"I played the WSOP while pumping breast milk." Caitlin Arnwine on combining motherhood with live tournaments

Professional poker player Caitlyn Arnwine, in a column for Poker.org, shared how she managed to combine caring for her 6-month-old daughter with playing in the World Series of Poker. To do so, she had to pump breast milk right at the tables throughout the WSOP.

"I thought the craziest thing I could do at a poker table was play on the day I was due to give birth, February 15, 2026. Now I've played the WSOP, including the Main Event, and attended the Tournament Directors Association summit, all while pumping breast milk."

Arnwine left her daughter with a nanny at the hotel and headed off to the tournaments. The poker player wore special pumps to express milk. She noted that she chose the most compact and quiet model so as not to cause problems for her opponents and to prevent possible complaints. The need to regularly clean the pumps and send the milk back to the hotel forced her to act faster at the table than usual.

Under U.S. federal and individual state laws, she had the right to breastfeed her child in public places, but she decided against it due to the smoke-filled rooms, bright machines, and abundance of screens in the casino, as well as possible inappropriate reactions from people.

To Arnwine's surprise, those around her reacted positively to the milk pumping. None of her opponents complained, and some began sharing their wives' experiences and asking questions about breastfeeding.

"During conversations at the poker table, men also defended breastfeeding in public places: 'It's science. It's beautiful. It's natural. I don't understand why anyone could be against it,'" Arnwine wrote.

According to Caitlyn, only one player tried to joke with the line "Is that water in your bra?" But he was clearly embarrassed when he learned that the poker player was pumping milk for her daughter.
"I want to support all new moms, especially those who breastfeed. Don't let anything stop you from achieving what you want. Whether it's the Main Event, a conference, a trip, or anything else. It won't necessarily be easy, but you may be pleasantly surprised by how understanding and supportive people can be," Arnwine concluded.

During the WSOP, Caitlyn Arnwine never reached the ITM. However, she did cash at the WSOP Circuit, which was integrated into the World Series schedule. Her husband, Justin Arnwine, shortly afterward won his first WSOPC ring, taking down the $600 Monster Stack tournament.

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