showing curiosity and asking thoughtful questions about the process. Praising the kids, she stated, "My second-period freshmen are all 13 and 14 years old. They have never been disrespectful or immature about any of this. I think a lot of that has to do with the way they've been raised, and I am incredibly thankful for parents raising their children this way."

However, this did not sit well with a section of online users when she began documenting her journey and experience pumping during class hours. Shedding light on the backlash, Kipley commented, "I think a lot of the criticism stems from those who have not been exposed to motherhood, nursing, or pumping. I understand that these things may sound intimidating to these specific people. That's okay. This is why I started sharing my journey and talking about motherhood on my TikTok account." While the teaching staff and the school have been supportive of her choice, in November 2025, she was discouraged by the district officials from filming her journey on school premises. However, she is allowed to pump in class. Nevertheless, Kipley is determined to spread awareness and break barriers for new working mothers.

A 2023 study by EdWeek found that although laws existed, the practice often forced lactating teachers to pump in broom closets, classrooms, or storage rooms, and that schedules and lack of breaks hindered milk supply and retention. Fortunately, things have been changing, with many teachers, including Kipley, getting the opportunity to pump milk without being judged. Many online users under her "Q&A" video expressed mixed reactions. @imissjenshah wrote, "Pumping is human? Why are people weirded out about this." @luciaa commented, "As a student that would make me uncomfortable just my opinion I just think that’s kinda weird." @user828253500 commented, "As a parent, nope."

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