Why would a flight attendant need to do this while on the job? I am really asking because I don't know how these things work but I'm thinking that its something that would probably be better to do when you get home?
It depends upon the age of the baby. Infants under six months old usually need the mother to pump every three hours. Women can usually pump during lunch or a break but this type of work doesn't allow for those break periods.
Edited: Kyrroeth on 18th May, 2017 - 7:41pm
Because they refrigerate it. They have to pump away from the child to keep the milk coming and the milk supply there for the baby. If they are away from the baby a lot and don't pump, the mother's body thinks the baby is needing less milk so milk production begins dropping.