Kayla Kipley, a special education teacher in Tucson, Arizona, balances motherhood not only at home but also in her classroom. As a full-time teacher and mother of two, including an infant son, she has to pump breast milk during the school day. Having exclusively pumped with her first child, Kipley understands how critical regular pumping is, especially while working long hours away from her baby.
This school year presented new challenges because her teaching schedule no longer lined up with traditional break times. Rather than relying on substitutes, aides, or stepping away from her students, Kipley decided to try something different: pumping during class using wearable breast pumps. After getting encouragement and approval from her principal, she committed to making it work in a way that allowed her to continue teaching without disruption.
Kipley discreetly pumps during her second and fourth periods, briefly stepping into a private room to put on and remove the pumps, then teaching as usual while wearing a poncho for coverage. She has been open with both students and parents about what she’s doing and emphasizes that the pumps are quiet and non-distracting.
According to Kipley, her students, their families, and the school administration have all been supportive. As she told TODAY, “All of my kids have been so great, and their parents have been so supportive. It just makes me love where I work that much more.”
After sharing her experience on TikTok, where her video received millions of views, Kipley encountered both praise and criticism. She pushed back against negative reactions that stigmatize or sexualize breastfeeding, arguing that working mothers already face enough obstacles.
Ultimately, she hopes her visibility helps normalize breastfeeding and pumping at work, showing students that caregiving and professional life can coexist—and that different life stages deserve understanding and acceptance.
