Chinyere Okorocha 
It’s funny now, but at the time it was anything but. There I was, striding through Heathrow Airport in my suit and heels, carrying my handbag, laptop bag — and a rather conspicuous breast pump.
No, it wasn’t a fashion statement. It was survival.
I had been invited to London for an important client meeting. The kind that could open doors, strengthen relationships, and maybe even redefine my career path. There was just one complication: I had a four-month-old baby at home.
Most people thought I was crazy to accept. “You just had a baby,” they said. “London will wait.” But I knew it wouldn’t. Not because I was desperate to prove anything, but because saying yes meant something more profound … it meant honouring both sides of who I was becoming: the mother and the professional.
So I packed my baby’s photo beside my business suits, tucked my breast pump carefully into my luggage, and boarded the plane. I remember the security officer’s face when he pulled it out of my bag. “What’s this?” he asked. I smiled. “My secret weapon,” I said.
Between meetings and late-night calls, I lived by a new kind of schedule. I’d find myself sitting in my hotel bathroom, the steady hum of the machine filling the air, while I rehearsed presentations in my head. It was chaotic, unglamorous, and incredibly grounding.
There was one moment that still stands out. I was standing in front of the mirror, dressed sharply for a meeting, when I caught sight of myself reflection in the morrow, and almost broke down…
I realised that the breast pump represented more than determination; it represented possibility. Proof that I didn’t have to choose. That I could be both ambitious and nurturing, strategic and soft, professional, and deeply human.
When the trip ended, I once again looked at that breast pump sitting quietly in my suitcase and smiled. It had become my companion, my reminder, my symbol of balance.
That trip changed me. It taught me that balance isn’t perfection, it’s harmony. It’s doing your best in the moment you’re in, even when the world expects you to pick a side.
Every woman has her own version of that “breast pump moment.” It might be deciding to go back to school after forty, launching a business while raising children, or stepping into leadership when it feels safer to stay small. These moments test us, stretch us, and ultimately shape us.
So yes, I took my breast pump to London and yes I’d do it again. Because it wasn’t just about milk. It was about meaning. About reminding myself and hopefully, every woman reading this that we are capable of carrying all the things that matter, even when our hands feel full.
With over three decades of experience as a trailblazer in the legal profession, Chinyere Okorocha has established herself as a leading voice in law, leadership, and career growth for women. As a partner in one of the most prestigious law firms in the country, she has not only navigated the complexities of a competitive industry but has consistently broken barriers to become a sought-after leader, mentor, and advocate for women in the workplace.
A devoted wife and proud mother of three, her career development platform, Heels & Ladders, is dedicated to mentoring and guiding women who aspire to redefine success, achieve career mastery, and lead with purpose.